For these Hollywood elites, an Ivy League education was just a stepping stone to their successful career paths.
The actors in this roundup attended Columbia University in New York City. Some A-listers on this list graduated from the private school, while others enrolled for a time before dropping out to fully pursue a career in acting.
These nine celebrities studied at Columbia University and maintain success in the entertainment industry.
James Franco is one of a handful of celebrities who studied at Columbia University. (Taylor Hill/WireImage)
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- James Franco
- Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Jake Gyllenhaal
- Julia Jones
- Kate McKinnon
- Julia Stiles
- Casey Affleck
- Timothée Chalamet
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
1. James Franco
James Franco enrolled in classes at Columbia University in 2008 when he was already an established actor. By this time, he had already starred in romance films “Tristan & Isolde” and “Never Been Kissed” and “Spider-Man.”
Years following his appearance in “Spider-Man 2”, Franco attended Columbia’s fiction writing MFA program.
He graduated from the renowned university in 2010 and has continued acting in Hollywood appearing in popular films “This Is the End” and “Why Him?”
2. Maggie Gyllenhaal
Maggie Gyllenhaal graduated from Columbia University in 1999.
The Oscar-nominated actress appeared in the TV comedy show “Secretary” and has also acted in plenty of movies including “The Dark Knight” in 2008 alongside Christian Bale and “Crazy Heart” in 2009 opposite Jeff Bridges.
Gyllenhaal has also acted with her fellow alum, Franco, in drama TV series “The Deuce” in 2017.
Maggie Gyllenhaal and her younger brother, Jake, both attended Columbia University and found successful careers in entertainment. (Taylor Hill/WireImage)
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3. Jake Gyllenhaal
The younger of the Gyllenhaal siblings also attended Columbia University. However, he did not graduate due to his steady rise to fame in Hollywood.
He attended Columbia for two years before dropping out to fully pursue a career in entertainment.
Gyllenhaal has had many successful movies throughout his career, including his Oscar-nominated performance in “Brokeback Mountain” as well as playing the villainous character in “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”
Jake Gyllenhaal was unable to graduate from Columbia University like his sister, Maggie, due to his acting career. (Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
4. Julia Jones
Julia Jones is an American actress who graduated from Columbia University in 2005 with a degree in English.
One of Jones’ most well-known roles was as a werewolf in the “Twilight” series. Jones was also in the 2020 film “Think Like a Dog” and the popular HBO drama series “Westworld.” She has also acted in “Dexter: New Blood” a continuation of the 2006 drama series “Dexter.”
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5. Kate McKinnon
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live” comedian and actress, graduated from Columbia University in 2006.
She is an “SNL” elite who is often seen impersonating celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Ellen DeGeneres, as well as political figures like Hillary Clinton on the popular evening show.
McKinnon, whose real name is Kathryn McKinnon Berthold, has also acted in several comedy movies, including “The Spy Who Dumped Me” and most recently, McKinnon played Weird Barbie in the Greta Gerwig directed fantasy film “Barbie.”
6. Julia Stiles
Julia Stiles attended Columbia University after acting in the teenage rom-com “10 Things I Hate About You.” Following her notable performance in the famous flick, she headed to the Ivy League to pursue a degree in English.
Stiles went on to act in films like “Silver Linings Playbook” alongside Jennifer Lawrence and “Hustlers” opposite Lili Reinhart, Jennifer Lopez and rapper Cardi B.
Julia Stiles went to Columbia University and graduated with a degree in English. (Bruce Glikas/Getty Images)
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7. Casey Affleck
Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck’s younger brother, left Columbia University to fully pursue acting. Following his Oscar-winning performance in “Manchester by the Sea,” the younger Affleck was receiving numerous opportunities in Hollywood.
Affleck has acted in a number of film projects over the years, including “Good Will Hunting,” alongside his older brother, “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve” and “Ocean’s Thirteen.”
8. Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet went to Columbia University after graduating from LaGuardia, a performing arts school in New York.
After about a year of studying at the Ivy League school, he transferred to New York University.
Chalamet was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 for his part in “Call Me By Your Name.” Other notable works include “Dune” and “Wonka.”
Timothée Chalamet attended Columbia University for a year before transferring to NYU. (Eric Charbonneau)
9. Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a fellow student of his “10 Things I Hate About You” co-star at Columbia University.
Stiles and Gordon-Levittt were both enrolled at the university in the early 2000s.
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Unlike his rom-com co-star, he did not graduate from the Ivy League and left early in order to fully return to acting. Since then, he has appeared in films including “Don Jon,” “(500) Days of Summer” and “Inception.”