Notable Alumni of New York University

Shimon Peres 1923–2016

Former President and Prime Minister of Israel

Also attended: Harvard University, The New School

Child: Tsvia Walden (Harvard University)

Mohamed ElBaradei 1942–

Former IAEA Director General and Nobel Peace Prize recipient

Isaac Herzog 2005–

President of Israel

Ma Ying-jeou 1950–

Former leader of Taiwan

Master of Laws · Class of 1977

Also attended: Harvard University

Spouse: Christine Chow Ma (New York University)

Rudy Giuliani 1944–

108th Mayor of New York City

Also attended: Manhattan University

Spouse: Judith Giuliani (New York University, The Pennsylvania State University)

Child: Caroline Giuliani (Harvard University)

Elihu Root 1845–1937

US Secretary of State and Secretary of War

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Hamilton College

Daniel Noboa 1987–

President of Ecuador

Business administration · Attended until 2010

Also attended: George Washington University, Northwestern University, Harvard University

Bill de Blasio 1961–

Former Mayor of New York City

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Chirlane McCray (Wellesley College)

Amal Clooney 1978–

International human rights lawyer

Spouse: George Clooney (Northern Kentucky University, University of Cincinnati-Main Campus)

Robert Mueller 1944–2026

Sixth Director of the FBI

Master of Arts · International relations · Class of 1967

Also attended: Princeton University, University of Virginia-Main Campus

Andrew Cuomo 1957–

Former Governor of New York

Also attended: Albany Law School, Fordham University

Spouse: Kerry Kennedy (Boston College, Boston University)

Father: Mario Cuomo (St John's University (NY))

Nicos Christodoulides 1973–

8th President of Cyprus

Master of Political Science · Political science

Also attended: CUNY Queens College

Hun Manet 1977–

Prime Minister of Cambodia

Also attended: The United States Military Academy at West Point

Ephraim Katzir 1916–2009

Biophysicist and 4th President of Israel

Also attended: Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Fiorello La Guardia 1882–1947

Mayor of New York City from 1934 to 1946

Hakeem Jeffries 1970–

U.S. representative for New York

Juris Doctor · Class of 1997

Also attended: Georgetown University, Binghamton University

Ed Koch 1924–2013

Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989

Bachelor of Laws

Also attended: CUNY--City College

Lamar Alexander 1940–

Former US Senator from Tennessee

Juris Doctor · Class of 1965

Also attended: Vanderbilt University

Meir Kahane 1932–1990

Rabbi and founder of Israel's far-right Kach party

Also attended: CUNY Brooklyn College, Mirrer Yeshiva Cent Institute, New York Law School

Crystal Eastman 1881–1928

Lawyer, feminist, co-founder of the ACLU

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Vassar College

Sibling: Max Eastman (Williams College, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Ahmed Zaki Yamani 1930–2021

Former Saudi Minister of Petroleum

Also attended: Harvard University

Dorothy Height 1912–2010

Civil rights and women's rights activist

Bachelor's degree · Class of 1932

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Samuel J. Tilden 1814–1886

Governor of New York and 1876 Democratic presidential nominee

Also attended: Yale University

Guillermo Endara 1936–2009

Former president of Panama

Chung Sye-kyun 1950–

Former prime minister of South Korea

Also attended: Pepperdine University

Nabil Elaraby 1935–2024

Former Arab League Secretary General, Egyptian diplomat

Doctor of Juridical Science · Class of 1971

Stavros Dimas 1941–

Greek politician and former EU Environment Commissioner

Postgraduate education · Economics

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit 1978–

Thai businessman and former Future Forward Party leader

Eric Chu 1961–

Former chairman of the Kuomintang

Master of Business Administration, Doctorate · Finance, Accounting · Class of 1991

Wellington Koo 1958–

Taiwan's defense chief and lawyer

Master of Laws

Chen Li-an 1937–

Former president of Taiwan's Control Yuan

Child: Chen Yu-hui (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Gloria Allred 1941–

Civil rights attorney known for high-profile cases

Also attended: Loyola Marymount University, Southwestern Law School, University of Pennsylvania

Child: Lisa Bloom (University of California-Los Angeles, Yale University)

Florence Ellinwood Allen 1884–1966

US federal judge on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

Also attended: University of Chicago, Case Western Reserve University

Father: Clarence Emir Allen (Case Western Reserve University)

Earl Thomas Coleman 1943–

Former U.S. Representative from Missouri

Also attended: Washington University in St Louis, William Jewell College

Ben Rhodes 1977–

Former Deputy National Security Advisor under Obama

Also attended: Rice University

Sibling: David Rhodes (Rice University)

Thomas Girardi 1939–

Lawyer, co-founder of Girardi & Keese, disbarred 2022

Also attended: Loyola Marymount University

Jeffrey Epstein 1953–2019

Financier and convicted child sex offender

Attended until 1974

Also attended: The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Alan Greenspan 1926–2026

