Success Without a Degree

For the average person, a college degree is a career essential, but some of the world's most famous, rich and powerful people, from TV chefs and fashion designers to presidents and comedians, attained great success without one. Let's see who took a pass on the sheepskin.

Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray is one of the most recognizable names in TV's food court, yet she never received any formal training. While working at a shop in Albany, New York, in her twenties, she gave cooking lessons that eventually landed her the Food Network show "30-Minute Meals" in 2001. Today, she has several cooking shows, a daytime talk show and her own magazine.

Simon Cowell

"American Idol" judge and British music executive Simon Cowell earns an estimated $36 million per season (how much per minute?). Not bad for dropping out of college.

Coco Chanel

Known for her menswear-inspired designs and a signature look still popular today, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel created a fashion empire despite never obtaining a college degree.

Michael J. Fox

"Back to the Future" star and Parkinson's disease advocate Michael J. Fox didn't even make it through high school. He dropped out at age 18 and moved from Vancouver, Canada, to Los Angeles to focus on his acting career.

Walt Disney

At age 16, Walt Disney, screenwriter, animator and media mogul, dropped out of high school to join the army but was rejected because of his young age. After several attempts to become a newspaper cartoonist, he finally got it right when he co-founded Walt Disney Productions and created some of the world's most recognized characters in pop culture.

Tracy Morgan

Comedian and "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan, who married his high school sweetheart (since separated), dropped out of high school but went on to enjoy seven seasons on "Saturday Night Live" and has starred in several new movies.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is the CEO and co-founder of Apple, and even though he dropped out of Reed College after just six months, his net worth is estimated at $5.5 billion.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Not having a college degree hasn't stopped three-time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio from becoming a Hollywood icon and donating some of his earnings to worthy causes.

Kate Winslet

Though the Oscar-winner attended a performing arts high school in England where she received professional training, Kate Winslet never went to college.

Helen Mirren

A celebrated actress and sex symbol, Helen Mirren enrolled in a teachers college at her parents' request, but her time there was brief after her successful audition at North London's National Youth Theatre.

Henry Ford

Founder of Ford Motor Company in 1903, Henry Ford experimented with mechanics in his youth at a Detroit machine shop, but he never made it to college. He is credited with establishing the modern-day assembly line.

Katherine McPhee

Katharine McPhee, singer and "American Idol" runner-up in Season 5, attended the Boston Conservatory for three semesters majoring in musical theater before dropping out on the advice of her manager to pursue a TV career.

Bill Gates

Microsoft visionary and co-founder Bill Gates is a Harvard University dropout but is one of the richest and most successful people in the world. Forbes estimates his net worth at $53 billion and climbing.

Drew Barrymore

Born into a famous family, successful actress and producer Drew Barrymore never completed high school.

President Harry S. Truman

The 33rd president of the United States, Harry S. Truman is one of the few presidents who did not attend college.

Jim Carrey

Funnyman and successful actor Jim Carrey hasn't needed a degree of any kind to help him rise to the top in Hollywood.

Mark Zuckerberg

Founder of the social networking giant Facebook, now-26-year-old Mark Zuckerberg left Harvard after starting the site in his dorm room in 2004. Forbes estimated his net worth in 2008 to be $1.5 billion (photos).