Top 10 Youngest University Students in the World

Who says that disabilities prevent us from chasing our dreams? Michael Kearney, diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), is a prime example of overcoming challenges. Kearney completed high school at just 6 years old. At that age, he enrolled in geology at Santa Rosa Junior College. By 8, he graduated from university, making him the youngest university graduate in the world. Michael was homeschooled by his parents, particularly his mother, a Japanese-American. Despite his ADHD diagnosis, his parents refused to medicate him with Ritalin. His younger sister, Maeghan, is also a prodigy, graduating from university at 16. According to psychologist Huey H. Miller III, Michael's success was largely due to the determination of his parents, who helped him adapt to his environment with a positive attitude and approach to life.

As of 2006, Michael's parents lived in Alaska. Michael spoke his first words at just 4 months old. By 6 months, he diagnosed himself with a left ear infection and learned to read by the age of 10 months. At 4, he was tested for the Johns Hopkins primary math program and scored perfectly without any preparation. Kearney attended San Marin High School in Novato, California for one year and graduated at 6 years old in 1990. In 1994, he and his parents appeared on The Tonight Show.

Graduating from one of the world’s most prestigious universities, Oxford, Ruth Lawrence earned her Mathematics degree at just 13 years old. The following year, she pursued a second degree in Physics. After completing two undergraduate degrees, she earned a PhD in Mathematics in 1989, at the age of 17. As she had hoped, Lawrence moved to Israel to take a professor position at the Hebrew University. Prior to that, she spent considerable time at Harvard University, gaining valuable experience. She also held a position as an associate professor at the University of Michigan. Lawrence once expressed her deep gratitude for her father's efforts in her education, saying, 'I greatly appreciate my father's efforts for me. I am very thankful for everything he did. Now I understand that being a parent is not easy.'

At the age of 9, Lawrence achieved an O-level certificate in Mathematics, setting a new age record (which was later surpassed in 2001 by Arran Fernandez, who passed the GCSE Mathematics exam at age 5). At the same age, she also earned an A grade in A-level Pure Mathematics. In 1981, Lawrence passed the Oxford University entrance exam in Mathematics and joined St Hugh's College in 1983, at just 12 years old. Throughout her time at Oxford, her father played an active role in her education, attending all her lectures and some of her tutorials. Lawrence completed her degree in just two years, instead of the usual three, graduating in 1985 at 13 years old with a First-Class degree and special recognition. Her achievement drew media attention, making her the youngest British student to graduate with a First-Class degree and the youngest modern graduate from Oxford University.

At just 14 years old, Norbert Wiener majored in Mathematics and graduated in 1999 from Tufts College (now Tufts University). After earning his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Wiener transitioned to studying Philosophy and Zoology. By the age of 17, he had earned a PhD in Mathematics from Harvard University. Wiener pursued various careers, including working as a journalist and, during World War II, contributing to the development of anti-aircraft gun automation. He was quite satisfied with both his career and his life, once stating, 'To live effectively is to live with full information.'

After graduating from Ayer High School in 1906 at the age of 11, Wiener entered Tufts College, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1909 at the age of 14. He then began graduate studies in Zoology at Harvard University. In 1910, he moved to Cornell to study Philosophy, but returned to Harvard the following year, continuing his philosophical studies. At Harvard, Wiener was greatly influenced by Edward Vermilye Huntington, who had a deep interest in mathematics, from fundamental axioms to technical issues. Wiener earned his Master’s degree from Harvard in 1912 and his PhD in 1914, at just 18 years old, for a thesis on mathematical logic supervised by Karl Schmidt. His work in this area led to important results, some of which were published as Wiener’s results in 1914. In this thesis, he became the first to publicly assert that ordered pairs could be defined using set theory.

With an IQ of 200, Sho Yano entered Loyola University Chicago at the age of just 8. He took courses in writing, biology, mathematics, and chemistry there. After graduating, he enrolled in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Chicago, earning both an MD and a PhD in molecular genetics and cell biology by the age of 18. According to Yano's mother, 'Some people really thought I was an overzealous mother trying to prove my son was a prodigy. But that wasn't the point. If your child can excel in everything they do, you can't hold them back.' I still remember interviewing him—an 11-year-old boy, polite and charming in his tiny suit. 'Yano wasn't a typical 11-year-old. He was already ready to become a doctor,' said Dr. Joel Scwab, Yano's mentor.

Yano is said to have learned to read at age 2, write at 3, play classical music on the piano at 4, and began composing music at 5. As a child, he attended the Mirman School. After scoring 1500 out of 1600 on the SAT at the age of 8, he graduated from the United States Correspondence School at 9, then entered Loyola University Chicago, also at age 9. He graduated summa cum laude at age 12. He later entered the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago in the MSTP (Medical Scientist Training Program), designed for students aiming to earn both an MD and a PhD. He received his PhD in molecular genetics and cell biology in 2009, at the age of 18. Yano began his second year of medical school at the University of Chicago in 2009 and, at 21, became the youngest person to graduate with an MD from the university, earning the nickname 'Doogie Howser in real life.' He went on to become a pediatric neurology resident at the University of Chicago.

Colin Carlson is an exceptionally gifted child who began reading on his own at just 2 years old. By the time he was 9, he was attending advanced college-level courses at UConn. He officially enrolled in university at the age of 11 after graduating from Stanford Online High School. Today, Carlson is still working at UConn, pursuing a degree in Biology with a focus on natural ecosystems. You might have heard of Colin in recent news when he filed a lawsuit against the university for denying him the opportunity to participate in a course that required fieldwork in South Africa (with his mother accompanying him) — a clear case of age discrimination.

