20 Famous People With Surprising Pacific Northwest College Connections

The Pacific Northwest has produced, raised, or adopted an impressive number of famous actors, musicians, athletes, writers, journalists, and entrepreneurs. Their college stories are just as varied. Some earned degrees at schools in Washington or Oregon, some attended briefly before moving on, and a few built their Northwest connection outside the college they ultimately attended.

That distinction matters because celebrity education histories can get muddled over time. Seattle Travel went back through university records, alumni pages, athletics archives, official biographies, and other reliable sources to sort out who actually attended where, what they studied, and whether they graduated.

Here are 20 familiar names with strong Pacific Northwest ties and the story behind their college years. For some, school directly shaped the career that followed. For others, the path took a turn long before a diploma entered the picture.

1. Matt Groening – The Evergreen State College

• School Location: Olympia, Washington
• Major/Field: Evergreen does not use traditional majors; interdisciplinary liberal arts study
• Graduation Year: 1977
• Known For: Creator of The Simpsons and Futurama; cartoonist, writer, and executive producer

Portland-born Matt Groening found plenty of room to experiment at Evergreen, where he worked on the student newspaper, The Cooper Point Journal, and graduated in 1977. Decades later, his Northwest college years look like a pretty good preview of what came next: drawing, writing, satire, and a willingness to do things his own way. He remains an executive producer on both The Simpsons and Futurama.

2. Ty Burrell – University of Oregon and Southern Oregon University

• School Location: Eugene and Ashland, Oregon
• Major/Field: Theater studies at the University of Oregon; bachelor’s degree in theatre arts from Southern Oregon University
• Graduation Year: 1993
• Known For: Actor best known as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family

Ty Burrell’s college path ran through two Oregon schools. He studied theater at the University of Oregon, where he has said he discovered how much he wanted to act, then transferred to Southern Oregon University and earned his bachelor’s degree in theatre arts in 1993. He later earned an MFA from Penn State and eventually became one of the most recognizable TV dads of his generation on Modern Family.

3. Macklemore (Ben Haggerty) – The Evergreen State College

• School Location: Olympia, Washington
• Major/Field: Evergreen does not use traditional majors; interdisciplinary study
• Graduation Year: 2009
• Known For: Grammy-winning rapper and songwriter

Seattle native Ben Haggerty, better known as Macklemore, is a 2009 Evergreen alumnus. While there, he also worked with the Gateways for Incarcerated Youth program and used music workshops to connect with young people. His career later exploded with songs including Thrift Shop and Can’t Hold Us.

4. Cheryl Strayed – University of Minnesota

• School Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Major/Field: English and Women’s Studies
• Graduation Year: 1997
• Known For: Author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things; writer and podcast host

Cheryl Strayed’s strongest Pacific Northwest ties are through Portland and the Pacific Crest Trail. She studied English and women’s studies at the University of Minnesota and completed her bachelor’s degree in 1997, then earned an MFA in fiction writing from Syracuse University. Strayed lives in Portland, and in 2026 she launched the weekly Mind Over Mountain podcast.

5. Jeffrey Dean Morgan – Skagit Valley College

• School Location: Mount Vernon, Washington
• Major/Field: No verified major; attended while playing basketball
• Graduation Year: Did not graduate
• Known For: Actor known for The Walking Dead, Supernatural, and Grey’s Anatomy

Jeffrey Dean Morgan grew up in the Seattle area and briefly attended Skagit Valley College, where basketball was the main plan. A leg injury ended that path, and he later worked in painting and graphic design before acting took over. That career eventually led to roles including John Winchester on Supernatural and Negan in The Walking Dead franchise.

6. Kaitlin Olson – University of Oregon

• School Location: Eugene, Oregon
• Major/Field: Theatre Arts
• Graduation Year: 1997
• Known For: Actress and producer known for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and High Potential

Kaitlin Olson earned a Bachelor of Science in theatre arts from the University of Oregon in 1997. She later built a long-running comedy career as Dee Reynolds on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but she has hardly stayed in one lane. She currently stars in and produces ABC’s High Potential and has also earned Emmy attention for her guest work on Hacks.

7. Rainn Wilson – University of Washington

• School Location: Seattle, Washington
• Major/Field: Drama courses; attended for one year
• Graduation Year: Did not graduate from UW
• Known For: Actor, writer, producer, and podcaster best known as Dwight Schrute on The Office

Seattle-born Rainn Wilson spent a formative year at the University of Washington before continuing his acting training in New York. In a UW Magazine interview, Wilson specifically described his time at the school as a one-year stint and credited its professors and classes with helping shape him as an actor. He later earned an MFA in acting from New York University. Dwight Schrute remains the role everyone recognizes immediately, but Wilson has also written books, produced projects, and hosted podcasts including Soul Boom.

8. Ann Curry – University of Oregon

• School Location: Eugene, Oregon
• Major/Field: Journalism
• Graduation Year: 1978
• Known For: Journalist and former NBC News correspondent and Today co-anchor

Ann Curry earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon in 1978 after graduating from high school in Ashland. Her career eventually took her around the world for NBC News, where she covered wars, humanitarian crises, natural disasters, and major breaking-news events. UO later inducted her into its School of Journalism and Communication Hall of Achievement.

9. Bruce Lee – University of Washington

• School Location: Seattle, Washington
• Major/Field: Drama; also studied philosophy
• Graduation Year: Did not graduate; attended from 1961 to 1964
• Known For: Martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and cultural icon

Bruce Lee spent some of his most formative years in Seattle and attended the University of Washington from 1961 to 1964. UW records describe him as a drama major who also studied philosophy, but he left before earning a degree. During his Seattle years he also taught martial arts, laying groundwork for the career that later made him an international icon before his death in 1973.