Economist, 13th chair of the Federal Reserve

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1977

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, The Juilliard School

Spouse: Andrea Mitchell (University of Pennsylvania)

Katherine Maher 1983–

CEO and president of National Public Radio

Attended until 2005

Jared Kushner 1981–

Businessman, investor and Donald Trump's son-in-law

Also attended: Harvard University

Spouse: Ivanka Trump (Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania)

Father: Charles Kushner (Hofstra University, New York University)

Jack Dorsey 1976–

Co-founder of Twitter and Block

Also attended: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Dennis Tito 1940–

Engineer and entrepreneur, first self-funded space tourist

Also attended: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Sabrina Ho 1990–

Hong Kong-Macau entrepreneur

Doctorate

Sibling: Pansy Ho (Santa Clara University)

John C. Malone 1941–

Billionaire businessman, former CEO of Tele-Communications Inc

Also attended: Yale University, Johns Hopkins University

Paul Pelosi 1940–

Businessman and venture capital investor

Also attended: Georgetown University, Harvard University

Spouse: Nancy Pelosi (Trinity Washington University)

Child: Alexandra Pelosi (Loyola Marymount University, University of Southern California)

James G. Rickards 1951–

Investment banker and author of Currency Wars

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University, University of Pennsylvania

Stephen M. Ross 1940–

Founder of Related Companies, real estate developer

Also attended: University of Florida, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Wayne State University

Paul Bernon

Businessman and film producer

Also attended: Boston University

Erick Fromm 1900–1980

Social psychologist and psychoanalyst

Jonas Salk 1914–1995

Virologist who developed an early polio vaccine

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, CUNY--City College

Rosalyn Sussman Yalow 1921–2011

Medical physicist, 1977 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, CUNY Hunter College

Gertrude B. Elion 1918–1999

Biochemist, 1988 Nobel Prize in Medicine winner

Master of Science · Class of 1941

Also attended: CUNY Hunter College

Martin Lewis Perl 1927–2014

Physicist, 1995 Nobel laureate who discovered the tau lepton

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, United States Merchant Marine Academy

Frederick Reines 1918–1998

Physicist, 1995 Nobel Prize in Physics winner

Also attended: Stevens Institute of Technology

Clifford Shull 1915–2001

American physicist

Also attended: Carnegie Mellon University

Severo Ochoa 1905–1993

Biochemist, 1959 Nobel laureate in medicine

Arthur Kornberg 1918–2007

Biochemist, 1959 Nobel laureate in Medicine

Also attended: CUNY--City College, University of Rochester

Child: Roger D. Kornberg (Harvard University, Stanford University)

Child: Thomas B. Kornberg (Columbia University in the City of New York)

John Archibald Wheeler 1911–2008

Theoretical physicist who revived general relativity research

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University

Irwin Rose 1926–2015

Biologist, 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner

Also attended: University of Chicago

Eric Kandel 1929–

Neuroscientist and Columbia University professor

Also attended: Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Denise Kandel (Columbia University in the City of New York)

Howard Zinn 1922–2010

Historian, playwright and socialist thinker

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Herbert A. Hauptman 1917–2011

Mathematician and Nobel laureate

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland-College Park, Columbia University in the City of New York

Karen Uhlenbeck 1942–

Mathematician and founder of modern geometric analysis

Attended until 1965

Also attended: Brandeis University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Julius Axelrod 1912–2004

Biochemist and 1970 Nobel Prize winner

Also attended: George Washington University, CUNY--City College

George Wald 1906–1997

Biologist, 1967 Nobel laureate in Medicine

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Albert B. Sabin 1906–1993

Medical researcher who developed the oral polio vaccine

Martha Nussbaum 1947–

Philosopher and University of Chicago law and ethics professor

Also attended: Harvard University

Spouse: Alan Nussbaum (Harvard University)

Lewis Mumford 1895–1990

Historian, sociologist and urban studies scholar

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, CUNY--City College, The New School

Henry Draper 1837–1882

Physician and astronomer, astrophotography pioneer

Father: John William Draper (University of Pennsylvania)

Sibling: John Christopher Draper (New York University)

Anita Borg 2000–2003

Computer scientist, founded Institute for Women and Technology

Also attended: University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Peter Lax 1926–2025

Hungarian-born mathematician and Abel Prize laureate

Doctorate · Class of 1949

Spouse: Anneli Cahn Lax (Adelphi University, New York University)

Paul Ekman 1934–2025

Psychologist, pioneer in studying emotions and facial expressions

Bachelor of Arts · Class of 1954

Also attended: Adelphi University

Jacob Bekenstein 1947–2015

Theoretical physicist, pioneer of black hole thermodynamics

Also attended: Princeton University

Judea Pearl 1936–

Computer scientist who developed Bayesian networks

Doctor of Philosophy · Electrical engineering · Class of 1965

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles

Child: Daniel Pearl (Stanford University)

