Top 5 Yale University Notable Alumni

A private Ivy League research university, Yale was established in 1701 and is located in New Haven, Connecticut. Over 300 years old, this institution traces its roots to the 1640s when colonial clergymen took an initiative to lay the foundations of a local college to preserve the tradition of European liberal education in the New World. In 1701, Yale was established as a collegiate school near Saybrook, Connecticut. The collegiate school was renamed as Yale College in 1718 in recognition of the donation of books and goods made by Welsh merchant Elihu Yale.

The Yale University currently consists of fourteen constituent schools including the undergraduate liberal arts college, the Graduate school of Arts and Sciences and twelve professional schools. In 1861, Yale became the first university in America to award Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The undergraduate students can choose from over 2,000 courses offered each year. Yale’s student body, one of the most diverse in the world includes students from different backgrounds and experiences. In 2016, nearly 20% of international students took admission at Yale representing 117 countries. Majority of the international student population comes from Canada, China, Germany, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

The University has graduated many notable alumni consisting of 61 Nobel laureates, 78 MacArthur Fellows, 247 Rhodes Scholars, and 119 Marshall Scholars, 5 Fields Medalists, and 3 Turing award winners. Besides, five U.S. Presidents, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, William Howard Taft, and Gerald Ford, 19 U.S. Supreme Court Justices and many billionaires have been affiliated with Yale University. Some royals have also attended Yale including Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Prince Rostislav Romano, and Prince Akiiki Hosea Nyabongo.

Indira Nooyi

One of the top female executives in the United States, Nooyi is consistently ranked among the World's 100 Most Powerful Women. Known to be a highly innovative, energetic, and hard-working person, Nooyi has risen to become one of the topmost female executives in the world from a modest beginning. A brilliant student, she completed her MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta, and then proceeded to the Yale School of Management to further her education and pursued a master's degree in Public and Private Management in 1978. In 1994 she chose to join PepsiCo and quickly rose up the ranks to be named its CEO in 2006. She has been instrumental in the diversification and expansion of PepsiCo’s brands which had primarily been more focused on soft drinks.

Meryl Streep

Mary Louise Streep or more famously referred to as Meryl Streep is an American film actress known for her masterly technique, expertise with dialects, and subtly expressive face. She took up acting in high school and started her voice training at 12. Streep studied drama at Yale University, where she earned a master of fine arts degree in 1975. She then moved to New York City to begin a professional career as an actress and there was no looking back for her. She has been credited for receiving the highest oscar nominations by an actor – 20 Oscar no. In addition to receiving numerous acting awards, Streep was made Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters (the highest cultural award presented by the French government) in 2002. In 2010 she was elected an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The following year Streep received a Kennedy Center Honor. In 2017 she was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award (a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement).

George HW Bush

George Herbert Walker Bush or more famously referred to as George HW Bush was a politician and businessman who was Vice President of the United States (1981–89) and the 41st President of the United States (1989–93). As President of the United States of America, Bush was instrumental in ushering the country to many reforms and policies, paving the country to greatness. Born and brought up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and he attended private schools there and in Andover, Massachusetts and upon graduation joined the U.S. Naval Reserve. He married Barbara Pierce (Barbara Bush) in 1945.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton or more famously known as Hillary Clinton is an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. senator (2001–09) and secretary of state (2009–13) in the administration of Pres. Barack Obama. Hillary also served as first lady (1993–2001) during the administration of her husband, Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States. As the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in 2016, she became the first woman to top the presidential ticket of a major party in the United States.

Lupita Nyong'o

Lupita Amondi Nyong’o or more commonly known as Lupita Nyong'o is a renowned Kenyan actress who won an Academy Award for her debut film – 12 Years a Slave (2013). Lupita earned her master’s degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama and has acted in several top Hollywood movies. Born in Mexico, she grew up in Kenya, where her father served as a government minister and a senator. Often regarded for her acting skills, she has been associated with movies such as Non-Stop (2014), Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the movie adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, Queen of Katwe (2016), and Black Panther (2018) to name a few.

Other notable alumni of Yale University include George W Bush, James Franco, Anderson Cooper, Isha Ambani, and Fareed Zakaria among several others.

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