Superstars usually shine on stages and screens — but some Bollywood actresses spread their wings further. They take their talents to universities, chasing an academic venture into their passions.
Famous or not, these Bollywood actresses know the value of a university degree. They may not end up as a criminal psychologist or a business operations executive — and that’s fine. The point of going back to university could be the experience itself — meeting like-minded people, the camaraderie of project work, exploring a new city, and so forth. Or it could be the pleasures of academia, like the discovery of the latest breakthroughs in research or the knowledge of participating something bigger than yourself.
Sure, Bollywood glitters — but it can be easy to forget that in the thick of escaping paparazzi and chasing studio schedules. What’s better is having the best of both worlds — acting and another passion manifested in the form of a university education, as seen in the stories of these Bollywood actresses.
10 famous Bollywood actresses who studied abroad in the UK and US
1. Twinkle Khanna
The “Baadshah” and “Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega” siren is reportedly set to join Goldsmiths, University of London to pursue a master’s degree in “Fiction Writing” as reported by Hindustan Times. The daily is probably referring to the MA Script Writing or the MA Creative and Life Writing.
“People go off to drop their kids to college. I’m going to drop my wife to the University of London as she goes to do her Masters in Fiction Writing,” said Khanna’s husband Akshay Kumar at the time. Khanna reportedly funded her own master’s programme, saying, “So I’m using what would have been my daughter’s college fund to fund myself. I’ve always made sure that I’m the one paying for their education. I want them to say that my mother paid for my education, and not just fed me aloo parathas.”
She followed through — Khanna officially graduated in January 2024, sharing that her graduation day felt “even more perfect” than she’d imagined. She later revealed that her son, Aarav, had applied to the same university around the same time — the two struck a pact to pretend not to know each other on campus if they both got in, though he ultimately chose a different school.
Studied: A Bachelor of Commerce at NM College, Mumbai, followed by an MA in Fiction Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London, completed in 2024.
2. Preity Zinta
The “Kal Ho Naa Ho” star holds two bachelor’s degrees: English and Psychology, as reported by RepublicWorld.com. That’s not all, Zinta has a postgraduate degree in Criminal Psychology too.
In October 2020, she posted a photo with the caption: “Look what I found in my photos. So grateful to the University of East London for this incredible honour. Now I joke and tell my friends, ‘Trust me I’m a doctor’ but never use the Doc in my name in honour of all those doctors that worked hard for this achievement”.
She earned the honorary degree in 2010 for her humanitarian work and contributions to cinema.
Studied: BA in English and Psychology, plus a postgraduate qualification in Criminal Psychology; later received an honorary doctorate from the University of East London.
This actress has worked in worked in Hindi, Bengali, and English films. Source: Bollywood Hungama via Wiki Commons
3. Soha Ali Khan
Soha Ali Khan is one of the most qualified Bollywood actresses today. She is the graduate of not one, but two prestigious UK universities: London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Oxford. Khan earned a degree in modern history at the latter (her father and grandfather are alumni) and a master’s degree in International Relations from LSE.
Her credentials are probably behind her stints as a banker and as a consultant at the Ford Foundation, before she entered the film industry at 25. “I have always liked history and after having studied modern history for three years, I thought international relations would be a natural extension,” she told Mint. “I chose these subjects more for academic fulfilment than professional application.”
Her critics deride her two degrees but Khan defends herself saying, “I have always been asked that ‘if you are going work in films, why did you study so much?’ And I always thought that this does not make sense as a question. Education has nothing to do with what you do in life.
LSE doesn’t stand for the London School of Entertainment and “dumb actresses” are citizens with valid opinions on economic policy #nuffsaid
— Soha Ali Khan (@sakpataudi) June 24, 2016
Studied: BA in Modern History at the University of Oxford (Balliol College), followed by an MSc in International Relations at the London School of Economics.
Kareena Kapoor is one of Hindi cinema’s highest-paid stars. Source: Bollywood Hungama via Wiki Commons
4. Kareena Kapoor
After graduating from Jamnabai Narsee School in Mumbai and Welham Girls’ School in Dehradun, the “Dev” and “Omkara” actor went on to study commerce at Mithibai College in Mumbai. She later dropped out after two years. Kapoor then registered for a three-month summer course in microcomputers at Harvard Summer School.
“Yeah, I went to Harvard for a course in microcomputers and information technology,” she said in rediff.com. “I did it for three months. Then I joined a drama school. That, too, was for a short while. I left studies because I knew I wanted to join the movies.”
