Notable Students of Philosophy

Philosophy is for everyone. From comedians and basketball coaches to politicians and religious leaders, you may be surprised to learn the following influential figures studied philosophy!  

Entertainment

The names, professions, and degrees of notable philosophy students
Name Profession Degree Earned
Lana Del Rey Singer Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Philosophy
Elliot Smith Singer BA in Philosophy
Alex Trebek Host of Jeopardy! BA in Philosophy
Wes Anderson Filmmaker BA in Philosophy
Ricky Gervais Comedian BA in Philosophy
Wes Craven Filmmaker Master of Arts (MA) in Philosophy
Rashida Jones Actor BA in Philosophy

Sports

The names, professions, and degrees of notable philosophy students
Name Profession Degree Earned
Phil Jackson Former basketball coach BA in Philosophy
Mike Budenholzer Basketball coach BA in Philosophy

Politics

The names, professions, and degrees of notable philosophy students
Name Profession Degree Earned
William Bennett Former US Secretary of Education BA in Political Philosophy; Juris Doctor (JD)
Robert MacNamara Former US Secretary of Education BA in Philosophy
David Souter Former Supreme Court Justice BA and MA in Philosophy
Pete Buttigieg Former US Secretary of Transportation BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Activism

The names, professions, and degrees of notable philosophy students
Name Profession Degree Earned
Angela Davis Social activist MA and PhD in Philosophy
Malala Yousafzai Nobel Peace Prize winner; education activist BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Academia

The names, professions, and degrees of notable philosophy students
Name Profession Degree Earned
Professor Noam Chomsky Professor Emeritus at MIT BA/MA in Linguistics and Philosophy; PhD in Linguistics
Professor Marjorie Hass Former President of Rhodes College BA/MA/PhD in Philosophy
Rev. John I. Jenkins Former President of University of Notre Dame BA/MA/PhD in Philosophy

Religion

The names, professions, and degrees of notable philosophy students
Name Profession Degree Earned
Pope John Paul II Pope Emeritus BA/MA/PhD in Philosophy
Albert Schweitzer Nobel Peace Prize winner; theologian PhD in Philosophy and Theology