Famous People Who Were Once College Dropouts

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There is always a sea of reasons behind dropping out of college; it could be reasons ranging from disinterest in pursuing a certain course to finding something else that they think is worth their time and effort. Most of the times, people tend to develop the instincts of dropping out of college due to the lack of funds that will help them earn that degree they hope for. And if it isn’t the lack of money to keep them going the factor for dropout, it could either be a sudden and unexpected emergency that’s behind this pitfall. But according to a survey, one of the biggest known reasons for pupils to bid farewell to their dreams of achieving a degree is because of the lack of funds to repay their student loans. Most of them leave their homelands to get a hold of that degree that could probably change their lives. But the mere costs of survival and the heavy book expenses turns out to become their greatest nightmares, ultimately leading to dropping out of college. But somehow, dropping out of college proved to be a boon in the lives of many- some even turning out to become billionaires! Though their story is motivational, solely depending on dropping out of college to become rich isn’t the way to go! Famous people like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs are living proof that sometimes choosing to start something afresh by halting a college degree can turn out to be a successful plan. Here’s a detailed look into the lives of many others who turned out to be just fine even after dropping out of prestigious colleges!
Vote for Your Favourite People Who Were Once College Dropouts
 1 
Bill Gates
(Co-Founder of Microssoft)
Bill Gates
201
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: October 28, 1955
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 2 
Paul Allen
(Co-founder of Microsoft, Philanthropist)
Paul Allen
26
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 21, 1953
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Seattle
Died: October 15, 2018
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 3 
Julian Assange
(Computer programmer)
Julian Assange
51
Birthdate: July 3, 1971
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Townsville, Australia
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 4 
Christopher Stapleton
(Named ‘Artist-Songwriter Of the Decade’ by ACM)
Christopher Stapleton
27
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: April 15, 1978
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
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 5 
Claire Danes
(Known for Her Performance in TV Series 'Homeland')
Claire Danes
22
Birthdate: April 12, 1979
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 6 
Ryan Seacrest
(Radio Personality)
Ryan Seacrest
19
Birthdate: December 24, 1974
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dunwoody, Georgia, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
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 7 
Kevin Smith
(Filmmaker, Screenwriter)
Kevin Smith
20
Birthdate: August 2, 1970
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Red Bank, New Jersey, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 8 
Bob Hoskins
(Actor)
Bob Hoskins
9
Birthdate: October 26, 1942
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk, England
Died: April 29, 2014
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 9 
Kate Walsh
(Best Known for Her Role as ‘Dr. Addison Montgomery’ in TV Series ‘Grey's Anatomy’ and 'Private Practice')
Kate Walsh
17
Birthdate: October 13, 1967
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: San Jose, California, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 10 
Henry Rollins
(Lead Vocalist of Los Angeles Hardcore Group 'Black Flag')
Henry Rollins
7
Birthdate: February 13, 1961
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 11 
Jesse Metcalfe
(Actor)
Jesse Metcalfe
8
Birthdate: December 9, 1978
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Carmel Valley, California, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 12 
Russell Simmons
(Founder of the hip-hop music label Def Jam)
Russell Simmons
9
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: October 4, 1957
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 13 
Emily Wickersham
(Known for Her Role as 'Eleanor Bishop' on TV Series ‘NCIS')
Emily Wickersham
12
Birthdate: April 26, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kansas, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 14 
Kim Deal
(Singer)
Kim Deal
5
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: June 10, 1961
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, USA
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 15 
Joel Osteen
(American Preacher & Televangelist)
Joel Osteen
48
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: March 5, 1963
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Houston
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 16 
Ken Curtis
(Singer)
Ken Curtis
10
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: July 2, 1916
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lamar, Colorado, United States
Died: April 28, 1991
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 17 
A. J. McLean
(Singer-Songwriter)
A. J. McLean
5
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: January 9, 1978
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 18 
Jeff Probst
(Producer and Host of the U.S Reality Television Show ‘Survivor’)
Jeff Probst
6
Birthdate: November 4, 1961
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas, United States
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 19 
Rosie O'Donnell
(Comedian)
Rosie O'Donnell
19
Birthdate: March 21, 1962
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Commack, New York, United States
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 20 
Bill Bailey
(Comedian)
Bill Bailey
2
Birthdate: January 13, 1965
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Bath, Somerset, England