Studied: Commerce at Mithibai College, Mumbai (incomplete), followed by a three-month microcomputers and information technology course at Harvard Summer School.
She originally intended to become an investment banker. Source: Bollywood Hungama via Wiki Commons
5. Parineeti Chopra
Before Parineeti Chopra was an award-winning actress, she reportedly earned a triple honours degree in business, finance and economics from Manchester Business School. “I aced almost every exam as a school kid, as well as the courses I took at Manchester Business School,” she told Mumbai Mirror.
She described her time in Manchester as “filled with different academic experiences and loads of fun.” “I was also a part of the orientation classes for new students and managed to make time for a part-time gig at the Manchester United Football Club as the team leader of the catering department,” she said. “In my final semester, I applied to investment banking firms.”
Studied: Triple honours degree in Business, Finance, and Economics at Manchester Business School.
6. Sara Ali Khan
Soha Ali Khan’s niece Sara Ali Khan was rejected by the University of Oxford. This is despite her grandfather Mansoor Ali Khan and aunt Soha going to Balliol College to pursue Arabic and French, as well as modern history, respectively.
The rejection was surprising. “I had a predicted score of 41 or 42. I was very good at school,” said Sara. “I had a good essay, a good recommendation. I didn’t think that I would get rejected. I really didn’t think that would happen. I remember being so, so, so upset.” Sara would go on to study history and political science at Columbia University, a time in life she looks back “with so much gratitude, fondness and nostalgia.”
Studied: BA in History and Political Science at Columbia University, after being rejected by the University of Oxford.
7. Jahnvi Kapoor
After completing her schooling in Mumbai, Janhvi Kapoor moved to the US to study acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
There, she learnt method acting techniques and gained hands-on performance training before entering the film industry.
She made her Bollywood debut in 2018 with the romantic drama “Dhadak.”
Studied: Method acting and performance training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in the US.
8. Sonam Kapoor
Before entering Bollywood, Sonam Kapoor attended the United World College of South East Asia in Singapore, where she studied theatre and arts as part of her pre-university education.
She later began a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics at the University of East London. However, she did not complete her degree, choosing to leave midway to pursue a career in acting.
Though she did eventually continue her studies through a correspondence programme with the University of Mumbai.
Studied: Theatre and Arts at United World College of South East Asia, Singapore; BA Political Science and Economics at the University of East London (incomplete); later completed further study by correspondence through the University of Mumbai.
9. Kalki Koechlin
Though born in India, Kalki Koechlin is a French citizen, and after finishing school at Hebron School in Ooty, she moved to London at 18 to study drama and theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London, graduating with a BA in 2005.
While in London, she spent two years working with a theatre company called Theatre of Relativity, appearing in productions including David Hare’s “The Blue Room” and Marivaux’s “The Dispute” — genuine stage training well before she ever appeared on an Indian screen. She returned to India afterwards and made her Bollywood debut in 2009 in Anurag Kashyap’s “Dev.D,” a performance that won her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Beyond acting, Koechlin has built a parallel career as a playwright, winning The Hindu’s MetroPlus Playwright Award, and in 2018 was honoured by the French government with the Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her contributions to arts and culture.
Studied: BA in Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths, University of London, graduating in 2005 — with two years of professional theatre work in London alongside her studies.
Frequently asked questions about Bollywood actresses who studied abroad
Do any of these Bollywood actresses still use their degrees professionally, or was it purely personal?
It’s a mix. Soha Ali Khan’s history and international relations background led directly to pre-acting careers in banking and at the Ford Foundation, and Twinkle Khanna’s fiction-writing MA followed — and now supports — her established second career as a published author. She even runs her own book club now.
Why do some Bollywood actresses go abroad rather than study in India?
Family history and existing connections play a large role — several of the actresses on this list, like Soha and Sara Ali Khan, followed the same UK universities their parents or grandparents attended. Beyond that, many cite wanting a genuinely different environment and a degree of anonymity that’s hard to get in India as an already-recognisable public figure; Twinkle Khanna noted that almost nobody in her Goldsmiths cohort recognised her, which she said made the experience easier to settle into.
Is it common for Bollywood actresses to go back to university mid-career, like Twinkle Khanna did?
It’s not the norm, but it’s becoming less unusual, particularly once actors step back from a full-time screen career. Khanna enrolled at 47 and has spoken about the decision as a deliberate choice to keep growing rather than “the easiest way,” as she put it, of coasting into her fifties. It reflects a broader shift in how some public figures talk about education — less as a single life stage completed young, and more as something to return to on your own timeline.
Disclaimer: This article was last updated on July 21, 2026