At 13, he sued the University of Connecticut for age discrimination after being prevented from enrolling in a field research course in Africa. The New York Times reported that his case 'highlights a larger issue, the struggle of many gifted children in this country, who try to navigate a system that largely ignores them and, at worst, leads to situations where many children with enormous potential are left unchallenged.' He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at SESYNC, where he is researching the impacts of climate engineering and the spread of mosquito-borne diseases due to global warming.

Juliet Beni graduated from college as a teenager. She went on to earn a PhD in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside (UCR) by the age of 19. Additionally, she became the youngest person to make a mark in academia at such a young age in UCR's history. Linda Scott, a member of the graduate department for three decades, described Juliet as 'In my experience, we’ve never had anyone accomplish such feats at this age.' Beni always had the ambition to become a respected doctor. Her advisor, Robin DiMatteo, commented, 'I have never seen her discouraged or unwilling to work towards her goals.'

Juliet Beni earned her undergraduate degree at just 15. By 2012, at 19, she had completed her PhD in Psychology from UCR, becoming the youngest student in the history of the university to achieve this. From a young age, Beni aspired to become a doctor, and her dedication and relentless effort were key to her success. Besides her natural ability, many believe her high level of self-discipline and determination helped her achieve her dreams at such an early age.

Alia Sabur demonstrated her genius from an early age, learning to read at just 8 months old. Like many children her age, Sabur started middle school, but her exceptional intellect quickly became apparent. Her teachers encouraged her parents to enroll her at Stony Brook University, and by the age of 10, she was already attending university. Sabur graduated with a degree in Applied Mathematics before moving on to Drexel University to pursue a PhD in Materials Science Engineering. At just 18, she made history by becoming the youngest university professor in the world, joining the faculty at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea.

In 2008, at 18 years old (just days before her 19th birthday), Sabur was appointed as an International Professor and active researcher at Stony Brook University, but her position was short-term, lasting only one year. Her name was later entered into the Guinness World Records as the youngest professor in the world. She began her tenure at Konkuk University in June 2008 but chose not to extend her contract, returning to New York in early 2009.

Johann Heinrich Friedrich Karl Witte was born in 1800 in Lochau, Germany. His father, Karl Heinrich Gottfried Witte, had a unique and rigorous educational method for Karl. By the age of nine, Karl was fluent in five languages: German, French, Italian, Latin, and Greek. By 23, he had been appointed a philosophy doctor at the University of Giessen in Germany, on April 10, 1814. Witte became known as the youngest PhD holder in history and was recorded in the Guinness World Records. This record remains unbroken to this day.

Witte was the son of a pastor, Karl Heinrich Gottfried Witte (1767 - 1845), who encouraged a strict academic program for his son. At nine, Karl was already fluent in multiple languages, and by 13, he received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Giessen. As a result, he entered the Guinness World Records as the youngest ever to achieve this feat, a record that still stands. However, the Guinness World Records lists his age at 12. Witte's life became the subject of a book written by his father titled *The Education of Karl Witte: Or, The Training of a Child*, which received criticism and quickly faded into obscurity in Germany. He gained recognition as a Dante scholar in 1823 for his essay *The Art of Misunderstanding Dante*.

Can you imagine a 3-year-old child mastering university-level physics? This was the reality for Kim Ung-Yong. Not only was he able to solve complex physics problems, but by age 4, he could read in four languages: Korean, Japanese, English, and German. Kim Ung-Yong, often regarded as one of the smartest children ever, boasted an IQ of 210. By the age of 8, he was invited to work with NASA as a researcher, and by 15, he had earned a PhD from Colorado State University. However, despite his extraordinary academic achievements, Kim shocked many by returning to South Korea, a decision that attracted significant criticism.

At age 4, Kim’s father reported that he could recall over 2000 words in both English and German. He could also compose poems in Korean and Chinese and wrote essays about poetry for two short books (at least 20 pages). That same year, he scored an impressive 210 on an IQ test designed for 7-year-olds. A feature article about him was later published in *Look* magazine. After reading the article, a teacher and several students from Grant High School in Los Angeles wrote to him, and by February 1967, Kim’s father agreed to enroll him in the school. On November 5, 1967, Kim Ung-Yong solved several advanced calculus problems on Japanese television. At 7, he moved to the United States to study and research at NASA’s invitation. He completed his undergraduate studies and earned a PhD in Physics from Colorado State University before turning 15.

Balamurali Ambati became the youngest doctor in the world, graduating from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York at the age of 17 in 1995. Ambati solved complex mathematical equations when he was just four years old and wrote a research book on AIDS by the age of 11. He completed his medical studies at New York University when he was only 13. An Indian-American ophthalmologist, Ambati was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the youngest doctor. While most doctors finish their training in their 30s, Ambati completed his at just 24 years old. He went on to complete his ophthalmology residency at Harvard University, where he developed strategies to reverse corneal neovascularization. He also won the prestigious Westinghouse Science Talent Search and the International Science and Engineering Fair, earning the title of National Merit Scholar. In 1995, he was awarded the Raja-Lakshmi Prize by the Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation in Chennai.

After completing his fellowship in cornea and refractive surgery at Duke University in 2002, Ambati joined the faculty of the University of Georgia, where he practiced clinical ophthalmology and conducted research in areas such as corneal angiogenesis and the outcomes of corneal and refractive surgery. He also volunteered with the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital, traveling to underserved countries to teach and practice ophthalmic surgery. In 2008, he received a PhD in Cell Biology from the University of Georgia. In 2011, Ambati donated a kidney to a 16-year-old boy from Idaho. From 2008 to 2016, he worked at the Moran Eye Center, serving as an associate professor of ophthalmology and vision science, assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy, and as the director of cornea research at the University of Utah School of Medicine.