Half a century of excellence
With campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, NYU has welcomed many celebs amongst its ranks. Lady Gaga is one of them, having received early admission to the prestigious Collaborative Arts Project 21. She studied music at the school, but dropped out in the second semester of her second year to focus on her music career.
Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School in New York City has educated many celebrities, including Robin Williams. His close ties with and support of the school were unmatched, with the Robin Williams Scholarship supporting a drama student’s tuition cost each year.
The Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts has seen its alumni collectively winning over 300 Grammys! One of its celebrity alumni is John Mayer, who enrolled in 1997.
The University of Michigan has campuses in Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint, Michigan. The school has distinguished alumni across the board, including the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna.
Other notable alumni of the University of Michigan are Iggy Pop, Tom Brady, Lucy Liu, and Larry Page (of Google fame).
The University of California is a public institution spreading out across 10 campuses, with UCLA being one of them. UCLA has hosted many celebrated figures, including Jim Morrison, who graduated in film studies.
Other notable alumni who have attended USC are Neil Armstrong, Forest Whitaker, John Wayne, and Macy Gray.
Columbia University, established in 1754 on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, is ranked among the top colleges globally by major education publications. It has graduated many celebrity A-listers, such as Jake Gyllenhaal.
Brown is another Ivy League institution that has educated a wide range of celebrated figures. Emma Watson is just one celebrity to have attended the school in Providence, Rhode Island.
Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire is situated on a terrace above the Connecticut River. One actress that attended the college is Mindy Kaling. She became heavily involved in the student culture there, writing for the school magazine and joining an a capella singing group.
Other influential alumni of Dartmouth are Meryl Streep, Shonda Rhimes, and Nelson Rockefeller.
Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University was founded in 1900 by Scottish-American industrialist Andrew Carnegie. The college has helped prepare many high-achieving individuals, including Ted Danson.
Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut has distinguished alumni in areas such as the arts and sciences, literature, government, and business. One distinguished former student is American film director and producer Michael Bay.
Syracuse University in New York comprises 13 colleges and schools whose alumni have been collectively awarded three Nobel Prizes and over 30 Olympic medals. One famous musician who attended the school is Lou Reed.
Other decorated alumni of the school include Shaquille O'Neal, Vera Farmiga, and Jerry Stiller.
Sources: (Forbes)
Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, Anne Hathaway, Kristen Bell, Morgan Freeman, and Dakota Fanning all also attended NYU.
Northwestern University’s main campus lies on Lake Michigan’s shores in Evanston, Illinois. Some of the world’s most famous individuals, including Meghan Markle, attended the school.
Other notable attendees of the school are John F. Kennedy Jr., Ted Turner, and Jessica Capshaw.
Other notable alumni who have attended UCLA are Ben Stiller, Carol Burnett, James Dean, and Jack Black.
Yale University, an Ivy League school, is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, is split into 14 constituent schools, and has famously graduated presidents, billionaire entrepreneurs, and diplomats. Hillary Clinton is just one of the school's many famous alumnus.
Some other famous individuals who attended the school are Lin-Manuel Miranda, Amanda Palmer, and Santigold.
Located in the heart of Los Angeles, USC has produced leaders across the board, including director George Lucas, who was enrolled in film school there.
Colleges that graduate the most celebrities
Star-studded student bodies
CELEBRITY School
These colleges have more than their fair share of influential alumni. Presidential candidates, iconic musicians, famous actresses, and film directors once roamed these campuses, mostly before anyone knew who they were and what success they would achieve in their careers.
If you're curious about which colleges have had incredible amounts of famous figures in attendance, click through this revealing gallery.