Timothée Chalamet's education: Why he did not graduate from Columbia or NYU
Timothée Chalamet's education set the stage for his rise. To realise his acting dreams, he attended LaGuardia High School, Columbia University, and NYU. Though he left both universities to dedicate himself to his rising career, he maintains he was never distracted, saying:
I was not a distracted kid as a teenager, but very focused and driven.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Timothée Chalamet is an acclaimed actor best known for Call Me by Your Name (2017).
- At age 13, he enrolled at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, whose alumni include Jennifer Aniston and Nicki Minaj.
- In 2013, he began studying Cultural Anthropology at Columbia University, but left after one year.
- In 2015, he transferred to NYU's Gallatin School but exited in 2016 to pursue acting full‑time.
Profile summary
Full name | Timothée Hal Chalamet |
Nickname | Timmy |
Date of birth | 27 December 1995 |
Age | 29 years old (as of November 2025) |
Place of birth | New York City, U.S.A |
Nationality | American and French |
Mother | Nicole Flender |
Father | Marc Chalamet |
Siblings | Pauline Chalamet |
Relationship status | Dating |
Girlfriend | Kylie Jenner |
School | Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School |
Profession | Actor |
Net worth | $25 million |
Social media |
Timothée Chalamet’s educational background
The French-American actor grew up in Manhattan, New York, where he attended PS 87 William T. Sherman for elementary school. He later moved to MS 245 The Computer School for middle school before transferring to the selective Delta program at MS 54 Booker T. Washington.
While growing up with his parents, he lived in Manhattan Plaza, a subsidised artists’ building in Hell’s Kitchen that once housed stars like Alicia Keys. Despite the creative environment, Chalamet admitted on CBS’s 60 Minutes, securing that it nearly discouraged him from acting. He said:
This building truthfully made me scared of acting because it’s a tough lifestyle, and a lot of people aren’t doing fantastically. It actually terrified me of becoming an actor.
Source: Original
He graduated from the famous LaGuardia High School
Timothée Chalamet graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. He chose the school to pursue acting, inspired by Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008).
The famous school, whose alumni include Jennifer Aniston and Nicki Minaj, initially rejected him. Fortunately, Harry Shifman, who would later become Timothée Chalamet's acting coach, gave him the highest audition score, securing his acceptance. Shifman told the New York Post:
He was extraordinarily gifted. I found it outrageous that someone so brilliant could fall through the cracks. I’m grateful the principal was open to my demands...[to get Chalamet accepted]. I’m sure she realises now she made the right decision. Timothée was destined to be an actor.
Source: Getty Images
The actor studied at Columbia University for one year
In 2013, the Wonka star enrolled at Columbia University at the age of 17, studying cultural anthropology. He completed only one academic year before leaving in 2014 to pursue acting.
During that time, he appeared as Tom Cooper, the son of Matthew McConaughey’s character, in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. Although he had not yet risen to fame, Timothée Chalamet told Interview Magazine why Columbia was not the right fit:
I did a year at Columbia, and I just kind of floundered. Maybe it wasn’t the right place for me...Columbia takes a wholehearted academic commitment that I think I have in me, but it was just not where my mind was at the time...It was just hard.
Source: Getty Images
He transferred to NYU’s Gallatin School in 2015
After leaving Columbia University, the Oscar-nominated actor transferred to New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualised Study in 2015. By 2016, he dropped out to fully pursue acting, taking on projects that would shape his career.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he reflected on his journey through acting school, Timothée Chalamet explained:
Some people are fortunate enough to stumble into their success or be passive...For me, it was putting in the 10,000 hours. It was dropping out of college. It was taking a risk. It was pursuing projects that were untraditional at first — at the time, it was kind of radical, the choices I was making when I was 20.
Timothée Chalamet landed his breakthrough role in 2017
Although he did not complete college, Timothée Chalamet landed his breakthrough role in 2017 as Elio Perlman in the romantic drama Call Me by Your Name. His performance earned nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and more, according to ABC News.
Since then, Timothée Chalamet's movies have expanded across major genres. Some of his most notable films, as IMDb shared, include:
- Dune: Part Two (2024)
- Wonka (2023)
- Dune: Part One (2021)
- Beautiful Boy (2018)
- Men, Women & Children (2014)
- Law & Order (2009)
- Clown (2008)
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
- Did Timothée Chalamet go to Harvard? The Hollywood actor did not attend Harvard.
- Does Timothée Chalamet have a college degree? He does not hold a college degree, as he did not graduate from Columbia or NYU.
- How is Timothée Chalamet related to Kylie Jenner? The pair has reportedly been dating since 2023.
- How did Timothée Chalamet get into acting? He began acting on stage at LaGuardia High School before moving into film and television roles.
Conclusion
Interest in Timothée Chalamet's education has grown as his Hollywood career has expanded. Although he did not graduate from Columbia University or NYU, his training at LaGuardia High School laid the foundation for the focused career he ultimately chose.
READ ALSO: Timothée Chalamet: from breakout roles to global stardom
As Briefly.co.za published, Timothée Chalamet started his acting career at a tender age and is one of the most successful young actors in Hollywood.
Timothée made his Off-Broadway debut in The Talls in 2011. One of his biggest roles came after graduating from high school in 2013.
Source: Briefly News
