30 celebrities who received doctorate degrees without ever stepping foot in class (2024)

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In 2013, Ben Affleck was honored by Brown University for his work in the arts.

The two-time Academy Award winner was honored with a Doctorate of Fine Arts at Brown University's 2013 commencement on the heels of the success of his film "Argo," which he starred in and directed. Since then, he's played the role of Batman in the "Suicide Squad" and "The Justice League" series.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs received an honorary doctorate from the college he dropped out of nearly 25 years earlier.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combsbecame Dr. Combs when he washonored with an honorary doctorate in humanities during his commencement address at Howard University in 2014. Diddy enrolled in the university in 1990 but dropped out shortly after to pursue a music career. Still,he saidHoward University changed his life and he was humbled toreceive a degree.

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Meryl Streep has three Ivy League honorary doctorates.

Meryl Streep is the recipient of four honorary doctorates, three of which come from the most prestigious universities in the country:Harvard,Yale, andPrinceton.

The Academy Award-winning actress, who earned her own degree from Vassar College, also received a Doctorate of Fine Arts from Indiana University at Bloomington in 2014 for her cinematic talents and advocacy for women.

Oprah Winfrey has four honorary doctorates.

Oprah has been named to more "most powerful people" lists than we can count, so it's only natural that she's also the recipient of four honorary doctorates for her work in philanthropy and business. The media mogul holds doctorates fromPrinceton,Howard University,Duke University, andHarvard.

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In 2010, Alec Baldwin earned an honorary doctorate from his alma mater.

Baldwin earned a bachelor's in 1994 (he started his degree in 1979 but never finished) from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts andreturned in 2010 to receive an honorary doctorate. The actor began a scholarship fund in 2010called the Alec Baldwin Drama Scholarship Fund that helps students afford an NYU Tisch education.

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Robert De Niro was honored during his commencement speech at Bates College in Maine, and he also holds an honorary doctorate from New York University.

The legendary film starwas awarded an honorary doctorate of fine arts from Bates College during his 2012 commencement speech.

Despite De Niro's controversial remarks about higher education — he said he made a good decision and saved money by not attending college — he left students with this wisdom: "If you're an actor, always be true to your character ... If you're not an actor, have character and always be true to yourself."

He also received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from NYU in 1996.

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John Legend has three honorary doctorates for his musical talents, including one from his alma mater.

Twelve-time Grammy winnerJohn Legendreturned to his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, in 2014 to accept an honorary Doctorate of Music and deliver the commencement address.

Legend alsohas honorary degrees from Howard University and Duke University for his musical talent and humanitarian work.

Kanye West was honored for his "transformative, genre-defying work" at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2015.

West attended other Chicago schools for a short time before leaving to pursue music. He called the honor a "humanization" and promised his degree would make students' lives easier.

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Dolly Parton was honored for her achievements in country music by the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

In 2009,Parton, a multi-Grammy award winner and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, was honored with a Doctorate of Humane and Musical Letters from University of Tennessee at Knoxville — it was the second-everhonorary degreeawarded by the school.

Parton previously received an honorary doctorate in 1990 from Tennessee's Carson-Newman College.

Jon Bon Jovi received an honorary doctorate from Rutgers University in 2015.

The New Jersey native and rocker has two honorary doctorates: one from Monmouth University, awardedin 2001,andanother from Rutgers UniversityatCamden, awarded in 2015 for his leadership in civic justice and equality.

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Magic Johnson is the proud recipient of an honorary doctorate in business.

In 2015, NBA legend Magic Johnson was honored at Xavier University with a Doctorate of Business. The athleteposted a photo to Instagram with the caption, "I am now Dr. Magic!"

Conan O'Brien gave a humorous speech to students after receiving his honorary degree from Dartmouth in 2011.

Late-night talk-show host, former SNL writer, and Harvard graduate Conan O'Brien received anhonorary doctorate from Dartmouth University in 2011. During the commencement speech,he told studentshis "first job as commencement speaker is to illustrate that life is not fair," in ironicreference to his honor.

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LL Cool J was honored with a doctorate during his daughter's graduation in 2014.

LL Cool Jreceived an honorary degree from Northeastern Universityduring his daughter's own graduation ceremony from the university. The rapper and actor, who never went to college himself, even got to present her with her diploma.

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Orlando Bloom's hometown college honored him with a doctorate.

In 2010, Orlando Bloom traveled to his hometown of Canterbury in the UK toreceivea doctorate from University of Kent.

"It's a really big deal. It's an exciting day for me," he told the BBC. "I'm really honoured to be back in my home town. I have so many amazing memories of the cathedral and Canterbury. I have lived near the university so it's like my playground. It's a huge, huge honour and I feel chuffed, as does my mother — nobody more than my mother."

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Yoko Ono has three honorary doctorates for her activism.

