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While education is undeniably important and often leads to greater success, it's not always the case. Most people believe that those who drop out or receive limited schooling are bound for mediocre careers, like working at a fast food restaurant. However, here are ten exceptionally successful individuals who defy this common belief.
10. John D. Rockefeller Billionaire
Before becoming arguably the wealthiest person in history (adjusting for inflation), John D. Rockefeller started as the son of a dubious con artist and attended high school in Cleveland, Ohio. Despite his limited formal education, by the age of sixteen, Rockefeller chose to leave school and embark on a career, setting his sights on making $100,000 during his lifetime.
It’s safe to say he not only achieved his goal, but far exceeded it. Rockefeller left an indelible mark on the oil industry by founding Standard Oil, eventually monopolizing the entire sector. By 1902, his wealth had soared to $200 million, and by the time of his death, he had accumulated more than a billion dollars. And remember, high school was supposed to be the key to success...
9. Horace Greeley Journalist and Congressman
Unless you’re particularly interested in the history of journalism, you might not be familiar with Horace Greeley, though you may have come across his name briefly. Born in New Hampshire in the early 1800s, Greeley went on to become one of America’s most influential newspaper editors. He also served as a Congressman and, in case you didn’t know, was a founding member of the Republican Party.
Greeley accomplished all of this without much formal schooling. By the age of fifteen, he had already left home to work as an apprentice in a Vermont printing shop. By twenty, he had moved to New York City and started working for The New Yorker and The New York Tribune. His work with the Tribune earned him fame, and he would later help establish a town in Colorado that bears his name. Today, he remains one of the most significant journalists in history.
8. John Glenn Astronaut
Amid the high-stakes space race of the 1950s and 1960s, one individual rose to symbolize America’s effort to outpace the Soviets and land on the moon. That individual was John Glenn, a decorated war hero and one of the most celebrated astronauts in history, despite being a college dropout. Glenn attended Muskingum College to study science, but when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, he left school to join World War II.
7. Steve Jobs Apple Co-Founder
The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have seen numerous brilliant minds, many of whom accomplished remarkable feats without ever finishing their college education. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg come to mind. However, perhaps the most influential tech visionary of the past century was Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple.
Jobs, alongside Steve Wozniak, created the first successful personal computers and went on to revolutionize technology with groundbreaking products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Remarkably, Jobs achieved all of this after attending college for just six months.
Interestingly, Jobs was adopted, and his birth mother only agreed to let him be adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs on the condition that they would ensure he attended college. Well, they did their part—sort of.
6. Mark Twain Author and Wit
Mark Twain, often regarded as one of the most cherished American writers and humorists, rose to fame with the creation of iconic characters like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. His novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is considered by many to be “the great American novel.” Quite an achievement for someone with only a limited formal education, who started an apprenticeship at the age of eleven.
At the age of eighteen, Twain worked as a printer in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis, spending his free time at public libraries. That was as close as he would get to formal schooling, yet he devoured every book he could find. He later became, of all things, a steamboat pilot, continuing in that role until the Civil War erupted. After a short time in the Confederate army, he set out on travels across the country, writing along the way. Twain is a prime example that wit can’t be taught.
5. Henry Ford Industrialist and Entrepreneur
In American history, few figures embody the concept of the self-made man more than Henry Ford, the man who almost single-handedly shaped the US automobile industry. Ford had a minimal formal education, growing up on a farm outside of Detroit, where he worked alongside a father who expected him to eventually take over the farm.
Instead of staying on the farm, Ford left home at seventeen to become an apprentice machinist in Detroit. This career path set him on a journey that would lead him to revolutionize industry and become an incredibly wealthy and successful businessman. Despite having little formal education, Ford invented the mechanized assembly line, which quickly earned Detroit the title of the Motor City, thanks to his groundbreaking contributions.
4. William Shakespeare Poet and Playwright
Today, William Shakespeare is one of the most renowned figures in history, famous for creating beloved works such as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. However, little is known about his early life, and there are no records indicating that he received any formal education to speak of.
Scholars believe Shakespeare might have attended the King’s New School, but they also suggest—based on his writings—that he may not have attended school beyond the age of thirteen. It’s remarkable that a man credited with coining over 1700 words was, by all accounts, a middle school dropout.
3. Albert Einstein Physicist
Yes: the man whose name now equates to “genius”; who published more than 300 scientific papers; the man behind E=MC2; the man who came up with the theory of relativity; and the man who won a Nobel prize—was in fact a high school dropout. He attempted to get into university, but initially failed the entrance exams.
Einstein eventually made it into college and earned a degree, of course, because men of his staggering intellect always find a way in the end. But the simple fact of the matter is that the greatest mind of the twentieth century was in fact a high school dropout.
2. Abraham Lincoln US President
Arguably the most revered US president in history, and a figure who, contrary to popular myths, did not battle vampires, Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth person to serve as president. He navigated the nation through one of its darkest periods. The leader who delivered the Gettysburg Address and played a key role in the abolition of slavery—though not entirely through the flawed Emancipation Proclamation—was, in fact, not highly educated.
Honest Abe was largely self-taught, though as a young man he was often regarded as somewhat lazy. This didn't prevent him from pursuing a political career in his twenties, eventually becoming a lawyer after studying law in his spare time. Lincoln’s political brilliance emerged early. If the tales are true, he achieved this by reading by candlelight in his humble log cabin.
1. Winston Churchill Statesman and War Leader
One of the most influential political figures of the twentieth century, renowned for his sharp wit—and frankly, his never-ending stream of memorable quotes—Winston Churchill came from an aristocratic background. Given this, it's hardly surprising that he ascended through the political ranks to lead the United Kingdom to victory in World War II. What might surprise you, however—or at least it would if he weren't on a list like this—is that he did so with only a limited education.
Although Churchill was born into privilege and had access to the finest education, he didn't exactly excel in it. He struggled with school and consistently performed poorly, often facing punishment for his lackluster academic achievements. His military career also faced setbacks due to his underwhelming school performance. He had to apply three times to the Royal Military College and only gained admission after applying for the cavalry instead of the infantry, as the standards were lower and it didn't require math. To be fair, though, math isn’t everyone’s favorite subject.
