13 Celebrities Who Went To Public Universities & You Could Have Been Their Classmate
School hallways by day, red carpets by night. 📚
Storm Reid in the stands for USC. Right: Sydney Sweeney in a blue dress.
Many celebrities aren't just street smart, but they're also book smart, and have a diploma to prove it. There's a handful of A-listers that even went to public state schools, so you may have been their classmate without ever even realizing it.
From an Obama sibling to Euphoria castmates, even a Kardashian sister, these high-rollers were getting their degree all while keeping their status as Presidential and Hollywood royalty.
With it being graduation season, we took a look at all of your favorites that could have sat down in the plastic chair beside you while you were busy hitting the books!
Sasha Obama
\u201cCongrats to Sasha Obama, who graduated from University of Southern California today!\n\nhttps://t.co/VhY2bNz7WN\u201d— philip lewis (@philip lewis) 1683927227
Sasha Obama recently graduated from the University of Southern California (USC). However, she wasn't always a USC student. She transferred from the University of Michigan in 2022.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the whole family gathered at her graduation to watch her get her diploma.
Sydney Sweeney
@celebrityworldcheck #sydneysweeney #sydneysweeneyedit #sydneysweeneyinterview #euphoriatiktok #drewbarrymore #drewbarrymoreshow
White Lotus and Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney attended the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) to get a Business Degree. She tried to graduate, but a professor prevented her from getting her diploma.
Sweeney revealed on The Drew Barrymore Show that she was going to school while she was filming scenes in The Handmaid's Tale. She said she left Toronto, where they were shooting her scenes, to go take her midterm, but her professor wouldn't allow her to take it.
"Apparently all the kids were upset that I was able to miss so many days of school and still succeed even though I made the dean's list every semester for two years, and he didn't let me take the final and I never got credit," she told Barrymore.
Storm Reid
Euphoria's Storm Reid currently attends the University of Southern California. The actress shares glimpses of her life at university on her Instagram page. She will be going into her junior year.
Reid told People that attending USC was one of the best decisions she's made. Maybe she was in class with Sasha Obama!
Kourtney Kardashian Barker
Kourtney Kardashian went to Southern Methodist University in Texas and then transferred to, and graduated from, The University of Arizona.
She received a Bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts and a minor in Spanish.
Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria received her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
The actress didn't stop there. She then went for her Masters at California State University, Northridge, in Chicano studies.
According to the California university's website, "her thesis was titloed 'Success STEMS from Diversity: The Value of Latinas in STEM Careers.'"
Chris Hardwick
Chris Hardwick studied at the University of California Los Angeles and got a degree in Philosophy.
He was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity and he graduated in 1993.
Oprah
The legendary Oprah Winfrey indeed went to a public university. She attended Tennessee State University before she became the powerhouse she is known as today.
The star got her degree in communications and performing arts.
Renee Zellweger
Renee Zellweger, who famously starred in Jerry Maguire and Chicago, went to the University of Texas at Austin.
The actress graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey basically bleeds the University of Texas at Austin orange! He was born and raised in the state and attended the university.
He studied to become an actor, achieved his dream, and is on the sidelines at most games. He even teaches at the school.
Owen Wilson
@primevideouk Just...wow. #owenwilson #wow #moviescene #marleyandme #hallpass #theinternship #woah #birthday #primevideo
Like Renee Zellweger, Owen Wilson went to the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in English. Unlike Renee Zellweger, he did not graduate. But maybe they still had some classes together!
Shaquille O'Neal
Former athlete, and now DJ, Shaquille O'Neal, earned his bachelor's degree at Louisiana State University. Then, he went for his MBA from the University of Phoenix and he continued his education with a doctorate degree from Barry University in 2012.
He got his doctorate nearly 17 years after leaving college for the NBA draft.
James Franco
@dj.xrin best harry osborn hands down scp: tanyasedits 💗 audio: @naileysaudios #harryosborn #harryosbornedit #harryosbornspiderman #spiderman #spiderman3 #jamesfranco #jamesfrancoedit #jamesfrancowink
James Franco attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he got his Bachelor's degree in creative writing in 2008. Franco dropped out before returning years later, as he pursued his acting career in between then.
He furthered his education to get his MFA at Columbia University in 2010. One year later, he got his Master's in film from New York University.
John Legend
John Legend attended the University of Pennsylvania. There, he studied English with a special focus on African American Literature.
He graduated Magna cum laude in 1999.
