Usually, it is a belief that celebrities are not in academics. However, the fact is that there are many who have proved themselves academically and have even won college scholarships. While some have won it for degrees in language, dance, acting or music, some have won it in areas like for psychology or even political science.

Top 8 most popular celebrities with college scholarships

1. Emma Watson

Emma Watson is one of the most popular and well-known young actresses in the world. She was very good in academics and won scholarship at Brown University in 2009 for European women’s history, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and acting. Apart from her acting talents, she is also very smart and has got straight A-s at school in spite of her hectic acting schedule. She is now interested in pursuing higher education.

2. Hugh Grant

Hugh Grant is more known for his histrionics rather than academic excellence. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His movies have also earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. However, this British actor is very smart academically and has received scholarships for two different schools. The scholarships are from the Latymer Upper School – Class Honours where he participated in academic competition and sports including cricket, rugby, and football and the Galsworthy scholarship to New College, Oxford for English literature.

3. Madonna

Madonna, though known for her music videos and dancing skills, was at Rochester Adams High School; a straight-A student and a member of the cheerleading squad. Due to her outstanding talent in dancing she was awarded a dance scholarship to the University of Michigan, where she was taught ballet by Chris Flynn.

4. Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington studied drama and journalism at Fordham University. Here he was a part of the Lincoln Center campus to study acting, and received a scholarship to attend the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Apart from winning scholarship, he and his wife have also formulated the Pauletta and Denzel Washington Family Gifted Scholars Program in Neuroscience at Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center to offer scholarships to students in the field of neuroscience.

5. Jeri Ryan

Jeri Ryan received a scholarship to attend Northwest University after graduating from high school in 1986 as a National Merit Scholar. Here she became a member of Alpha Phi. She won Miss Illinois and was 3rd runner up at the Miss America Pageant. She studied further to receive a BA in Theatre from Northwestern in 1990.

6. Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys was a studentofthe Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan, where she graduated as valedictorian. She received a scholarship to Columbia University in New York. She has been helping students get scholarships in cities like Jacksonville, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Harlem in New York City by donating generously to Frum tha Ground Up

7. Thandie Newton

Thandie Newton, an English actress who has been part of a number of British and American films, was smart academically as well. She earned a scholarship to go to the Arts Educational School, a performing arts boarding school in Tring, Herfordshire. She pursed higher education by studying anthropology at Cambridge University.

8. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise had a difficult childhood and he studied ineight elementary schools and three high schools. He graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey, where he played as a linebacker on the football team. He won a church scholarship to attend a Franciscan seminary in Cincinnati and studying priesthood for a year.