Frederick Cook 1865–1940

Explorer and doctor who claimed reaching the North Pole

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Martin Edward Hellman 1945–

Cryptologist, co-inventor of public-key cryptography

Also attended: Stanford University

Paolo Nespoli 1957–

Italian astronaut of the European Space Agency

Robert Jarvik 1946–2025

Developer of the Jarvik-7 artificial heart

Master of Science · Biomedical engineering

Also attended: Syracuse University

Spouse: Marilyn vos Savant (Washington University in St Louis)

Jim Gray 1944–2012

Computer scientist, 1998 Turing Award winner

Master of Science

Also attended: University of California-Berkeley

Louis Nirenberg 1925–2020

Mathematician specializing in partial differential equations

Attended until 1949

Israel Kirzner 1930–

Economist of the Austrian School

Also attended: CUNY Brooklyn College, Rabbinical Academy Mesivta Rabbi Chaim Berlin

Alfred Vail 1807–1859

Inventor central to developing electrical telegraphy

Christina Hoff Sommers 1950–

Philosopher and author, scholar at American Enterprise Institute

Also attended: Brandeis University

Spouse: Frederic Tamler Sommers (Columbia University in the City of New York, Yeshiva University)

Walter Reed 1851–1902

Army physician who led yellow fever transmission research

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Linda Nochlin 1931–2017

Feminist art historian and NYU professor

Doctor of Philosophy · History of art · Class of 1963

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Vassar College

Cathleen Synge Morawetz 1923–2017

Canadian mathematician specializing in partial differential equations

Doctor of Philosophy · Class of 1951

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Michael H. Hart 1932–

Astrophysicist, author of The 100

Bachelor of Laws

Also attended: Princeton University, Adelphi University, Cornell University

Henry Lee 1938–2026

Chinese-born American forensic scientist

Doctorate, Master's degree · Class of 1975

Also attended: CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

Frederick Pei Li 1940–2015

Physician who co-discovered Li–Fraumeni syndrome

Also attended: Georgetown University, University of Rochester

John G. Trump 1907–1985

MIT electrical engineer and professor

Attended until 1929

Also attended: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University in the City of New York

Lady Gaga 1986–

Singer, songwriter and actress

Music

Also attended: Johns Hopkins University, Circle in the Square Theatre School

Mother: Cynthia Germanotta (George Washington University, West Virginia University)

Sibling: Natali Germanotta (The New School)

Angelina Jolie 1975–

Academy Award-winning actress, filmmaker and humanitarian

Art

Spouse: Billy Bob Thornton (Henderson State University)

Spouse: Brad Pitt (University of Missouri-Columbia)

Woody Allen 1935–

Filmmaker, actor, writer and comedian

Spouse: Soon-Yi Previn (Drew University, Rider University)

Child: Ronan Farrow (Yale University, Johns Hopkins University)

Martin Scorsese 1942–

Film director

Spouse: Julia Cameron (Fordham University)

Child: Domenica Cameron-Scorsese (Wesleyan University)

Anne Hathaway 1982–

Actress and Academy Award winner

Attended until 1998

Also attended: American Academy of Dramatic Arts-New York, Vassar College

Whoopi Goldberg 1955–

Actress, comedian and EGOT winner

Chris Evans 1981–

Actor, one of the highest-grossing film stars

Adam Sandler 1966–

American comedian and actor

Attended until 1988

Spouse: Jackie Sandler (New York University)

Child: Sadie Sandler (New York University)

Philip Seymour Hoffman 1967–2014

Actor known for supporting and leading roles

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School

Alec Baldwin 1958–

Actor and film producer

Also attended: George Washington University

Spouse: Kim Basinger (University of Georgia, Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater)

Spouse: Hilaria Baldwin (New York University)

Dakota Fanning 1994–

Actress and producer

Sibling: Elle Fanning (New York University)

Oliver Stone 1946–

Film director and screenwriter, three-time Oscar winner

Also attended: Yale University

Mario Puzo 1920–1999

Author of The Godfather, novelist and screenwriter

Also attended: CUNY--City College

Ang Lee 1954–

Taiwanese film director, screenwriter and producer

Also attended: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Child: Mason Lee (New York University)

Timothée Chalamet 1995–

Actor with four Academy Award nominations

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Sibling: Pauline Chalamet (Bard College)

Burt Lancaster 1913–1994

Film and television actor

Kristen Bell 1980–

American actress and singer

Spouse: Dax Shepard (University of California-Los Angeles, Santa Monica College)

James Franco 1978–

Actor and filmmaker

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, Yale University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Sibling: Tom Franco (California College of the Arts, University of California-Santa Cruz)

Sibling: Dave Franco (University of Southern California)

Ethan Hawke 1970–

Actor, author and filmmaker

Also attended: Carnegie Mellon University, The University of Texas at Austin

Child: Levon Hawke (Brown University)

Forest Whitaker 1961–

Actor and filmmaker, Academy Award winner

Also attended: California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, University of Southern California

Elizabeth Olsen 1989–

Actress

Sibling: Mary-Kate Olsen (New York University)