10. Phil Knight – University of Oregon

• School Location: Eugene, Oregon
• Major/Field: Business Administration, major in Accounting
• Graduation Year: 1959
• Known For: Co-founder and chairman emeritus of Nike

Phil Knight earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Oregon in 1959, with a major in accounting. He also ran track under legendary coach Bill Bowerman, who later became his business partner in what began as Blue Ribbon Sports and eventually became Nike. Knight still holds the title of chairman emeritus at Nike.

11. Joel McHale – University of Washington

• School Location: Seattle, Washington
• Major/Field: History (BA) and Acting (MFA)
• Graduation Year: 1995 and 2000
• Known For: Actor, comedian, producer, and television host

Joel McHale has two University of Washington degrees: a bachelor’s in history from 1995 and an MFA in acting from 2000. Long before Community and The Soup, he also spent time around Husky athletics and Seattle’s Almost Live!. In 2026, his Fox comedy Animal Control was renewed for a fifth season.

12. Thomas Lauderdale – Harvard University

• School Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Major/Field: History and Literature
• Graduation Year: 1992
• Known For: Founder, pianist, and artistic director of Pink Martini

Thomas Lauderdale’s Northwest connection starts with Portland, where his family moved in 1982 and where he later founded Pink Martini. His college years were spent at Harvard, where he graduated with honors in 1992 with a degree in history and literature. More than three decades after launching Pink Martini in Portland in 1994, he remains the band’s pianist and bandleader.

13. Jean Smart – University of Washington

• School Location: Seattle, Washington
• Major/Field: Drama, BFA in the Professional Actor Training Program
• Graduation Year: 1974
• Known For: Emmy-winning actress known for Hacks, Designing Women, and Watchmen

Seattle native Jean Smart graduated from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program with a BFA in drama in 1974. Her career has stretched from stage work and Designing Women to Frasier, Watchmen, and Mare of Easttown. In 2026 she returned as Deborah Vance for the fifth and final season of HBO’s Hacks.

14. Peter Jacobsen – University of Oregon

• School Location: Eugene, Oregon
• Major/Field: Not consistently documented in authoritative sources
• Graduation Year: No verified degree year; left UO in 1976
• Known For: Professional golfer, golf broadcaster, and seven-time PGA Tour winner

Portland native Peter Jacobsen was a standout golfer at the University of Oregon in the mid-1970s, earning three straight All-America honors and winning conference individual titles. He left UO and turned professional in 1976. Jacobsen went on to win seven times on the PGA Tour and became nearly as familiar to golf fans behind a microphone as he was on the course.

15. Anna Faris – University of Washington

• School Location: Seattle, Washington
• Major/Field: English Literature
• Graduation Year: 1999
• Known For: Actress and podcaster known for Scary Movie, Mom, and Anna Faris Is Unqualified

Anna Faris grew up in Edmonds and earned her degree in English literature from the University of Washington in 1999. She broke through soon afterward as Cindy Campbell in Scary Movie and later starred for seven seasons on the CBS sitcom Mom. UW Magazine reported in 2026 that Faris was returning to the Scary Movie franchise while continuing her Anna Faris Is Unqualified podcast.

16. Terry Baker – Oregon State University

• School Location: Corvallis, Oregon
• Major/Field: Mechanical Engineering
• Graduation Year: 1963
• Known For: 1962 Heisman Trophy winner, former professional football player, and attorney

Terry Baker managed to make engineering school look like only part of his workload. The Portland native earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Oregon State in 1963, one year after becoming the first player from a West Coast school to win the Heisman Trophy. He later played professional football and built a long legal career in Oregon.

17. Chris Kattan – California State University, Northridge

• School Location: Northridge, California
• Major/Field: Acting and directing
• Graduation Year: No confirmed degree year
• Known For: Actor and comedian best known for Saturday Night Live and A Night at the Roxbury

Chris Kattan spent part of his teenage years on Bainbridge Island in Washington before returning to Southern California. He later studied acting and directing at California State University, Northridge while performing improv and sketch comedy with The Groundlings. That path eventually led to Saturday Night Live, where he was a cast member from 1996 to 2003, and movies including A Night at the Roxbury.

18. Hope Solo – University of Washington

• School Location: Seattle, Washington
• Major/Field: Communications
• Graduation Year: 2003
• Known For: Former U.S. national team goalkeeper, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and 2015 World Cup champion

Richland native Hope Solo played for Washington from 1999 through the 2002 season and became one of the top goalkeepers in Huskies history after arriving on campus as a forward. Team USA lists her education as University of Washington ’03 in communications. She later won Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012 and helped the United States win the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

19. D’Arcy Carden – Southern Oregon University

• School Location: Ashland, Oregon
• Major/Field: Theatre, BFA
• Graduation Year: 2002
• Known For: Actress and comedian known for The Good Place, Barry, and A League of Their Own

D’Arcy Carden came to Southern Oregon University after high school in California and earned a BFA in theatre in 2002. She moved to New York after college and spent years in improv before television audiences got to know her as Janet on The Good Place. That performance earned her an Emmy nomination and opened the door to major roles in projects including Barry and A League of Their Own.

20. Kyle MacLachlan – University of Washington

• School Location: Seattle, Washington
• Major/Field: Acting, BFA in the Professional Actor Training Program
• Graduation Year: 1982
• Known For: Actor known for Twin Peaks, Dune, Blue Velvet, and Portlandia

Yakima native Kyle MacLachlan graduated cum laude from the University of Washington with a BFA in 1982 after training in the school’s Professional Actor Training Program. A casting agent spotted him in a Seattle stage production, which helped lead to his film debut as Paul Atreides in David Lynch’s Dune. His later collaborations with Lynch, especially Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, made him one of the Northwest’s most recognizable actors.