Natalie Portman's education: Is she one of Hollywood's smartest women?
Natalie Portman's education is as impressive as her acting career. She graduated from Harvard with a degree in psychology while successfully balancing her studies with her Hollywood career. These achievements have helped shape her reputation as one of Hollywood's smartest women.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Natalie Portman graduated from Syosset High School in Syosset, New York.
- In 1999, she joined Harvard University and graduated in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
- During her studies, she worked on published research papers in psychology and neuroscience.
- Natalie also studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, taking graduate-level courses.
Profile summary
Full name | Natalie Hershlag |
Date of birth | 9 June 1981 |
Age | 44 years old (2025) |
Place of birth | Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, Israel |
Current residence | Paris, France |
Nationality | Israeli–American |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Father | Avner Hershlag |
Mother | Shelley Stevens |
Marital status | Divorced |
Ex-husband | Benjamin Millepied |
Children | Aleph, Amalia |
Profession | Actress, director, producer |
Net worth | $90 million |
Social media |
Natalie Portman's education
Natalie Portman is considered one of the smartest women in Hollywood. While many actors focus only on movies, Natalie focused heavily on her education and achieved very high marks. The famous actress has often spoken about prioritising her education, notably stating,
I don't care if college ruins my acting career... I'd rather be smart than a movie star.
In 2015, per The Harvard Gazette, during her commencement speech at Harvard, Natalie Portman opened up about her own doubts and early experiences as a student. She emphasised the value of taking risks and embracing the unknown, saying:
If I had known my own limitations, I never would have taken the risk … Accept your lack of knowledge and use it as your asset.
Source: Original
Here is a broad overview of her education from early years to higher education:
Elementary education
Natalie was born in Israel but moved to the U.S. as a child. She attended Solomon Schechter Day School, a Jewish elementary school in New York, where she showed early academic promise and a strong interest in learning.
Before that, while living in Washington, Portman attended Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland.
High school education
Source: Getty Images
Natalie Portman attended and graduated from Syosset High School in Syosset, New York, in 1999. During her time in high school, she maintained excellent grades, reportedly a 4.0 GPA. She famously skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace to study for her high school final exams, demonstrating her commitment to education.
Her academic achievements included co-authoring a scientific research paper titled 'A Simple Method to Demonstrate the Enzymatic Production of Hydrogen from Sugar', which was entered into the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search competition.
Natalie Portman attended Harvard University
Source: Getty Images
The American actress attended Harvard University, enrolling in 1999 and graduating in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She balanced her studies with filming the Star Wars prequels during summer breaks.
In 2015, per The Harvard Gazette, Natalie Portman reflected on her time at the university during her commencement speech and admitted:
When I came in as a freshman in 1999 … I felt like there had been some mistake, that I wasn’t smart enough to be in this company, and that every time I opened my mouth, I would have to prove that I wasn’t just a dumb actress.
In 2006, she told The Independent how her psychology studies helped her in acting:
I use my psychology background all the time … there are always studies that I’ve read … when I’m reading a script about a certain disorder, like ‘this person might be a little bipolar or associative,’ those kinds of things.
During her time at Harvard, Natalie worked as a research assistant in a psychology lab and co-authored a scientific paper on memory called Frontal Lobe Activation During Object Permanence, which was published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Source: Getty Images
Graduate studies
After graduating from Harvard, Natalie pursued graduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, where she took courses in the anthropology of violence and Middle Eastern studies.
Natalie Portman's linguistic skills
Natalie is fluent in several languages, including English, Hebrew, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese.
Frequently asked questions
- Did Natalie Portman go to Harvard? Natalie Portman attended Harvard University from 1999 to 2003.
- What degree does Natalie Portman have? She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Harvard University.
- Does Natalie Portman have a PhD? Natalie Portman does not have a PhD, but she has co-authored scientific research papers.
- What level of education does Natalie Portman have? Natalie Portman has a university-level education.
- What was Natalie Portman's high school GPA? She reportedly maintained a 4.0 GPA while attending Syosset High School in New York.
- Did Natalie Portman go to nursing school? Natalie Portman did not attend nursing school. She focused on psychology and her acting career.
- What is Natalie Portman's IQ? Natalie Portman's reported IQ is around 140.
Wrapping up
Natalie Portman’s education is a major part of her public image. With her Harvard degree, her published research work, and her strong commitment to academics, the actress is widely regarded as one of Hollywood’s most educated and intellectually accomplished actresses.
READ MORE: Oppenheimer's IQ explored: was he smarter than Einstein?
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Oppenheimer is known as the 'father of the atomic bomb.' He is considered one of the historical geniuses with a high IQ. His contribution to science and his achievements during his career determine his intelligence.
Source: Briefly News