Sibling: Ashley Olsen (New York University)

Lucy Liu 1968–

Actress, producer and artist

Also attended: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Meg Ryan 1961–

Actress known for romantic comedies

Also attended: University of Connecticut

Spouse: Dennis Quaid (University of Houston)

Child: Jack Quaid (New York University)

Elle Fanning 1998–

Actress and Academy Award nominee

Sibling: Dakota Fanning (New York University)

John Leguizamo 1964–

Actor and comedian, Special Tony Award winner

Also attended: Long Island University

Suzanne Collins 1962–

Author of The Hunger Games series

Jesse Eisenberg 1983–

Actor and playwright

Also attended: The New School

Spike Lee 1957–

Filmmaker and actor

Also attended: Morehouse College

Father: Bill Lee (Morehouse College)

Pedro Pascal 1975–

Chilean-American actor

Acting · Attended until 1997

Sibling: Lux Pascal (The Juilliard School)

M. Night Shyamalan 1970–

Filmmaker known for supernatural plots and twist endings

Child: Saleka (Brown University)

John Cusack 1966–

Actor, screenwriter and producer

Father: Dick Cusack (College of the Holy Cross)

Sibling: Joan Cusack (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Bill Paxton 1955–2017

American actor and filmmaker

Spouse: Kelly Rowan (University of California-Los Angeles, Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater)

Mahershala Ali 1974–

Actor, two-time Academy Award winner

Also attended: Saint Mary's College of California

Chloé Zhao 1982–

Chinese filmmaker, director, screenwriter and producer

Also attended: Mount Holyoke College

Jim Jarmusch 1953–

Independent film director and screenwriter

Also attended: Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Julie Delpy 1969–

French actress, director and screenwriter

Alexis Bledel 1981–

Actress known for Gilmore Girls

Alvin Toffler 1928–2016

Writer and futurist

Billy Crystal 1948–

Comedian, actor and filmmaker

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Class of 1970

Also attended: Nassau Community College, Marshall University

Child: Jennifer Crystal Foley (Northwestern University)

Felicity Huffman 1962–

Actress known for Desperate Housewives

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School

Spouse: William H. Macy (Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, Goddard College)

Bridget Fonda 1964–

American actress

Father: Peter Fonda (University of Nebraska--Omaha)

Rooney Mara 1985–

Actress, two-time Oscar nominee

Also attended: George Washington University

Sibling: Kate Mara (New York University)

Bryce Dallas Howard 1981–

Actress and director

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Drama fiction · Class of 2003

Spouse: Seth Gabel (Nova Southeastern University, New York University)

Father: Ron Howard (University of Southern California)

Danielle Steel 1947–

Bestselling author of romance novels

Also attended: The New School

Spouse: Thomas Perkins (Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Chris Columbus 1958–

Filmmaker, director, screenwriter and producer

Logan Lerman 1992–

American actor

Paul Thomas Anderson 1970–

Filmmaker and three-time Academy Award winner

Also attended: Santa Monica College, Emerson College

Father: Ernie Anderson (Suffolk University)

Donald Glover 1983–

Actor, rapper and filmmaker, aka Childish Gambino

Attended until 2006

Danai Gurira 1978–

Actress in The Walking Dead and Marvel films

Master of Fine Arts · Acting

Also attended: Macalester College

Margaret Qualley 1994–

Actress, daughter of Andie MacDowell

Mother: Andie MacDowell (Winthrop University)

Barry Bostwick 1945–

Actor known for The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Kate Mara 1983–

Actress known for House of Cards

Sibling: Rooney Mara (George Washington University, New York University)

Manisha Koirala 1970–

Nepalese actress working in Indian cinema

Carson McCullers 1917–1967

Novelist, author of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

AnnaSophia Robb 1993–

American actress

Attended until 2018

Marcia Gay Harden 1959–

Actress

Master of Fine Arts · Class of 1988

Also attended: The University of Texas at Austin

Haley Joel Osment 1988–

Actor, began career as a child actor

Sibling: Emily Osment (Occidental College)

Michael C. Hall 1971–

Actor, star of Dexter and Six Feet Under

Also attended: Earlham College

Spouse: Jennifer Carpenter (The Juilliard School)

Spouse: Amy Spanger (Yale University)

Idina Menzel 1971–

American actress and singer

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Spoken drama · Class of 1992

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School

Spouse: Aaron Lohr (University of California-Los Angeles, CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice)

Lea Michele 1986–

Actress and singer

Aubrey Plaza 1984–

Actress, comedian and producer

Also attended: New York Film Academy

Spouse: Jeff Baena (New York University)

Josh Radnor 1974–

Actor known for How I Met Your Mother

Also attended: Kenyon College

Melissa Joan Hart 1976–

Actress, star of Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Todd Phillips 1970–

