Living the life of a celebrity kid must be pretty sweet most of the time. Though we have to imagine that the paparazzi are probably scary (and annoying), there are certain perks that come with having famous parents. And usually, those parents will do anything to make sure that their children get to have the most normal childhood possible, even though that their career paths have put them in the public eye.
It’s always interesting to see what a kid who grew up in an environment like that chooses to do when they get older. Will they go full nepo baby on us, or will they decide to follow a different path? Many celeb kids have opted to go to college after graduating high school, and a surprising number of them actually live in the dorms, just like any other student who’s attending.
Here are some of the celebrity kids who have shared a peek into their college dorms and campus lives as they embark on this exciting new chapter.
Natalia Bryant
Natalia Bryant — the daughter of Vanessa Bryant and the late Kobe Bryant — started attending the University of Southern California in 2022. She frequently shares photos of all the fun she’s having on campus with her friends (including this one she snapped at a football game). Fun fact: During their freshman year, Natalia and Euphoria star Storm Reid were roommates.
Deacon Phillippe
Not too long ago, Deacon Phillippe, the son of Reese Witherspoon and ex Ryan Phillippe, gave us a look at his college dorm at New York University. Surprisingly enough, it looks totally normal, even though his parents happen to be two of the most famous people on the planet.
Mady Gosselin
It’s wild to think that Jon and Kate Gosselin’s kids, of Jon & Kate Plus 8, are all grown up, but twins Mady and Cara were off to college a few years ago (though they ended up going to different schools). Mady is at Syracuse University while her sister goes to Fordham University, and though she doesn’t post on Instagram often, Mady has given us a few peeks into what her life in college looks like.
Zahara Jolie-Pitt
Angelina Jolie must be one proud mom. Here, she shared a photo of her daughter Zahara with the friends she’s made at Spelman College in Atlanta. She began attending in the fall of 2022, and as far as we can tell, it seems like Angelina visits her there whenever she can.
Ella Wahlberg
Ella, the daughter of Mark Wahlberg and Rhea Durham, appears to be having a blast at Clemson University, where she’s a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. It seems like her mom and dad are having less fun, though; they shared some seriously sad updates about missing her after they dropped her off at school.
Max Dubrow
Back in the fall, Real Housewives of Orange County star Heather Dubrow sent her daughter Max off to Tufts University, sharing a photo of her super cute dorm room in the process. How adorable is that lofted bed? This looks so much nicer than many of the dorms we’re used to.
Ryder Robinson
It’s hard to believe that Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson’s son, Ryder, started school at NYU in the fall of 2022. As far as we can tell from his Instagram account, he’s super into music these days, and it’s good he’s making time for it in between his studies.
James Wilkie Broderick
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are among the parents who have sent their kids off to college. Their son, James Wilkie, started going to Brown University in 2021, and according to a wistful Instagram post from his mom on his 19th birthday, it’s clear that SJP is missing her boy!
She wrote: “He doesn’t wake with us. He is in his life. Away. In his studies. Among new friends. Sending home details. There is so much to tell.”
Ava Phillippe
Ava Phillippe was a college gal before her little brother, Deacon, and has chronicled many of her adventures at UC Berkeley on Instagram so far. That will be coming to an end, though — 2023 is her senior year, so graduation and real life are both looming in the not-so-distant future.
Sascha Seinfeld
Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld’s daughter, Sascha, attends Duke University in North Carolina (and so does her younger brother, Julian). Like Ava, Sascha is part of the class of 2023, so she should be graduating soon. This is going to be an exciting time for her parents!
Maddox Jolie-Pitt
When Angelina Jolie first dropped her son Maddox off at college, she admitted that she was trying not to cry, and we can totally see why. Not only is it hard to say goodbye to your kid, but Maddox goes to school at Yonsei University in South Korea — that’s quite a long way from their home!
Gia Giudice
Another Real Housewives kid in college! Gia Giudice, the daughter of Teresa and Joe Giudice, has been attending Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she’s studying criminal justice in the hopes of becoming a lawyer one day. If so, she’s got plenty more school ahead of her.
Olivia Jade Giannulli
Olivia Jade Giannulli’s time at USC didn’t quite go the way she planned — her parents, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli, were busted as part of the 2019 college admissions scandal — but while she was still there, she was frequently posting photos and YouTube vlogs about her dorm room and college life.
