How Far Meghan Markle Really Got In School

Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, are undeniably controversial figures among a lot of royal watchers. However, if there's one thing even some of Meghan's most vocal critics can agree with her on, it's her position on education — particularly when it comes to young women and girls. "Everyone should be afforded the opportunity to receive education that they want, but more importantly, the education that they have the right to receive," the Duchess of Sussex said during a 2018 speech at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji (via Global News), adding, "And for women and girls in developing countries, this is vital." In addition to talking the talk, Meghan certainly walked the walk, donating large amounts of money to education charities over the years. But just what is the prodigal princess' own educational background?

While growing up in Los Angeles, Meghan attended Immaculate Heart High School – an all-girls Catholic school also attended by the likes of Tyra Banks and Mary Tyler Moore. Upon graduating from high school, Meghan moved out to Illinois, where she attended Northwestern University in Evanston, just outside Chicago. Given that she was an actress before she became royalty, it should come as no surprise that Meghan pursued a theater degree at the institution. Meghan claimed to be a straight-A student in the Netflix docuseries, "Harry and Meghan."

Meghan had other interests and aspirations, as well, as evidenced by her decision to double major in international studies. She added to that major by interning at the United States Embassy in Buenos Aires, living and working in Argentina for multiple months. She also joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, serving as its recruitment chairwoman before graduating from Northwestern in 2003. Coincidentally, that was the very same year her eventual husband, Prince Harry, graduated from Eton College thousands of miles away in Old Blighty.

Though she and Prince Harry are no longer working royals, Meghan Markle still very much lives in the public eye, whether it's starring in Netflix shows or maintaining a circle of famous friends. That's why is may be shocking to some that, as a young student in California, the Duchess of Sussex was anything but a social butterfly (though she was certainly still ambitious). "I never had anyone to sit with at lunch," Meghan said during a 2022 episode of her "Archetypes" podcast, adding, "I was always a little bit of a loner and really shy and didn't know where I fit in. I was like 'Okay, then I'll become the president of the Multicultural Club, and the president of sophomore class, and the president of this, and French Club.'"

Furthermore, while Meghan would go on to live a lavish life as an actress and later a princess, her college days in Evanston were considerably more humble. During her aforementioned speech in Fiji in 2018, the Duchess explained that, financially, her ability to attend Northwestern was far from a given. "It was through scholarships, financial aid programs, and work study — where my earnings from a job on campus went directly towards my tuition — that I was able to attend university," she shared.

From the sound of things, however, Meghan would do it all again in a heartbeat. "The journey of higher education is an incredible, impactful, and pivotal one," she said, adding that the experience was worth all the work she had to put in towards making it a reality. That's probably why she so passionately wants other women to have the opportunity for similar experiences, becoming an advocate for their educational journeys in the process.