Film director, screenwriter and producer

Simon Helberg 1980–

Actor known as Howard on The Big Bang Theory

Miles Teller 1987–

Actor known for The Spectacular Now and Divergent

Andy Samberg 1978–

Comedian, actor and member of The Lonely Island

Attended until 2000

Also attended: University of California-Santa Cruz

Spouse: Joanna Newsom (Northeastern University Oakland)

Lisa Edelstein 1966–

Actress and artist

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School

Clark Gregg 1962–

Actor, screenwriter and director

Attended until 1986

Also attended: Wesleyan University, Ohio Wesleyan University

Spouse: Jennifer Grey (Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater)

Sarah Silverman 1970–

Stand-up comedian, actress and writer

Sibling: Laura Silverman (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Tufts University)

Debra Messing 1968–

Actress and comedian

Master of Fine Arts · Class of 1993

Also attended: Brandeis University

Spouse: Daniel Zelman (New York University)

Selma Blair 1972–

Actress in Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde

Also attended: Kalamazoo College, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Lauren Graham 1967–

Actress known for Gilmore Girls

Also attended: Barnard College, Columbia University in the City of New York, Southern Methodist University

Natalia Dyer 1995–

Actress known for Stranger Things

Steve McQueen 1969–

British film director and video artist

Dia Mirza 1981–

Indian actress and model

Jeffrey Wright 1965–

Actor; Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner

Also attended: Amherst College

James L. Brooks 1940–

Filmmaker, Gracie Films founder and co-developer of The Simpsons

Stanley Kramer 1913–2001

Film director and producer

Elizabeth Gilbert 1969–

Author of the memoir Eat, Pray, Love

Rick Rubin 1963–

Record producer and Def Jam co-founder

Louis Gossett Jr. 1936–2024

Actor

Julie Benz 1972–

Actress known for Buffy and Dexter

Spouse: John Kassir (Towson University)

Jerome Robbins 1918–1998

Choreographer and director of West Side Story

Vince Gilligan 1967–

Screenwriter, producer and director

Neil Simon 1927–2018

Playwright and screenwriter

Also attended: University of Denver

Spouse: Marsha Mason (Webster University)

Peter Krause 1965–

Actor in Six Feet Under and 9-1-1

Master of Arts

Also attended: Gustavus Adolphus College

Daniel Dae Kim 1968–

Actor in television and film

Also attended: Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College

Frank McCourt 1930–2009

Pulitzer-winning author of Angela's Ashes

Mark Ronson 1975–

Musician and producer, ten-time Grammy winner

Also attended: Vassar College

Spouse: Grace Gummer (Vassar College)

Sibling: Samantha Ronson (New York University)

Bernard Herrmann 1911–1975

American composer and conductor, film scoring master

Spouse: Lucille Fletcher (Vassar College)

Adam Savage 1967–

Special effects creator, co-host of MythBusters

Rachel Brosnahan 1990–

Actress known as Midge Maisel in Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Spouse: Jason Ralph (SUNY at Purchase College)

Nick Robinson 1995–

Actor in Melissa & Joey

Matthew Gray Gubler 1980–

Actor best known for Criminal Minds as Dr. Spencer Reid

Daniel Keyes 1927–2014

Author of Flowers for Algernon

Also attended: CUNY Brooklyn College

Cole Sprouse 1992–

Actor in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Riverdale

Archaeology

Sibling: Dylan Sprouse (New York University)

John F. Kennedy Jr. 1960–1999

Attorney and magazine publisher

Also attended: Brown University

Spouse: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (Boston University)

Father: John F. Kennedy (Harvard University, Princeton University)

Richard Donner 1930–2021

Hollywood film director

Also attended: California State University-Northridge

Wayne Shorter 1933–2023

Jazz saxophonist and composer with 12 Grammy Awards

Robert Sheckley 1928–2005

Science fiction writer

Attended until 1951

Child: Alisa Kwitney (Wesleyan University, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Camila Mendes 1994–

Actress and producer

Lillian Hellman 1905–1984

Playwright and screenwriter

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Rainn Wilson 1966–

Actor, played Dwight Schrute in The Office

Also attended: Tufts University, University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Diahann Carroll 1935–2019

Actress and singer, 1962 Tony Award winner

Jerome Kern 1885–1945

American musical theatre composer of Ol' Man River

John Waters 1946–

Filmmaker, actor, writer and artist

John G. Avildsen 1935–2017

Film director of Rocky

Yasiin Bey 1973–

Rapper and actor, formerly Mos Def

Alan Menken 1949–

Composer who won eight Academy Awards

Hilarie Burton 1982–

Actress known for One Tree Hill

Also attended: Fordham University

Karlie Kloss 1992–

Supermodel and entrepreneur

Spouse: Joshua Kushner (Harvard University)

Ira Levin 1929–2007

Novelist and playwright, author of Rosemary's Baby

Also attended: Drake University

Charlie Kaufman 1958–

American filmmaker and novelist

Also attended: Boston University

Sean Baker 1971–

Independent filmmaker, director and writer

Jason Biggs 1978–

Actor, star of the American Pie films

Also attended: Montclair State University

Spouse: Jenny Mollen (University of California-Los Angeles)

