College is a confusing and overwhelming time. You’re figuring out who you are and what you want to do while juggling midterms and Greek week. It’s very difficult to find balance, especially when you’re trying to figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life. College is, in most cases, a more traditional way to build your future. However, many people realize that this is not for them; and that’s more than normal!
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You don’t have to graduate from college to be successful, and these celebrities prove it.
Did you know, according to research, up to 40 percent of undergraduate students drop out of college each year?! This is true! many have figured this out for themselves, as well as quite a few celebrities you may not know about who dropped out of college.
Some only stayed for one semester, while others only had a few weeks before they left to pursue their creative passion.
From legends like Stevie Nicks and Madonna to Oscar-winning actors like Anne Hathaway and Anna Paquin, there’s more than you think.
Find out which celebrities dropped out of college below:
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Matt Damon
Image credit: Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images.
With only 12 credits left, Matt Damon dropped out of Harvard to pursue an acting career, achieving meteoric fame in the 1997 film Geronimo: An American Legend.
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Oprah Winfrey
Image credit: Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images.
Oprah dropped out of Tennessee State University after being offered a job in television journalism.
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Sofia Vergara
Image credit: Photo by Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images.
Sofia Vergara studied dentistry at the National University of Colombia and pursued a modeling career. However, she left before her senior year to become a television presenter.
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Ariel Winter
Image credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images.
During filming Modern family, Ariel Winter enrolled at UCLA to potentially study law in 2016, but then her studies were delayed until 2017, and then by 2018 she decided to take an indefinite hiatus.
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Jake Gyllenhaal
Image credit: Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images.
Both Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal studied at Columbia University. He went to study Eastern religions and philosophy, but dropped out after his second year to become an actor.
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Brad Pitt
Image credit: Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images.
Two weeks before Brad Pitt was set to graduate with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, he packed his bags and headed to Hollywood; And the rest is history.
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Eva Mendes
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Eva Mendes studied marketing for several semesters at California State University, Northridge, but after being discovered by a talent manager, she decided to pursue acting.
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Ann Hataway
Image credit: Photo by Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images.
Anne Hathaway was going to study English at Vassar, and she studied for a year, but dropped out to star in The Princess Diaries. She later attended New York University’s Gallatin School of Personalized Study, but dropped out again to focus on her amazing acting career.
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Ashton Kutcher
Image credit: Photo by Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images.
Before Ashton Kutcher was Ashton Kutcher, he studied biochemical engineering at the University of Iowa, but dropped out after a few semesters to pursue modeling and acting.
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Lady Gaga
Image credit: Photo by Lexi Moreland/WWD via Getty Images.
Lady Gaga was one of the few early enrollees at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, but she dropped out during her sophomore year to pursue a music career.
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Jessica Biel
Image credit: Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images.
Jessica Biel left Tufts University after a few semesters to star in the remake The Texas Chainsaw MassacreAnd the rest is history.
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Madonna
Image credit: Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images.
Madonna received a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan, but left after a year to devote herself full-time to dance.
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Salma Hayek
Image credit: Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images.
Salma Hayek briefly attended the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico to major in international relations, but soon left to pursue acting.
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Rachael Ray
Image credit: Photo by Andrew Morales/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images.
Rachael Ray was going to get a degree from Pace University in Literature and Communications, but she soon dropped out and soon after she was hired as a food buyer in New York City.
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Ben Affleck
Image credit: Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images.
Ben Affleck stayed at the University of Vermont for just a few months to study Spanish before moving on to study Middle Eastern issues at Occidental College. However, he dropped out after three semesters.
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Tom Hanks
Image credit: Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images.
Tom Hanks originally attended Chabot College, but then transferred to California State University. After some time, he dropped out to begin a three-year internship program at the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Ohio.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus dropped out of Northwestern University during her freshman year to take a job at Saturday Night Life.
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Jennifer Lopez
Image credit: Photo by Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images.
After one semester of studying business at New York’s Baruch College, Jennifer Lopez left to pursue dancing and singing.
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Zooey Deschanel
Image credit: Photo by Anna Webber/Variety via Getty Images.
Zooey Deschanel attended Northwestern University for less than a year before deciding college wasn’t for her.
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Kristen Bell
Image credit: Photo by Vincent Collyer/Variety via Getty Images.
Kristen Bell was just a few credits away from graduating from Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in musical theater. But she left to star in a Broadway musical. Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
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Emmy Rossum
Image credit: Photo by Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images.
Emmy Rossum studied briefly at Columbia University before leaving to pursue an acting career.
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Reese Witherspoon
Image credit: Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images.
Reese Witherspoon was all set to study English literature at Stanford University, but dropped out during her sophomore year to pursue acting, much to her mother’s chagrin.
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Anna Paquin
Image credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images.
Like many stars, Anna Paquin entered Columbia University. However, after a year, she gave up one to pursue acting.
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Eddie Murphy
Image credit: Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images.
Shortly after enrolling, Eddie Murphy dropped out of Nassau Community College in New York.
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Kate Beckinsale
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After three years of studying at Oxford University, Kate Beckinsale decided to quit her studies.
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Bonnie Wright
Image credit: Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images.
Bonnie Raitt dropped out of Harvard University before completing her senior year to pursue a music career.
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Stevie Nicks
Image credit: Photo by Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images.
Stevie Nicks dropped out of her senior year at San Jose State University and moved to Los Angeles.
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Lauryn Hill
Image credit: Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images.
Lauryn Hill was in Columbia when The Fugees’ second album was released. Glasses began to climb the charts. Therefore, in her second year, she decided to drop out and focus on music.