Celebrity 34 Celebrities Who Went to Ivy League Schools (and Also Stanford) By Isabel Jones Isabel Jones Isabel is an Oregon-born and Brooklyn-based writer and editor with a special interest in pop culture. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on October 12, 2022 @ 11:44AM Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Getty These talented stars made their higher education a priority and sought out the most exclusive institutions in the country to do so. Scroll down below to find out which Ivy league schools your favorite celebrities attended. 01 of 34 Julie Bowen - Brown University Getty The Modern Family star graduated from the Rhode Island Ivy in 1991 with a degree in Renaissance Studies. 02 of 34 Casey Affleck - Columbia University Getty The Oscar-winner studied at Columbia for two years before dropping out to pursue acting full-time. 03 of 34 Angela Bassett - Yale University Getty The Oscar nominee graduated from Yale with a B.A. in African-American studies in 1980, returning shortly after to earn an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. Angela Bassett Is Still Burning It Down 04 of 34 Elizabeth Banks - University of Pennsylvania Getty The Wet Hot American Summer star majored in communications with a concentration in theater arts, graduating magna cum laude in '96. 05 of 34 Jordana Brewster - Yale University Getty Before things got Fast and Furious, Brewster studied English at Yale. The actress graduated from the Ivy in '03, taking part in a true family tradition (her grandfather was once the university's president). 06 of 34 Connie Britton - Dartmouth College Getty The celebrated TV actress graduated from the New Hampshire school in 1989 with a degree in Asian Studies. 07 of 34 Claire Danes - Yale University Getty Has anyone ever had a conversation about Claire Danes and not discussed her time at Yale? It's doubtful. Anyway, the My So Called Life star began studying psychology at the prestigious school in '98, dropping out two years later to focus on her acting career. Claire Danes Dated Billy Crudup "to fall in love” 08 of 34 Matt Damon - Harvard University Getty The Boston native started at Harvard in '88, taking time off here and there before eventually dropping out to pursue his acting career. 09 of 34 Jodie Foster - Yale University Getty The prolific actress graduated from the CT-based Ivy in '85 with a degree in English. 10 of 34 Jake Gyllenhaal - Columbia University Getty Like his sister Maggie, Jake attended Columbia with a major in Eastern Religions. Unlike his big sis, Jake dropped out after two years. Jake Gyllenhaal Finally Shared His Thoughts on Taylor Swift's "All Too Well" Re-Release 11 of 34 Rashida Jones - Harvard University Getty Jones graduated from Harvard in '97 with a degree in acting. 12 of 34 Issa Rae - Stanford University Ray Tamarra/GC Images; Courtesy HBO's comedic "It" girl graduated from the prestigious California school in '07 with a degree in African and African-American studies. 13 of 34 James Franco - Columbia University Getty The ultra-educated actor graduated from Columbia's MFA program in 2010. The same year, Franco also enrolled in Yale's English and Film Ph.D. program. 14 of 34 Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Columbia University Getty JGL took a break from acting in 2000 to study History, Literature, and French Poetry at Columbia. During his fourth year at the urban Ivy, just shy of earning his diploma, Gordon-Levitt returned to acting. 15 of 34 Ashley Judd - Harvard University Getty In 2010, the Someone Like You star graduated with a master's degree in public administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. These Celebrity Mother-Daughters Will Have You Doing a Double Take 16 of 34 Mindy Kaling - Dartmouth College Getty The Mindy Project star graduated from Dartmouth in '01 with a degree in playwriting. 17 of 34 Ellie Kemper - Princeton University Getty Although Netflix heroine Kimmy Schmidt erred in her brush with the Ivy League, Kemper herself graduated from New Jersey's finest in '02 with a B.A. in English. 18 of 34 John Legend - University of Pennsylvania Getty Not only did the world-famous crooner attend an Ivy League, he also enrolled at just 16! Legend studied English with a focus on African American lit before graduating in '99. 19 of 34 Laura Linney - Brown University Getty The Ozark star graduated in '86 with a degree in theater arts. She also graduated from The Julliard School. 20 of 34 John Krasinski - Brown University Getty The Office alum graduated in '01, just a few years before he became a household name with his starring role in the NBC comedy. John Krasinski Paid a Subtle but Sweet Tribute to His Daughters on 'SNL' 21 of 34 Maggie Gyllenhaal - Columbia University Getty Jake's famous big sis followed through with her education, graduating with a B.A. in English Literature in '99. 22 of 34 Mira Sorvino - Harvard University Getty A foil to one of the characters for which she is best known (Romy of Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion), Sorvino graduated magna cum laude in '90 with a degree in East Asian studies. 23 of 34 Lupita Nyong'o - Yale University Getty The Oscar-winner attended the Yale School of Drama, earning an MFA in 2012—just a year prior to the release of her career-making performance in 12 Years a Slave. 24 of 34 Tracee Ellis Ross - Brown University Getty The Black-ish star earned a degree in theatre from the Rhode Island Ivy, graduating with the class of '94. Tracee Ellis Ross Wore Everyone's Favorite Sandal With $1,050 Worth of Prada 25 of 34 Shonda Rhimes - Dartmouth College Getty Network TV's super-producer queen earned a degree in English with Creative Writing in '91. 26 of 34 Brooke Shields - Princeton University Getty Shields took a break from show biz to attend Princeton, where she earned a degree in Romance Languages in '87. 27 of 34 Jenny Slate - Columbia University Getty The Landline star graduated from the N.Y.C. Ivy in '04. I Will Never Understand Chris Evans and Jenny Slate's Perfect Bond 28 of 34 Reese Witherspoon - Stanford University Getty Witherspoon entered Stanford as an English major in the mid-'90s but has been "on leave" since 1996. 29 of 34 Allison Williams - Yale University Getty A graduate of the class of 2010, Williams completed her English degree just two years prior to landing her career-making role on Girls. 30 of 34 Emma Watson - Brown University Getty The Harry Potter alum completed an English degree at Brown in 2014. Tom Felton Cleared Up Those Rumors About Him and Emma Watson 31 of 34 Julia Stiles - Columbia University Getty Stiles stalled the pace of her acting career in 2000 when she enrolled as an English major at Columbia. She graduated in 2005. 32 of 34 Ivanka Trump - University of Pennsylvania Getty Keeping with family tradition, Ivanka graduated from U.Penn's Wharton Business School in 2004. Ivanka's father and two of her three adult siblings also attended the Pennsylvania Ivy. 33 of 34 Sigourney Weaver - Yale and Stanford University Getty The Alien star earned a B.A. in English at Stanford in '72 and later attended Yale Drama School. 34 of 34 Meryl Streep - Yale University Getty The Oscar-winner earned her MFA from Yale Drama School in 1975. Sharon Stone Called Out Hollywood's Idolization of Meryl Streep