For many of our favorite celebrities like Drake, school was often put on the back burner for a career that ended up taking over their schedules. Time passed, and there was no turning back as television, music, film or the runway took them farther and farther away from the classroom. While many tell their admirers how important a high school diploma and/or college degree is, very few practice what they preach. Take a look at some of the people who actually got their heads back into the books.–Nicole Brown

Tyra Banks

Tyra is the definition of media mogul. Besides being one of the world’s most recognized supermodels, she has a successful reality series, America’s Next Top Model, now in its 19th season, her charity the TZone, a New York Times Bestseller Modelland and an upcoming scripted series for ABC. In between all of this flawesomeness, she found time to attend Harvard Business School in 2011 and graduate from their Owner/President Manager Program, 22 years after turning down college offers for a fledging model career.

“In order for my company to grow and be the best, and to reach these women, and to serve them, I needed the best. So I went to the best,” says Tyra on her time there.

 

Tatyana Ali

Tatyana has warmed our hearts as both Ashley Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as well Tyana, her current role on TVOne’s Love That Girl!. While many a child star have found it difficult to transition to adult roles in Hollywood, Ali has navigated her own quite smoothly.  Perhaps her time away from the spotlight to attend college had something to do with that?

In 2002, she graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Afro-American Studies and Government.

Shakira

Shakira is best known for her bilingual catalogue that effortlessly slinks its way around the Billboard charts and of course: those hips that don’t lie. While the Columbian bombshell doesn’t have a college degree, she did take some time away from music in 2007 to take summer courses on Western Civilization at UCLA. Upon entering the classroom on her first day, she used her middle and last name, Isabel Mebarak, and said she was visiting from Columbia so she would not be recognized.

Pink

Before becoming the pop-rock sensation that is Pink, she was just Alecia Moore from Philadelphia struggling to have her voice heard. Between a personal battle with drugs and a failed attempt at R&B success with a girl group, she had to drop out of high school before graduating. Thankfully, she returned and left the second time with a G.E.D, shortly before garnering a solo deal.

Beyoncé

It’s hard to believe that someone as monumental as King Bey is a high school dropout. In fact, a lot of us forget that Beyoncé was just 17 years old when Destiny’s Child hit it big. While many would agree that she doesn’t necessarily need one, cameras caught Bey walking in and out of an alternative school multiple times this year. Kudos to her for leading by example if the rumors of a GED- totin’ Beyonce are true.