• Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United

WHERE BLACK WOMEN COME FIRST

Every day we're serving Black women deeply. Come get a plate of goodness! Sign up for daily content and exclusive offers you'll love!

Your email is required.
Your email is in invalid format.
Confirm email is required.
Email did not match.
By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and that you have read our Privacy Policy
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Celebrity

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees

Syleena Johnson just graduated college with a degree in, wait for it...nutrition science?! Here are 14 other celebrities who are proud holders of unique degrees.
By Taylor Lewis · Updated October 27, 2020
01
Syleena Johnson

Twenty-one years after dropping out of college to pursue a music career, this R&B Divas Atlanta star decided to return to school. She just graduated from Kaplan University with a degree in nutrition science. Congrats, Syleena! 

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Instagram
02
Regina Belle

Congrats, Regina! After leaving Rutgers University to pursue a (very successful!) music career more than 30 years ago, gospel songstress Regina Belle returned to the university to get her degree. She graduated last month with a Bachelors in Africana studies. And P.S. She performed a brief concert at her commencement ceremony.

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Regina Belle
03
Michael Jordan

We bet you had no idea that this NBA All-Star has a degree in geography. He dropped out of the University of North Carolina in 1984 to enter the NBA draft, but returned two years later to complete his geography degree.

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic
04
Rashida Jones

We bet Quincy is proud of his daughter. Before she was a red carpet staple, Rashida was busy earning her degrees in religion and philosophy from Harvard. 

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Getty Images
05
Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Getty Images
06
Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes
Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Getty Images
07
Dwayne Johnson

Kudos to The Rock! After being arrested multiple times by the age of 17, Dwayne decided that he wanted to turn his life around. He enrolled in college to pursue a degree in criminology and physiology. 

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Getty Images
08
Montel Williams

What can’t the man do? The soldier-turned-talk-show-host has an engineering degree from the Naval Academy. We love it!

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Nomi Ellenson/FilmMagic
09
Keisha Knight Pulliam

Was Keisha a sociologist in a former life? In 2001, The Cosby Show actress graduated from Spelman College with a degree in sociology.

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Getty Images
10
Shaquille O’Neal

Basketball, schmasketball. Shaq’s true passion lies in education. In 2012, the basketball star returned to Barry State University to get his doctorate in education. The reason? “I promised my parents I would follow my passion for education!” he told ABC News. Awww.

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
11
Sanaa Lathan

This smarty pants has two degrees from two distinguished colleges. She graduated from the University of California-Berkeley with a degree in English (surprise!), then she went on to pursue a master’s at Yale with a degree in drama (not-so-surprise!).

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic and Valerie Macon/Getty Images
12
Regina Hall

Can you imagine Regina Hall getting the latest scoop on all-things news? The Think Like a Man actress graduated from New York University with a degree in journalism.

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Getty Images
13
Tatyana Ali

Little Ashley Banks is all grown up! After finishing her run on The Fresh Prince, she went on to obtain a Bachelor’s in anthropology from Harvard. 

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
14
Angela Bassett

Beauty and brains—wowza. This Ivy-league educated legendary actress has a degree in African-American studies… from Yale! 

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Getty Images
15
Hill Harper

We can barely keep track of all of Hill’s degrees. In addition to a B.A. from Brown, actor/author has a law degree from Harvard AND a Masters degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government. Talk about brainpower.

Proud Brainiacs: 15 Celebrities with Surprising Degrees
Jim Spellman/WireImage
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now