20 celebrities you didn't realize are highly educated

Bridgit Mendler’s resume is oozing with degrees. She’s got a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, as well as a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. And if that weren’t enough, she’s also got her J.D. from Harvard Law School. 

Natalie Portman tries her best to stay out of the public eye, but certain facts about her can’t be hidden. For example, she’s super smart. The Oscar winner has a psychology degree from Harvard, and she’s had work published in scientific journals. 

Taraji P. Henson started her career as an educated woman. Before becoming a professional actress, she studied the discipline at Howard University. 

Yara Shahidi, best known for her work in the shows Black-ish and Grown-ish , is also a Harvard graduate. She studied interdisciplinary sociology and African American studies at the prestigious university, and her application to the school included a recommendation letter from Michelle Obama. 

Sigourney Weaver had better be good at acting. She’s spent a lot of time studying the craft. She’s got a bachelor’s degree in literature from Stanford, as well as a master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama. 

Emma Watson attended school at multiple renowned places. She studied at Oxford University and later received a degree in English literature from Brown University, an Ivy League school. 

The Yale School of Drama has put loads of talented people through its program. Meryl Streep got her master’s degree from the school, and before that she earned a bachelor’s in drama and costume design from Vassar College. 

Actors don’t necessarily need master’s degrees, but that didn’t stop Eva Longoria from earning one. She got a master’s in Chicano studies from California State University. 

Thanks to his successful basketball career (and as an insurance commercial star), Shaquille O'Neal doesn't need another job, but he went back to school for his doctorate in education, which he received from Barry University. 

Ivy League schools are notoriously difficult to be accepted into, but that was no issue for Mindy Kaling. The famed The Office alum and prolific showrunner got her degree in playwriting from Dartmouth College. 

John Legend is another Ivy League alum. The singer got a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on African-American literature from one of the prestigious East Coast institutions, the University of Pennsylvania. 

Lupita Nyong’o has two degrees to go along with her Oscar. She has a bachelor’s in film and African studies from Hampshire College, as well as a master’s in acting from the Yale School of Drama. 

More comedy writers than you might realize are highly educated, and many of them went to prestigious schools. Colin Jost graduated from Harvard University where he studied history and literature. He was also president of The Harvard Lampoon during his collegiate years. 

Before Colin Jost had the gig as president of The Harvard Lampoon, that position belonged to Conan O’Brien. The late night host also studied history and literature. 

Of course, Ken Jeong is highly educated. He’s a literal doctor. He earned his undergraduate degree from Duke and finished medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Mayim Bialik might fit in better with real scientists than the actors who played some on The Big Bang Theory. The former child star has a doctorate in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

James Franco attended various institutions, including New York University, Columbia University, Brooklyn College, and Yale University. The actor earned his master’s from Columbia and is pursuing a PhD from Yale. 

Matt Damon didn’t finish his degree at Harvard, but he was a student there for a while. It was there that he came up with the idea for Good Will Hunting. Damon did receive an honorary degree from Harvard a couple of decades later, though. 

It’s not easy to get into Juilliard, but Jessica Chastain managed to do so. She went on a scholarship provided by Robin Williams, another Oscar-winning actor who attended the prestigious school. 

Ellie Kemper graduated from Princeton with an English degree and studied at Oxford University for a year. She later got an acting job on The Office, which is something far fewer people can say.