This list contains information about celebrities who went to Yale University, loosely ranked by fame and popularity. Several famous actors, musicians, and politicians attended Yale University. Some of these celebrities received degrees from the Ivy League school, while others dropped out to focus on their careers. Several U.S. Presidents attended Yale University including a father and son.
Who is the most famous person who attended Yale? Meryl Streep tops this list. Streep earned an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama in the 1970s. Jennifer Connelly studied English at Yale from 1988-1989. She later finished out her college education by studying drama at Stanford University
Several famous men also went to Yale. George H. W. Bush graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1948. While there, he was a member of the Skull and Bones secret society. Bush’s son, George W. Bush, also attended Yale.
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep earned an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama in the 1970s.
Paul Newman
Paul Newman studied acting at the Yale School of Drama for one year before leaving to study with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio.
Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett earned a B.A. degree in African-American studies from Yale in 1980. She went on to receive her M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama.
Jennifer Connelly
Jennifer Connelly studied English at Yale from 1988-1989. She later finished out her college education by studying drama at Stanford University.
Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University in 1989. He went on to receive an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. While attending Yale, Giamatti was a member of the Skull and Bones secret society.
Claire Danes
Claire Danes studied psychology at Yale University for two years before dropping out to focus on her acting career.
Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster earned a Bachelor’s degree in literature from Yale University in 1985.
David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier earned an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama in 1981.
Kathryn Hahn
Kathryn Hahn studied acting at the Yale School of Drama where she played Sally Bowles in a production of Cabaret.
Elia Kazan
In the early 1930s, Elia Kazan spent two years studying at the Yale University School of Drama.
Frances McDormand
Frances McDormand earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1982.
Ron Livingston
Ron Livingston received B.A. degrees in both Theater and English from Yale University.
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o won the Herschel Williams Prize in 2012, while she was studying acting at Yale School of Drama.
Edward Norton
Edward Norton earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale University in 1991.
Bronson Pinchot
Bronson Pinchot graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in the early 1980s.
Vincent Price
Vincent Price earned a degree in art history from Yale University in 1933.
Liev Schreiber
Liev Schreiber earned a master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1992.
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver earned her M.F.A. at the Yale University School of Drama in 1974.
Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone left Yale after only one year to teach high school students at the Free Pacific Institute in South Vietnam. He later graduated from New York University with a B.F.A. in film.
John Turturro
John Turturro earned an M.F.A from the Yale School of Drama before appearing in Do the Right Thing in 1989.
Lewis Black
Lewis Black earned an M.F.A at the Yale School of Drama in 1977.
Dick Cavett
Dick Cavett studied English and Drama while attending Yale University.
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper graduated from Yale University in 1989 with a degree in political science.
George W. Bush
George W. Bush graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in history in 1968. While there, he was a member of the Skull and Bones society.
David Duchovny
David Duchovny earned an M.A. in English literature from Yale University.
Sara Gilbert
Sara Gilbert graduated from Yale University in 1997. “Roseanne” adjusted their shooting schedule so she could earn her degree while still working on the popular television show.
Demetri Martin
Demetri Martin graduated from Yale University in 1995.
Chris Noth
Chris Noth earned an M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama.
David Hyde Pierce
David Hyde Pierce graduated from Yale University with a double major in English and Theatre Arts in 1981.
Tony Shalhoub
Tony Shalhoub earned a Master’s degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1980.
Ben Stein
Ben Stein graduated from Yale Law School in 1970.
Allison Williams
Allison Williams graduated from Yale University in 2010.
George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush graduated from Yale with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1948. While there, he was a member of the Skull and Bones secret society.
Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler earned his M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama in 1970.
Pras
Pras attended Yale University before he became a hip hop star as a member of The Fugees.
Cole Porter
Cole Porter graduated from Yale University in the early 1900s. He was a member of the Scroll and Key society while he was there.
Sam Waterston
Sam Waterston earned a B.A. from Yale University in 1962.
Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney attended Yale University, but he flunked out twice.
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Yale Law School in 1973. He met his future wife, Hillary Rodham, at the Yale library.
Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals earned a B.A. in American literature from Yale University in 1987.
John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft graduated from Yale University in 1964.
