Given the many, many celebrities who’ve dropped out of high school, it’s obvious that one doesn’t need a diploma to make it in showbiz. Still, we thought we’d take a closer look at 15 of these stars – some of whom were actually gifted, others who’ve since gotten their GED’s, and others who are probably just relieved their occupations don’t call for much education. Click on to find out which stars made the list!
Source: WENN
Drake
Drake has been very open and honest about his education – or lack of it, we should probably say. The YMCMB rapper dropped out of school at 15-years old, but recommitted himself to his studies, proudly earning his GED in 2012.
Source: WENN
Jay-Z
We wonder how Jay-Z, a high school dropout with 17 Grammy’s, 50 million albums sold worldwide, and a net worth of over $500 million will feel about his own daughter’s education in a few years.
Source: WENN
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg dropped out of high school at 17 after having struggled all her childhood with undiagnosed dyslexia. With too much time on her hands, she picked up a bad drug habit that plagued her for years. Now, clean and sober, Whoopi says she’s never looked back and is very happy not to.
Source: WENN
Lil’ Wayne
Despite being an academically gifted student, Lil’ Wayne dropped out of school at 14 to hone his rap skills and pursue a career in the music industry.
Source: WENN
50 Cent
While still in high school, 50 Cent was busted carrying a gun and expelled for the offense. He never returned to school (he was sent to correctional boot camp), but a chance encounter with Jam Master Jay in 1996 would ensure that he would never have to. Together, the two produced 50 Cent’s first album – a bust, though it did attract the attention of some big name industry producers leading to 50 Cent’s life-changing record deal with Columbia Records.
Source: WENN
Eminem
Eminem dropped out of high school after failing the ninth grade not once, not twice, but three times. Lucky for him, becoming a rapper didn’t require much of an academic history.
Source: WENN
Rihanna
In lieu of completing high school, Rihanna relocated to New York City at 16-years old to pursue a career in music.
Source: WENN
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg has been very open and honest about his troubled upbringing in Boston. At a young age, he says he smoked, drank, did drugs and committed crimes, leaving no time for school. He dropped out around 13 or 14 years old, but has since returned to his studies and gotten his GED.
Source: WENN
Simon Cowell
At 16-years old Simon Cowell failed his exams and dropped out of high school to work in the mailroom of EMI Music Publishing. Although it was his father who ultimately got him the job (Cowell’s father was an exec at EMI), Cowell quickly moved up in the industry, made a name for himself, and started his own record label.
Source: WENN
Chris Rock
Everybody Hates Chris accurately depicted a lot of things about Chris Rock’s life, including his dropping out of high school and earning his GED (this was portrayed in the series finale). Like the fictional Chris, the real-life Chris endured beatings and bullying by white students at the school he was bussed to, but in reality Chris dropped out solely for this reason (as opposed to truancy as the episode depicts), and reportedly earned his GED a bit later in life.
Source: WENN
Tracy Morgan
After being asked about his education, Tracy Morgan revealed that he’s happy he dropped out of high school. He says, “I wouldn’t be where I’m at. I would’ve had a net. I’m glad I didn’t have anything to fall back on, man, because that made me go for my dreams that much harder.”
Source: WENN
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey may not have even stayed in school long enough to be labeled a class clown – he dropped out at 16. But jokes aside, Carrey was actually a straight-A student prior to his father becoming unemployed, and him being forced to leave school and find a job to help support his impoverished family.
Source: WENN
Bill Cosby
Believe it or not, Bill Cosby never graduated from high school. Despite being extremely bright, the funny man dropped out at 17-years old to join the Navy, where he did eventually earn his GED. He went on to become a student at Temple University, where he also dropped out – though this time to focus on comedy. But his successive school drop-outs have done little to mar his credibility in the academic world. Thanks to extensive humanitarian and social work, Cosby’s been awarded a number of honorary doctorate degrees.
Source: WENN
Paris Hilton
We hate to make fun of someone for dropping out of high school, but seriously, can we all agree that Paris Hilton’s early departure from her studies does nothing to disprove claims of her brazen stupidity?
Source: WENN
Princess Diana
Would you believe that Princess Diana never completed her studies? Apparently, the late Princess of Wales was branded a below-average student after failing all of her O-level exams (tests given to 16-year old students in England) and dropped out soon after.