Eli Roth 1972–

Horror film director of Cabin Fever and Hostel

Cristin Milioti 1985–

Actress and musician, Grammy and Emmy winner

Kate Mulgrew 1955–

Actress known for Star Trek: Voyager

Spouse: Tim Hagan (Cleveland State University, Youngstown State University)

Frank Grillo 1963–

Actor who played Crossbones in the MCU

Spouse: Wendy Moniz (Siena University)

Tom Ford 1961–

Fashion designer and filmmaker

Also attended: Simon's Rock at Bard College, The New School

Gina Gershon 1962–

Actress and singer, starred in Face/Off

Also attended: Emerson College, Circle in the Square Theatre School

Justin Bartha 1978–

Actor in National Treasure and The Hangover

Taylor Schilling 1984–

Actress known for Orange Is the New Black

Also attended: Fordham University

Billy Crudup 1968–

Actor, Tony and Emmy Award winner

Also attended: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Aziz Ansari 1983–

Actor and comedian, creator of Master of None

Marc Forster 1969–

German-Swiss film director

Katherine Waterston 1980–

British-born American actress

Father: Sam Waterston (Yale University)

Sibling: James Waterston (Yale University)

Ice Spice 2000–

Rapper and songwriter from the Bronx

Lee J. Cobb 1911–1976

Actor, star of The Virginian

Mary-Kate Olsen 1986–

Fashion designer and former child actress

Sibling: Ashley Olsen (New York University)

Sibling: Elizabeth Olsen (New York University)

Ken Leung 1970–

Actor known for Lost and Industry

Natasha Lyonne 1979–

Actress, director and writer

Bai Ling 1966–

Chinese-American actress in Red Corner

Matthew Morrison 1978–

Actor, dancer and singer, known for Glee

Elmer Bernstein 1922–2004

Composer and conductor of over 150 film scores

Also attended: The Juilliard School

John C. McGinley 1959–

Actor who played Perry Cox in Scrubs

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School, Syracuse University

Jerry O'Connell 1974–

Actor and TV host, known for Stand by Me

Also attended: Southwestern Law School

Spouse: Rebecca Romijn (University of California-Santa Cruz)

Peter Facinelli 1973–

Actor, starred in Fastlane

Bruce Davison 1946–

Actor, known for Willard

Also attended: The Pennsylvania State University, The Pennsylvania State University

Spouse: Lisa Pelikan (The Juilliard School)

Ashley Olsen 1986–

Fashion designer and former actress, Full House

Sibling: Mary-Kate Olsen (New York University)

Sibling: Elizabeth Olsen (New York University)

Drea de Matteo 1972–

Actress in The Sopranos, Emmy winner

Bo Burnham 1990–

Comedian, actor, musician and filmmaker

Chandra Wilson 1969–

Actress known for Grey's Anatomy

Robert Anton Wilson 1932–2007

Writer, futurist and psychologist

Brett Ratner 1969–

Film director and producer of the Rush Hour series

John Ashbery 1927–2017

American poet and art critic

Also attended: Harvard University, Columbia University in the City of New York

Glenn Greenwald 1967–

Journalist, author and former lawyer

Juris Doctor · Class of 1994

Also attended: George Washington University

Sean Hannity 1961–

Fox News host and conservative commentator

Also attended: Adelphi University, Liberty University

Spouse: Ainsley Earhardt (Florida State University, University of South Carolina-Columbia)

Jesse Metcalfe 1978–

Actor in Desperate Housewives and John Tucker Must Die

Lewis Hine 1874–1940

Sociologist and photographer of child labor

Also attended: University of Chicago, Columbia University in the City of New York

Vivek Oberoi 1976–

Indian actor and businessman

Molly Shannon 1964–

Actress and comedian, Saturday Night Live cast member

Attended until 1987

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School

Jeremy Piven 1965–

Actor best known as Ari Gold in Entourage

Also attended: Drake University

Mother: Joyce Piven (University of Chicago)

Sibling: Adam McKay (The Pennsylvania State University, Temple University)

Iris Apfel 1921–2024

Interior designer and fashion icon

Also attended: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Corey Stoll 1976–

Actor known for House of Cards

Also attended: Oberlin College

Alden Ehrenreich 1989–

Actor, appeared in Tetro and Twixt

Jack Quaid 1992–

Actor, son of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid

Father: Dennis Quaid (University of Houston)

Mother: Meg Ryan (University of Connecticut, New York University)

Gina Rodriguez 1984–

Actress known for Jane the Virgin

Cary Joji Fukunaga 1977–

Filmmaker who directed True Detective season one

Also attended: University of California-Santa Cruz

Christy Turlington 1969–

American supermodel

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Edward Burns (CUNY Hunter College, SUNY at Albany)

Billie Lourd 1992–

Actress in Scream Queens and American Horror Story

Mother: Carrie Fisher (Sarah Lawrence College)