The artist and activist, who was married to the Beatles'John Lennon, mostrecently received an honorary doctorate at Pratt Institute's 125th commencement, which was held in 2014 at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Ono also holds two more honorary doctorates from the University of Liverpool(which she supports in memory of her late husband) andBard College.

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Stephen Colbert gave the commencement speech and received an honorary doctorate at his alma mater, Northwestern University, in 2011.

Northwestern University honored Colbert with a Doctorate of Fine Arts.

"After I graduated from here, I moved down to Chicago and did improv," Colbert said in his speech. "Now, there are very few rules to improvisation, but one of the things I was taught early on is that you are not the most important person in the scene. Everybody else is. And life is an improvisation. You have no idea what's going to happen next, and you are mostly just making things up as you go along."

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Denzel Washington holds two honorary degrees.

Academy Award and Tony winner Denzel Washington delivered the commencement address at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011, where he received an honorary doctorate.

"Do you have the guts to fail?" Washington asked students. "If you don't fail, you're not even trying."

He also received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Dillard University in New Orleans in 2015.

Jimmy Fallon received his bachelor's degree and an honorary doctorate at the same time.

"Tonight Show" host and former SNL cast member Jimmy Fallonattended the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, in the 1990s but left to purse a career in television before graduating. He returned in 2009 to present the school's commencement address and was honored with both his bachelor's degree and an honorary doctorate for his television successes.

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William Shatner's famous role in Star Trek earned him an honorary doctorate.

William Shatner gained a cult following for his repeated on-screen portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in the "Star Trek" series. His legendary status was recognized byhis alma mater, McGill University, in 2011 whenhe received an honorary Doctorate of Letters.

Celine Dion was honored with a Doctorate of Music for her musical accomplishments.

In 2008,Celine Dion was honored with a Doctorate of Music from Quebec City's Université Laval, the oldest center of education in Canada. The multi-Grammy award winner, who never finished high school, called the doctorate "a very great honor for a little girl from Charlemagne."

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Morgan Freeman holds three honorary doctorates.

The actor-producer wasawarded an honorary doctorate from Howard University in 2015 for his achievements in film.

Freeman also has an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Boston University, whichhe received in 2013, and an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Julliard from 2001.

Jimmy Kimmel was honored with a doctorate from the school he dropped out of.

Kimmel dropped out of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 1986 after just one year of enrollment. Still, UNLV invited him back in2013 to award him an honorary doctorate for his television and comedic successes.

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Jack Nicholson, who never made it to college, has an honorary doctorate from Brown.

Jack Nicholson, a three-time Academy Award winner, was honored by Brown University in 2011 with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts. After high school, Nicholson went to the West Coast with the intentionof attending college and wound up working in Hollywood instead.

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Kerry Washington gave the commencement address and received an honorary doctorate at George Washington University in 2013.

Accomplished actress Kerry Washington returned to her alma mater, George Washington University, in2013 to receive an honorary doctorate. Washington, who was a presidential scholar for the arts at GW,also delivered the commencement speech.

"You and you alone are the only person who can live the life that writes the story you were meant to tell," Washington told graduates.

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Bono has two honorary doctorates and turned down a third.

U2's frontmanhas two honorary doctorates — one fromTrinity College Dublinin 2003,and one fromUPennin 2004—presented in recognition of his music successes and humanitarian efforts.

In 2013, Bonoturned down an honorary degree from NYUas not to overshadow his daughter's graduation from the university that same year.

Sir Paul McCartney has an honorary doctorate from Yale.

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Ed Sheeran received an honorary doctorate from the University Campus Suffolk in England in 2015.

The doctorate was awarded in recognition of Sheeran's "outstanding contribution to music," People magazine reported.

Sheeran, who dropped out of school at 16 to pursue his music career, posted a proud photo on Instagram in his cap and gown.

"I graduated today, I am now officially Dr. Sheeran," he wrote.

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In 2017, Lionel Richie received an honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.

The Grammy, Oscar, and Golden Globe winner also joined students for a performance of "We Are The World" at Berklee's annual commencement concert.

"You are in the prime seat to tell the world what they need to know," Richie said in his acceptance speech for his honorary degree.

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Jennifer Garner received an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Denison University in Ohio.

Garner, who graduated from Denison in 1994, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at the university's 2019 commencement. She also delivered the 2019 commencement address, in which she encouraged the graduates to stay in touch with one another.

"Work friends, you talk to them about work. Lovers, you talk to them about love and dinner reservations. But friends from college, you can talk to them about everything, and you can do nothing with them and still be happy," she said.

Taylor Swift will receive an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from NYU at this year's commencement.

The Grammy-winning singer is set to receive an honorary doctorate and deliver a commencement speech at the ceremony in May, which will be held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.