Redefining success
Degrees of success: How these 10 college dropouts became icons
Image: Jonathan Borba / Celyn Kang
Many stars, artists, politicians, and all kinds of influential figures have gone through college. While some of them have one or more degrees, others have decided to drop out of college to take another path. And this doesn't have to be a bad thing! In fact, many of them have achieved great success. Today, we're going to review 10 famous college dropouts who have succeeded with flying colors.
1
Oprah Winfrey
Image: Ilyass SEDDOUG
If it wasn't for a professor's advice, we might have never got to meet the incredible Oprah Winfrey!
After graduating with honors from high school, Oprah attended Tennessee State University to study Communication. During her college years, she already participated in several different radio shows. While in one of her classes, she received a call that changed her life: CBS Channel Five offered her a very important job. At first, Oprah said no, as her father always insisted that she complete her studies. Accepting the position would mean putting her education on hold, so it was a difficult choice for her.
Winfrey told the situation to her Scenic Design professor, who immediately encouraged her to take the job. "This is what you study for, to get a call from CBS!" he allegedly said.
2
Bill Gates
Image: Tadas Sar
Bill Gates' work, intelligence, and journey as an entrepreneur to become the famous co-founder of Microsoft are admirable. Maybe that's why many are surprised to learn that Gates dropped out of college.
He began his education at a private school in Seattle, Washington. It's said that he demonstrated high capacities in math and science. During the early years of his education, he came into contact with computers, awakening his passion at a young age.
When he was 18 years old, Gates enrolled at Harvard to pursue a degree in computer science. During his time there, he became interested in programming languages. In particular, he wanted to design one for the Altair 8800, an early personal computer developed by MITS. In 1975, Gates decided to leave Harvard to create BASIC, which later evolved into the well-known Microsoft, co-founded by Gates and Paul Allen.
3
Steve Jobs
Image: Sumudu Mohottige
A similar path to Gates was that of Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc.
Jobs attended elementary and high school in Cupertino, California. In the 1970s, while he was still in high school, he met Steve Wozniak, an engineering student who would join him in creating Apple.
Jobs was said to have a free and rebellious nature. Perhaps it was that spirit that led him to leave Reed College in Portland, Oregon, after the first semester in order to have more time to pursue his true interests: technology and design.
Although he didn't pursue what we know as a formal education, Jobs educated himself in numerous fields in different parts of the world.
4
Mark Zuckerberg
Image: Deeksha Pahariya
Jobs and Gates aren't the only tech geniuses who decided to drop out of college to take another path. Mark Zuckerberg joins this list.
Zuckerberg already stood out during his elementary and high school years for his mathematics and computer science skills. But it was at Harvard University that he really explored his potential.
Mark Zuckerberg enrolled at Harvard in 2002 to study computer science and psychology. There, he developed a number of applications and platforms, but one gained him all the fame. We're talking about Facebook, one of the most famous social networks in the world today. Two years after entering the university, he left to fully dedicate himself to his company, which was growing in success every second.
5
Ellen DeGeneres
Image: Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov
Not all the names on this list belong to the tech world. There are also some other showbiz figures. One of them is Ellen DeGeneres, the unmistakable comedian, actress, and TV host who has won the hearts of many Americans.
Her comedy and acting talents shone during her high school years in Atlanta, Texas. After high school, Ellen enrolled at the University of New Orleans in 1976 to study communications. However, after a couple of months, she dropped out in order to concentrate on her entertainment career. During those years, she did comedy and stand-up shows, gaining fame first locally and then nationally, eventually having her first sitcom, "Ellen," and then her successful daytime talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
6
Steven Spielberg
Image: George Patient
Steven Spielberg is a talented and successful American film director whose name reached the ears of the whole world thanks to such classics as Jaws (1975), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), and many others.
In 1965, Spielberg enrolled at California State University Long Beach to pursue a career in film production. There, he started to work on many projects, and in 1968, he decided to drop out of college to pursue his passion.
In the 2000s, the famous director returned to college and completed his degree, presenting the iconic Schindler's List !
7
Brad Pitt
Image: César Guadarrama Cantú
The art of acting is truly admirable, and we can say, without a doubt, that the best actors and actresses in the world have a great mix of natural talent and hard work. A perfect example is Brad Pitt, who also has one more ingredient: his spectacular appearance.
After graduating from high school in 1982, Pitt enrolled at the University of Missouri to study Journalism and Advertising. There, he became interested in acting and participated in different creative and theatrical projects.
Two weeks before graduating, Pitt made the decision to quit college and move to California, where he would evolve as an actor into the world-renowned superstar he is today.
8
Larry Page
Image: Greg Bulla
Lansing, Michigan, was the birthplace of Larry Page, the co-founder of one of the world's largest technology companies. But before becoming the CEO of a huge corporation, Page also walked the halls of college, earning several degrees before his dropout.
Page earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in Computer Engineering with honors from the University of Michigan in 1995. He then enrolled at Stanford University, where he earned his Master's degree in 1998.
During his years at Stanford, he met Sergey Brin, with whom he would later co-found none other than Google! The success of their co-creation led Page to not complete his PhD, which he was pursuing during those years.
9
Ashton Kutcher
Image: Nathan Dumlao
When it comes to talented, hard-working, and handsome actors, Brad Pitt isn't the only one. Another one with all those attributes is Ashton Kutcher.
Kutcher is really smart. His hard work and intelligence led him to enroll at the University of Iowa in 1996, where he pursued a degree in biochemical engineering. But his student life was cut short when a talent agency discovered him.
In 1998, he decided to drop out of college to pursue his growing modeling and acting career. A few years ago, the actor famously declared, "I pursued something I was passionate about [...] So, that was the right decision for me."
10
Alicia Keys
Image: Soundtrap
Another artist on this list is none other than Alicia Keys, a major name in the entertainment world.
From a very young age, Alicia was encouraged to pursue her talent and artistic interests. She attended elementary and high schools specialized in arts, where she developed many of her musical talents.
After graduating from high school at 16, Keys was accepted into the Juilliard School in Manhattan, which is proof of her immense talent. However, the singer and songwriter decided to drop out of college a few months after being accepted in order to pursue her dreams as a singer. She signed her first record deal shortly after, and the rest is history!
