What colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?

Last Modified Jun 6, 2025 09:18 EDT
What Colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?
The Big Bang Theory Poster (Source: Official Instagram)


In the world of The Big Bang Theory, we have seen some highly intellectual individuals along with characters who have seen and lived in the world beyond academics. The series is a mix of a variety of characters with interesting storylines and memorable moments.

The story of The Big Bang Theory was created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, and the show has 12 seasons of fun and laughter-filled episodes. The series has an amazing star cast including actors like Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Sara Gilbert, Mayim Bialik, and Melissa Rauch taking up the main cast roles. The series has a total of 279 episodes and has two spinoff series which go by the names “Young Sheldon” and “Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage”.


What colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?


While some characters of The Big Bang Theory are academically superior and intellectual, some are street-smart and have seen the world outside books and colleges. Let's check out the educational background of all the main characters in The Big Bang Theory.


Sheldon Cooper


What Colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?
Sheldon (Source: Screengrab from the series)


After Young Sheldon was released, there was an insight into Sheldon's exact educational background. The character was known to be a child prodigy studying at Medford High School before going to East Texas Tech just at the age of 11. Considering his behavior as a child, it can be assumed that Sheldon had completed his high school somewhere near his house or city. In The Big Bang Theory, it was revealed that Sheldon had completed his Doctorate at the California Institute of Technology and earned the tag of PhD in doing so.


Leonard


What Colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?
Leonard (Source: Screengrab from the series)


While earlier, it was only revealed in the earlier segments of the show that Leonard had a PhD and had expertise as an Experimental Physicist. It was during one of Sheldon and Leonard's fun arguments that we get to know that the latter had completed his doctorate at Princeton University, which is an interesting take as both his parents used to work there.


Rajesh


What Colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?
Rajesh (Source: Screengrab from the series)


In The Big Bang Theory, we see Rajesh having a blast with his career as an Astrophysicist. He is one of the male characters in the series alongside Sheldon and Leonard who is known to have a PhD in the field. The character has revealed that he completed his studies at Cambridge University, quite far from his home which was in New Delhi India.

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Howard


What Colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?
Howard (Source: Screengrab from the series)


The only male main character in the group to not have a PhD, Howard was made fun of by his friends in the series. While he didn't have a PhD, Howard was still proud of his position at work as an Engineer at Caltech on a regular basis, which was one indeed one of the coolest positions to work in at the company as it provided the character with a trip to space, which was one of the biggest moments in his life. While Howard did not have a PhD, he was known to be an MIT graduate.


Penny


What Colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?
Penny (Source: Screengrab from the series)


Among all the main cast members in The Big Bang Theory, Penny is the only one who has not completed her education. In Season 2, Penny had confessed that she had dropped out of community college, and was not interested in studying any further. Initially, this made Penny quite insecure about sitting amongst her smart friends, especially when the group shared a smart joke. As the story progresses, we see Penny excel in one thing that no one does, and that's being street-smart and, knowing more about the world outside of academics.


Amy


What Colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?
Amy (Source: Screengrab from the series)


While not much has been revealed about Amy, it is known that she also has a PhD certificate under her name. In one of her early episodes, it was revealed that she completed her doctorate form in Neurobiology at Harvard University. After meeting Sheldon and the gang, Amy decided to take up a job in Caltech leaving 4 out of the 6 main cast members working together.


Bernadette


What Colleges did The Big Bang Theory characters go to?
Brenadette (Source: Screengrab from the series)


Bernadette has talked about her early educational journey, claiming that she was part of a catholic school where she gained many principles in life. While those were her early days in school, it was later revealed that she had completed her education in the field of Microbiology at the University of California, alongside working at ZanGen, which is known to be a big pharmaceutical company. Bernadette was also known to have a PhD in the field.


Related: When does Amy debut in the big bang theory

FAQ about The Big Bang Theory

A. Penny lands a job as a pharmaceutical sales representative by the end of The Big Bang Theory.

A. Sheldon Cooper has a PhD in theoretical physics.

A. It is Howard who does not have a PhD degree in The Big Bang Theory.

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