40 Unexpected College Majors Pursued By A-List Celebrities

Most of our favorite celebrities have well-worn media images. Actors who play lawyers or businesspeople seem to develop sharp entrepreneurial public personas, while a sports star who’s a badass on the field may get a bad boy reputation. Yet, in reality, these stars’ college majors can tell a very different story. And while the academic focus of some celebs definitely match their professional roles, others could not be further from their media images. Here we give you 40 unexpected college majors pursued by A-list celebrities…

40. Cindy Crawford, chemical engineering

Striking looks and smarts – Cindy Crawford seems to have it all. That’s right: though she is best known as a ’90s supermodel, Crawford also once bagged a place at Northwestern University on a scholarship aimed at funding her schooling in chemical engineering. And no doubt her brains also drove her to become a household name as a host and author.

39. Gerard Butler, law

Although Scottish hunk Gerard Butler portrayed Ancient Greek King Leonidas in the 2006 fantasy flick 300, he’s more than just an attractive life-sized action figure. Indeed, Butler is also a catch because he earned a law degree from the University of Glasgow, where he also presided over the law society. Butler was apparently given the axe from his first gig as a trainee lawyer, however, but given that he’s now one of Hollywood’s shining lights, we’d say that all was not lost...

38. Michael Jordan, cultural geography

Legendary pro basketball star Michael Jordan may know better than to travel on the court, but his academic history tells another tale. Indeed, and rather unexpectedly, Jordan has earned a BA in cultural geography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Judging by his well-rounded professional and academic pursuits, then, it sounds like he knows his way around the world, the court, and business.

37. Cate Blanchett, economics and fine arts

A stellar role in 1998’s Elizabeth arguably cemented Cate Blanchett’s reputation as a top thespian. As such, the Australian star has stockpiled awards – Oscars among them. At one time, however, she was on the academic track to earn letters in economics and fine arts from the University of Melbourne. But there would be no auction house career for Blanchett, who was soon discovered by a casting director while backpacking her way through Egypt. And the rest is her-story…