San Antonio may not be the first place that comes to mind when you one thinks of a celebrities, but it turns out the Alamo City’s institutions of higher learning have churned out more than its share of famous faces.
From Hollywood stars and chart-topping musicians to professional athletes and other household names, a surprising number of celebrities spent at least part of their college years here.
Some graduated, some dropped out, and some presumably spent more time partying than studying. Either way, they all have one thing in common: At some point, they had to figure out where the hell to park on campus.
Ricardo Antonio Chavira This actor, known for his work on Desperate Housewives and for portaying as Abraham Quintanilla in Netflix’s Selena series, grew up in the Alamo City and earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of the Incarnate Word before obtaining an MFA at UC San Diego.
Travis Scott The Houston native rapper attended the University of Texas at San Antonio but never graduated. He dropped out his sophomore year to focus on his hip-hop career, which eventually spawned a string of No 1 hits and plenty of awards. His profile was also raised by being Kylie Jenner’s baby daddy.
Deanna Dunagan The Tony-winning actress known for August: Osage County, earned an M.A. in drama from Trinity University. She also played Nana in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2015 film The Visit. Interestingly, during her undergrad days at the University of Texas, she briefly dated Charles Whitman, the infamous “Texas Tower Sniper.”
Josh Wolf Comedian Josh Wolf may not come across as the collegiate type, but the Massachusetts-born funnyman graduated from Trinity University. He is best known for his regular round table appearances on late-night talk show Chelsea Lately and for hosting the short-lived Josh Wolf Show on CMT. He’s also written for a variety of sitcoms.
Alice Walton The daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton and Helen Walton, Alice Louise Walton is the richest woman in the world as of press time. Both Bloomberg and Forbes estimate her net worth at $147 billion, and she’s known for her philanthropy in the arts, education and medicine. She graduated from Trinity University with a degree in economics.
Marcus Davenport The recently retired NFL defensive end made a name for himself at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he became one of the most dominant players in Roadrunners football history. His standout college career led the New Orleans Saints to select him 14th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, making him the first UTSA player ever picked in the first round.
Michael Nesmith Before gaining fame in the ‘60s as a member of pop group The Monkees, Smith attended San Antonio College. While in school, he and John London won the college’s first-ever talent award. He was also briefly in the U.S. Air Force and completed his basic training at Lackland AFB.
David Robinson Though he earned the nickname of the “Admiral” because he attended the U.S. Naval Academy, Spurs star and NBA Hall of Famer Robinson also went on to earn a Master of Arts in Administration at Incarnate Word University, which he completed in 2011.
Rick Riordan The author behind the best-selling Percy Jackson books and other mythology-centered YA series received his teaching certification from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He returned to SA to earn that degree after studying English and History at the University of Texas at Austin.
Jaclyn Smith Houston native Jaclyn Smith moved to San Antonio in the mid-1960s to attend Trinity University, where she majored in psychology and, no surprises here, drama. Best known as one of the original Charlie’s Angels from the hit ’70s TV series, she eventually moved to New York, where she studied ballet.
Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers) Before leading anarchic underground rock outfit Butthole Surfers, singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary attended Trinity University. Haynes played on the basketball team and studied accounting, while Leary studied finance and almost completed a master’s degree before devoting his full attention to the band.
Paul Bearer The late Paul Bearer, whose real name was William A. Moody, was a WWE Hall of Famer primarily known as the creepy, urn-carrying manager for the Undertaker. After serving in the U.S. Air Force for four years, he attended San Antonio College before transferring to a university in his home state of Alabama.
Chingo Bling Pedro Herrera III, known professionally as Chingo Bling, graduated from Trinity University in 2001 with a marketing degree before going on to success as a rapper and comedian. He’s a native of New Jersey.
Bobby Pulido Although best known for his South Texas ties thanks to being born into a family of well-known Tejano musicians, singer-songwriter and politician Bobby Pulido spent some of his formative years in San Antonio. He attended St. Mary’s University, where he studied business management, but eventually left to pursue his singing career.
Jesse Borrego Before catching his break in the TV series Fame and starring in San Antonio’s favorite cult movie, Blood In, Blood Out, Jesse Borrego grew up on the South Side. He attended the University of the Incarnate Word, where he studied theater and dance, before eventually completing a degree at the California Institute of the Arts.
Bruce Bowen After finishing his NBA career with the Spurs, Bruce Bowen took classes at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He also has a degree in communications, which he’s used as a sports commentator since retiring from the NBA.
Francis Richard ”Dick” Scobee Before joining NASA, the late astronaut, pilot and engineer Dick Scobee served in the U.S. Air Force. While stationed at Kelly Air Force Base, Scobee attended classes at San Antonio College. He eventually completed his degree at the University of Arizona. He died in the 1986 explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
John Quiñones Newsman and TV personality Juan Manuel “John” Quiñones was born in San Antonio and graduated from Brackenridge High School. With the help of Upward Bound, he attended St. Mary’s University and is now the longtime host of the TV series What Would You Do?
Daniel Lubetzky Billionaire businessman Lubetzky founded the snack food company Kind in 2004 and has also appeared in multiple seasons of the reality TV series Shark Tank. The Mexico City-born entrepreneur obtained a BA in economics and international relations from Trinity University and graduated magna cum laude.