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 21 
Ike Barinholtz
(Comedian)
Ike Barinholtz
7
Birthdate: February 18, 1977
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 22 
Chris Messina
(Actor)
Chris Messina
4
Birthdate: August 11, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 23 
Mike Lookinland
6
Birthdate: December 19, 1960
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Mount Pleasant, Utah, United States
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 24 
Denise Nicholas
8
Birthdate: July 12, 1944
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, United States
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 25 
Scott Campbell
(Tattoo artist)
Scott Campbell
1
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: May 13, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Louisiana, United States
 26 
Isaac Hempstead Wright
(Actor)
Isaac Hempstead Wright
6
Birthdate: April 9, 1999
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Surrey, England, UK
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 27 
Sharon Van Etten
(Singer)
Sharon Van Etten
1
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: February 26, 1981
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Belleville, New Jersey, USA
 28 
Miles Robbins
(Musician)
Miles Robbins
6
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: May 4, 1992
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 29 
Jock Mahoney
(Actor)
Jock Mahoney
4
Birthdate: February 7, 1919
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died: December 14, 1989
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 30 
John Kricfalusi
(Canadian Voice Actor, Illustrator, Blogger, and Former Animator)
John Kricfalusi
5
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: September 9, 1955
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 31 
Greg Valentine
(American Retired Professional Wrestler)
Greg Valentine
3
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 20, 1951
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 32 
Shiori Kutsuna
(Actress, Model best known for her role as Ran Mori in Shinichi Kudo's Written Challenge)
Shiori Kutsuna
0
Birthdate: December 22, 1992
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 33 
Brandon Vera
(Filipino-American Mixed Martial Artist)
Brandon Vera
1
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: October 10, 1977
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 34 
Chris Barrie
(Actor and Impressionist Known for His Notable Performance in a Television Cartoon Show 'Spitting Image')
Chris Barrie
0
Birthdate: March 28, 1960
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hanover, Germany
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 35 
William Sanderson
(Actor)
William Sanderson
4
Birthdate: January 10, 1944
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 36 
Eike Batista
(Brazilian-German Entrepreneur and Former CEO of 'Ebx Group')
Eike Batista
0
Listed In: Business People
Birthdate: November 3, 1956
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Governador Valadares, Brazil
 37 
Shane Douglas
(American Professional Wrestler)
Shane Douglas
5
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: November 21, 1964
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 38 
Aparna Sen
(Filmmaker)
Aparna Sen
1
Birthdate: October 25, 1945
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India [now India]
 39 
Subaru Kimura
(German-Japanese Rapper and Actor)
Subaru Kimura
0
Birthdate: June 29, 1990
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Leipzig, Germany
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 40 
Kan Mukai
(Japanese Director, Screenwriter and Cinematographer Known for His Pioneering Work in the 'Pink Film' Genre)
Kan Mukai
0
Birthdate: October 16, 1937
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dalian, China
Died: June 9, 2008
 41 
Alex Ebert
(Singer)
Alex Ebert
2
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: May 12, 1978
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
 42 
Shahab Hosseini
(Iranian Actor, Director, and Producer)
Shahab Hosseini
20
Birthdate: February 3, 1974
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 43 
Minoru Chiaki
(Japanese Actor Who Appeared in Eleven of Akira Kurosawa's Films)
Minoru Chiaki
0
Birthdate: April 28, 1917
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hokkaidō, Japan
Died: November 1, 1999
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 44 
Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt
(Millionaire, Equestrian)
Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt
5
Listed In: Miscellaneous
Birthdate: January 14, 1880
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Staten Island, New York City, New York, United States
Died: September 4, 1925
 45 
Roberto Cantoral
(Composer)
Roberto Cantoral
0
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: June 7, 1935
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ciudad Madero, Mexico
Died: August 7, 2010
 46 
Esther Ouwehand
(Politician)
Esther Ouwehand
0
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: June 10, 1976
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Katwijk, Netherlands
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 47 
Sergiusz Piasecki
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: April 1, 1901
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Lyakhavichy
Died: September 12, 1964
 48 
Bill Briggs
(American Alpine Skier Who is the First to Ski the Grand Teton)
Bill Briggs
0
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 21, 1931
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Augusta, Maine, United States
 49 
Itō Sachio
(Tanka Poet and Novelist Active During the Meiji Period of Japan)
Itō Sachio
0
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: September 18, 1864
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Sammu, Chiba, Japan
Died: July 30, 1913
 50 
Franz Schuch the Elder
(Actor)
Franz Schuch the Elder
0
Birthdate: 1716 AD
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: November 30, 1763