10 celebrities who went to college in Virginia
More celebrities than you probably think went to college in Virginia. Check out these 10 prime examples, from actors to a football player and even a newscaster.
From the beautiful campuses to the top-notch professors and even some good eats, going to college in Virginia is special. Perhaps these are some of the reasons why so many celebrities went to college here. Okay, many of them were probably from our fair state, but we’d like to think there were some more indulgent reasons at play, too.
The cache of celebrities who went to college in Virginia run the gamut of actors, professional athletes, highly decorated authors, and newscasters who have risen the ranks to keep us all updated with the inner workings of our cities and government. There’s truly a celebrity from every industry, but we’ve narrowed down 10 that are not only exciting to claim as our own but also fun to learn more about. Who knows—maybe these celebrities even participated in the many unique traditions that Virginia colleges keep alive, like the Pumpkin Parade at Randolph College or the beloved Late Night Breakfast at Virginia Wesleyan University. In any case, check out these 10 celebrities, from an “SNL” star to a multi-bestseller on The New York Times’ charts.
1. Tina Fey
Yes, you read that right. Tina Fey is easily one of the most recognizable names on this list, and as it turns out, she attended the University of Virginia. She graduated with a drama degree in 1992 before becoming an unstoppable force in the entertainment industry. Just five years later, she made her first appearance on “SNL,” and the rest truly feels like history, as she went on to appear in more than 180 episodes afterward (via IMDb).
Not an “SNL” viewer? Don’t worry—you’ve still seen her, and more than you probably think. Avid Netflix watchers will remember that she starred in the comedy “The Four Seasons” in summer 2025. The series saw her play the exhausted but playful Kate, who spent eight episodes trying to figure out not only her marriage but also her friendships, which were ever-changing around her. Other notable credits for Fey include “30 Rock,” “Mean Girls,” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
2. James Avery
Another beloved actor who went to college in Virginia is the late James Avery, who attended Virginia State University. This university is more mum on what its celebrity alumni studied and when they graduated, but we do know that Avery went on to have an illustrious career. Most of us will recognize him as the voice of Shredder in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” from the late ‘80s—he was in 114 episodes—or the uncle from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Philip Banks (via IMDb). As Philip, Avery appeared in 147 episodes between 1990 and 1996, and he didn’t hit the breaks when his run there ended, either.
After “Fresh Prince,” Avery went on to appear in myriad projects, including multi-episode arcs, like his 22 episodes of “Captain Simian & the Space Monkeys” and 11 episodes of “The Closer.” Sadly, following many years of success in the industry, Avery died at age 68 on New Year’s Eve in 2013 (via CNN). Reports from the time indicate that an open-heart surgery caused issues that ultimately led to his passing.
3. Katie Couric
Another famous face who needs no introduction is Katie Couric. This television anchor graduated from the University of Virginia with an English degree in 1979, and boy howdy, did she put that degree to work. Couric has been on TV for countless years, whether she was “Nightly News” on CBS or “Today Show” on NBC, and her work in the media is so long-established that it led to her founding her own company, Katie Couric Media.
You may also know Couric for her books. The early 2000s saw Couric mastering the artform of children’s books. In 2000, she released “The Brand New Kid,” and she released a second kids’ book, “The Blue Ribbon Day,” in 2004. It wouldn’t be until nearly two decades later Couric let audiences into her personal life like never before. In 2021, she published the memoir “Going There,” and we were glad to be along for the ride.
4. 2 Chainz
Whether you know 2 Chainz for his original songs or his masterful features, you undoubtedly know the “It’s a Vibe” rapper. And if you went to Virginia State University, you can proudly say that you went to the same school as him. That said, he didn’t actually graduate from VSU. Rather, he was initially enrolled at Alabama State University, but later found himself at VSU before returning to ASU to round out his program. “I got into some trouble, went somewhere else, and came back,” he explained to The Daily Beast in March 2016, though he didn’t elaborate on what said “trouble” entailed. Still, he did add, “But I graduated, and that’s that. That was then.”