Dylan Sprouse 1992–

Actor known for Disney Channel's Suite Life series

Art

Sibling: Cole Sprouse (New York University)

Ed Helms 1974–

Actor and comedian, former Daily Show correspondent

Also attended: Oberlin College

Tony Kushner 1956–

Playwright and screenwriter of Angels in America

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York

Spouse: Mark Harris (Yale University)

Monica Barbaro 1990–

Actress nominated for an Academy Award

Sterling K. Brown 1976–

Actor with three Primetime Emmy Awards

Also attended: Washington University in St Louis, Stanford University

Spouse: Ryan Michelle Bathe (New York University, Stanford University)

Jake Johnson 1978–

Actor, starred as Nick Miller in New Girl

Also attended: University of Iowa

Charles Simic 1938–2023

Serbian-American poet and Pulitzer Prize winner

Bachelor of Arts

Michaela Conlin 1978–

Actress who played Angela Montenegro on Bones

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Edi Gathegi 1979–

Kenyan-American actor

Also attended: University of California-Santa Barbara

Regina Hall 1970–

Actress known for Scary Movie series

Also attended: Fordham University

Zoya Akhtar 1972–

Indian director, producer and screenwriter

Laura Benanti 1979–

Broadway actress and singer

Spouse: Christopher Barron Gross (Bennington College)

Skeet Ulrich 1970–

Actor known for Scream and The Craft

Also attended: University of North Carolina--Wilmington

László Nemes 1977–

Hungarian film director and screenwriter

Maya Deren 1917–1961

Avant-garde experimental filmmaker

Also attended: Smith College, Syracuse University

Vincent Schiavelli 1948–2005

Character actor of stage, screen and television

Titus Welliver 1962–

Actor known for Bosch and Lost

Father: Neil Welliver (Yale University, University of the Arts)

Zero Mostel 1915–1977

Actor and comedian

Also attended: CUNY--City College

Child: Josh Mostel (Brandeis University)

Melissa Fumero 1982–

Actress and television director

Bachelor of Fine Arts · Spoken drama · Class of 2003

Jon Watts 1981–

Director of the MCU Spider-Man films

Ayo Edebiri 1995–

Actress who won a Golden Globe for The Bear

Margarita Levieva 1980–

Russian-born American actress

Camryn Manheim 1961–

Actress known for The Practice

Also attended: Cabrillo College, University of California-Santa Cruz

Donna Murphy 1959–

Musical theater actress and two-time Tony winner

Agbani Darego 1982–

Nigerian model, crowned Miss World 2001

James Roday Rodriguez 1976–

Actor best known for the series Psych

Judy Blume 1938–

Writer of children's and young adult fiction

Bachelor's degree · Education · Class of 1961

Morton Feldman 1926–1987

Composer and exponent of indeterminacy in music

Attended until 1944

Spouse: Barbara Monk (University at Buffalo)

Bryan Greenberg 1978–

Actor in HBO series How to Make It in America

Spouse: Jamie Chung (University of California-Riverside)

Candace Bushnell 1958–

Author of Sex and the City

Also attended: Rice University

Maura Tierney 1965–

Actress known for ER and The Affair

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School

Logan Marshall-Green 1976–

Actor, star of The Invitation and Upgrade

Also attended: The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Louis Leterrier 1973–

French director of The Incredible Hulk and Fast X

Garret Dillahunt 1964–

Actor known for Raising Hope

Also attended: University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Spouse: Michelle Hurd (Boston University)

Reginald VelJohnson 1952–

Actor known for Die Hard and Family Matters

Robert Rossen 1908–1966

Screenwriter and director of All the King's Men

Nika Futterman 1969–

Voice actress, Asajj Ventress in The Clone Wars

Rita Mae Brown 1944–

Feminist writer, author of Rubyfruit Jungle

Also attended: University of Florida, School of Visual Arts, Union Institute and University

Perez Hilton 1978–

Blogger, columnist and media personality

Liam Aiken 1990–

Actor in Stepmom and Road to Perdition

Harry Carey 1878–1947

Silent film star known for Westerns

Minoru Yamasaki 1912–1986

Architect who designed the original World Trade Center

Also attended: Bates College, University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Linn Ullmann 1966–