One thing that folks who only know his music might be shocked to hear is that 2 Chainz, then known by his birth name, Tauheed Epps, actually played sports in college. The “No Lie” performer was a great basketball player, with folks who worked with him in his youth likening him to Lamar Odom (via ESPN).
5. Edgar Allan Poe
So far, every celebrity who went to college in Virginia on this list has graduated with a degree, but that cannot be said for Edgar Allan Poe. The legendary writer, who lived from 1809 to 1849, continues to be read over 200 years after he was born, so it might surprise some to learn that he wasn’t as formally trained as they might’ve thought. Rather, he called the University of Virginia home for a single term. According to Britannica, gambling issues led to his vacancy on the university’s grounds.
That year was 1826, and perhaps it worked in his favor. His writings began being published the following year. First, his poems saw daylight, and then his stories began trickling out, one after another. “The Raven” is undoubtedly his work that we’re all the most familiar with, but that poem wouldn’t reach papers until 1845, just four years before his untimely passing in 1849.
6. Margaret Brennan
Katie Couric isn’t the only anchor to grace this list. No, CBS News’ resident Margaret Brennan also attended the University of Virginia, graduating in 2002 after studying foreign affairs and Middle Eastern studies. Brennan’s studying of international politics positioned her well to work in the news sector, and she quickly found success at CBS News. There, she moderates “Face the Nation” while also serving as the organization’s chief foreign affairs correspondent. In this capacity, she interviews folks at all levels, including Vice President JD Vance in October 2025.
7. Sarah Drew
Actor Sarah Drew also graduated from the University of Virginia in 2002, though she likely didn’t run into Margaret Brennan since they majored in such different fields. Drew earned a degree in drama, and seven years after leaving UV, she landed a television job that would not only change her life but also sustain her well into the 2020s. Yes, we’re talking about “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Drew appeared as the endearing Dr. April Kepner in 204 episodes of ABC’s resident medical drama between 2009 and 2022 (via IMDb). Fans got to see her in many highs and lows, letting her raw acting talents shine. Outside of “Grey’s Anatomy,” you can catch here in myriad Christmas movies, like “Mistletoe Murders,” “Reindeer Games Homecoming,” and “Christmas in Vienna.”
8. Carl Weber
Carl Weber is one of the more private celebrities on this list, but anyone who attends Virginia State University is lucky to walk the same grounds as his acclaimed author. Weber has been publishing books for more than two decades, and many of his works have gone on to be New York Times bestsellers. But his beginnings were at VSU, where he graduated with an MBA in marketing in 1999, per his LinkedIn profile.
Weber is known for a series of books called “The Family Business,” which was turned into a BET series in 2018 and is still airing new seasons at the time of writing. Other notable works from Weber include “Man on the Run,” “So You Call Yourself a Man,” and “Lookin’ for Luv.”
9. Chris Long
Now, we enter a whole new arena of entertainment. Many professional athletes have gone to college in Virginia over the years, but one of the most famous is Chris Long, who graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in sociology in 2008. Long was drafted in the NFL directly after graduating and became a defensive end for the St. Louis Rams (via Pro Football Hall of Fame). Following his years with the Rams, Long played for the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. (That’s the team that Jason Kelce was on for more than a decade, for any Swifties reading this.) Overall, sociology may be considered an “easy” major for athletes to study while sportin’ it up at night, but it clearly works out well for folks like Long.
10. Sasheer Zamata
Last but certainly not least is Sasheer Zamata, who many viewers fell in love with in the fall of 2024 thanks to Marvel’s “Agatha All Along.” The spellbinding series sees Zamata portray a witch named Jennifer Kale who specializes in potions, and her wit and emotions were downright admirable. But before she became a superhero on the screen, she was acing tests at the University of Virginia, where she graduated with a drama degree in 2008.
Before her Marvel run, Zamata was a fixture on “Saturday Night Live,” appearing in 74 episodes between 2014 and 2017 (via IMDb). She’s also appeared in 28 episodes of the animated Marvel television series “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” in a different role—sadly, no witchy business there. Podcasters, of course, know her from “Best Friends,” which she has been co-hosting with “Nailed It!” star Nicole Byer since 2019.
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