Norwegian novelist and journalist

Also attended: The Juilliard School

Jack Falahee 1989–

Actor in How to Get Away with Murder

André Holland 1979–

Actor known for Oscar-winning film Moonlight

Also attended: Florida State University

Kristen Johnston 1967–

Actress, twice Emmy winner for 3rd Rock from the Sun

Also attended: Circle in the Square Theatre School

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor 1969–

Actress and Academy Award nominee

Also attended: Tougaloo College, Brown University

Marin Hinkle 1966–

Actress known for Two and a Half Men

Also attended: Brown University

Ron Rifkin 1939–

Actor known for Alias and Tony-winning Cabaret role

Milton Babbitt 1916–2011

Composer and music theorist, Pulitzer Prize recipient

Bachelor of Arts · Music

Also attended: Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania

Thelma Schoonmaker 1940–

Film editor, longtime collaborator of Martin Scorsese

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Cornell University

Warren Farrell 1943–

Author and activist writing on gender and men's issues

Also attended: University of California-Los Angeles, Montclair State University

Michael Arndt 1970–

Screenwriter, Oscar winner for Little Miss Sunshine

George Padmore 1903–1959

Pan-Africanist, journalist and author

Also attended: Howard University, Fisk University

Grace Paley 1922–2007

Short story writer, poet and activist

Also attended: CUNY Hunter College, The New School

Terence Winter 1960–

Writer and producer, creator of Boardwalk Empire

Joan Mitchell 1925–1992

Painter and printmaker of the New York School

French

Also attended: School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Smith College, Columbia University in the City of New York

Cathy Yan 1983–

Director of Dead Pigs and Birds of Prey

Also attended: Princeton University

Mason Lee 1990–

Taiwanese-American actor, son of Ang Lee

Father: Ang Lee (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, New York University)

Nanfu Wang 1985–

Chinese-born American documentary director

JuJu Chan 1986–

Chinese American actress, singer and martial artist

Also attended: University of San Francisco

Mabel Cheung 1950–

Hong Kong film director and screenwriter

Peng Xiaolian 1953–2019

Chinese film director and screenwriter

Chao-Li Chi 1927–2010

Chinese-American actor and dancer in Falcon Crest

Also attended: The New School, St John's University (NY)

Sibling: Ji Chaoding (University of Chicago, Columbia University in the City of New York)

Linda Wang 1945–

Actress

Shu Lea Cheang 1954–

Taiwanese-American artist and filmmaker

Film

Terri Kwan 1976–

Taiwanese actress and singer

Also attended: University of the Arts

Alex Law 1952–2022

Hong Kong film director and screenwriter

Sherwood Hu 1961–

Chinese American theatre and film director

Also attended: University of Hawaii at Manoa, University at Buffalo

Mara Wilson 1987–

Actress, former child star

Attended until 2009

D. B. Sweeney 1961–

Actor known for Gardens of Stone

Also attended: Tulane University of Louisiana, Circle in the Square Theatre School

Brianne Howey 1989–

Actress known for Ginny & Georgia

Debra Granik 1963–

Film director of Winter's Bone

Also attended: Brandeis University

Bethenny Frankel 1970–

American entrepreneur, television personality and author

Also attended: Boston University

Marv Albert 1941–

Sportscaster known as the voice of basketball

Also attended: Syracuse University

Child: Kenny Albert (New York University)

Yamiche Alcindor 1986–

Washington correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC

Also attended: Georgetown University

Willow Bay 1963–

Dean of USC Annenberg and television journalist

Also attended: University of Pennsylvania

Spouse: Bob Iger (Ithaca College)

Marisa Tomei 1964–

Actress, Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress

Also attended: Boston University

Cybill Shepherd 1950–

Actress, known for The Last Picture Show

Also attended: University of Southern California

Steven Bochco 1943–2018

TV writer and producer, Hill Street Blues creator

Also attended: Carnegie Mellon University

Spouse: Barbara Bosson (Carnegie Mellon University)

Alix Kates Shulman 1932–

Writer and early second-wave feminist activist

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Case Western Reserve University

Natalie Paul 1986–

Actress in The Deuce, The Sinner and Power

Also attended: Yale University

Vikas Khanna 1971–

Indian celebrity chef, restaurateur and filmmaker

Also attended: Cornell University

Linsey Davis 1977–

Broadcast journalist and anchor at ABC News

Also attended: University of Virginia-Main Campus

AJ Lee 1987–

Professional wrestler and author

Attended until 2006

Nastia Liukin 1989–

Gymnast, 2008 Olympic all-around champion

Trish Stratus 1975–

Canadian professional wrestler and actress

Dolph Schayes 1928–2015

NBA player and coach, 12-time All-Star

Child: Danny Schayes (Syracuse University)

John Woodruff 1915–2007

1936 Olympic 800 metres champion

Also attended: University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Gary Bettman 1952–

Commissioner of the National Hockey League

Also attended: Cornell University

Chelsea Clinton 1980–

Writer; daughter of Bill and Hillary Clinton

Attended until 2011

Also attended: Columbia University in the City of New York, Stanford University

Spouse: Marc Mezvinsky (Stanford University)

Father: Bill Clinton (Yale University, Georgetown University)

Infanta Cristina of Spain 1965–

Spanish infanta, daughter of King Juan Carlos I

Sibling: Felipe VI of Spain (Georgetown University)

Barron Trump 2006–

Youngest son of Donald Trump

Father: Donald J. Trump (Fordham University, University of Pennsylvania)

Sibling: Tiffany Trump (Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania)

Christine Chow Ma 1952–

Lawyer; wife of former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou

Spouse: Ma Ying-jeou (Harvard University, New York University)