Perpetual student
College/university attendee who re-enrolls for several years more than necessary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A perpetual student, gradual student, or career student is either a college or university attendee who either pursues multiple terminal degrees or re-enrolls for several years more than is necessary to obtain a given degree.
Notable holders of multiple academic degrees
| Number of Earned Degrees | Name | Nationality | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30[1] | Michael Nicholson |  |
1941–present | Part-time parking attendant whose degree list includes 22 master's degrees and one doctorate.[2] |
| 23[3][4] | Robert W. McGee | |
1947–present | Holds 13 doctorates.[5] Professor of Accounting at Fayetteville State University[6] |
| 20 | Stephanie Attwater |  |
2004–present | Holds the world record for most academic degrees of any woman in history.[7] |
| 20[8] | Shrikant Jichkar |  |
1954–2004 | Indian civil servant |
| 16[9] | Benjamin Bolger | |
1975–present | Received an associate's from Muskegon Community College, his bachelor's from the University of Michigan, thirteen master's degrees and a Doctor of Design from Harvard University.[9] |
| 15[10] | Luciano Baietti |  |
1947–present | Studied for degrees in physical education, law, literature, philosophy, sociology, criminology, and military strategy. In 2002, The Guinness Book of World Records officially recognized Baietti as the most graduated living person in the world.[11] |
| 11[12] | Bruce Berry |  |
1940–2014 | Took his first degree from Manchester University in 1963. Earned a number of master's degrees starting in the 1970s. He earned a Ph.D. from Leeds Metropolitan University. Died while completing a second Ph.D. Worked in technical document translation for Agfa-Gevaert, for the Post Office, and as a teacher, before working as a school crossing guard in retirement. |
| 11[13] | John Warwick Montgomery |  |
1931–2024 | Lawyer and Christian theologian |
| 11 | Jamie Beaton |  |
1995/1996–present | New Zealand entrepreneur who founded Crimson Education |
| 10 | Jacob Appel | |
1973–present | Holds both a Doctor of Medicine[14] and a Juris Doctor. Serves on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. |
| 9[15] | Robelyn Garcia | |
1965–present | Former professional women's basketball player is currently an academic at Harvard University and Arizona State University. |
| 9[16][17] | Domaine Javier | |
1992/1993–present | Filipino-American actress, nurse, and TV personality. |
| 9[18] | Woody R. Clermont | |
1970–present | Haitian-American judge from Broward County, Florida. |
| 8 | Robert B. Pamplin Jr. | |
1941–present | Holds two doctorates. American businessman, philanthropist, minister, educator, historical preservationist, and author |
| 7 | Michael D. Griffin | |
1949–present | Former NASA Administrator and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering |
| 7 | Robert Mugabe |   |
1924–2019 | Second President of Zimbabwe and first Prime Minister. While in prison, Mugabe earned several University of London degrees by correspondence, including a master’s degree in economics, a Bachelor of Administration, and two law degrees.[19] |
| 7 | Janese Swanson | |
1958–present | American inventor and software developer |
| 7 | Aracely Quispe Neira |  |
1982–present | Peruvian-American senior astronautical engineer, NASA scientist, academic and researcher. |
Long tenure to complete a single degree
- Milton De Jesús has been a student at the University of Puerto Rico since 1963. In 2010, De Jesús was interviewed by the newspaper, since he was the only student on the campus who could compare the 2010 student strikes and the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and 2005 strikes.[20]
- Kaija Hammar has been a student at the University of Jyväskylä since 1974. She has accumulated over 3 500 ECTS-credits, equivalent to the span of over eleven bachelor's or master's degrees in Finland. She has completed a bachelor's degree in political sciences and a bachelor's degree in adult education.[21]
- Johnny Lechner attended the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater from 1994 until at least 2009.[22] He spent 13 years as a senior at the university.[23]
Political figures who pursued additional degrees while in office
Some political figures have continued formal higher education while holding elected office, earning additional advanced degrees after already completing earlier academic or professional credentials.
| Image | Name | Country | Offices Held | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) |
Kyrsten Sinema | United States | United States Senator from Arizona (2019 - 2025)
U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 9th district (2013 - 2019) Member of the Arizona Senate from the 15th district (2011 - 2012) Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 15th district (2005 - 2011) |
Completed a PhD Justice Studies (2012) and MBA (2018) from Arizona State University while in office.[24]
Previously earned a JD (2004), MSW (1999), and BA (1995). |
 |
Mike Turner | United States | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio (2003 - Present)
53rd Mayor of Dayton (1994 - 2002) |
Earned a Doctorate in Liberal Studies (2022) from Georgetown University while in office.[25]
Previously earned a BA (1982), JD (1985), and MBA (1992). |
 |
Henry Cuellar | United States | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 28th district (2005 - Present)
102nd Secretary of State of Texas (2001) Member of the Texas House of Representatives (1987 - 2001) |
Earned an MA in Defense and Strategic Studies (2025) from Naval War College while in office.[26][27]
Previously earned an AA (1973), BS, MA, JD, and PhD.[28] |
 |
William Jefferson | United States | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd district (1991 - 2009)
Member of the Louisiana State Senate from the 5th district (1980 - 1991) |
Earned an LLM in Taxation (1996) from Georgetown University Law Center while in office.[29][30]
Previously earned a BA (1969) and JD (1972). |
 |
David Eastman | United States | Member of the Alaska House of Representatives (2017 - 2025) | Earned an MBA (2019) from the Acton School of Business while in office.[31][32]
Previously earned a BS Law & Legal Studies from West Point (2003) and MA Apologetics from Biola University (2008). |
In fiction and satire
In fiction, characters are sometimes given multiple degrees as shorthand for exceptional intelligence and scientific expertise. Although these credentials may imply extensive study within the fictional setting, they usually function for readers and viewers as characterization. Unlike most real-life examples of perpetual students, highly educated fictional characters often collect doctorates.
- The Engineer from Team Fortress 2 is described as having obtained 11 hard science PhDs.[33]
- In Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Bruce Banner states that he has seven PhDs, contrasting himself with his alter ego the Hulk.[34]
- Michael Holt, also known as Mister Terrific, is described as having obtained multiple PhDs.[35]
- Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic from the Fantastic Four, is described as having began collecting doctorates from multiple colleges when he was 14 years old.[36]
- Susan "Sue" Storm-Richards, also known as Invisible Woman, is described as having earned 4 doctorates in bio-chemical sciences.[37]
- Hank Pym, also known as Giant-Man, is described as having earned multiple scientific doctorates. One school Pym attended was New York University.[38]
- Curt Connors, also know as the Lizard, is described as having earned twin doctorates in biology and biochemistry (mutagenics) as well as a Doctor of Medicine.[39]
- Bruce Wayne, also known as the Batman, has an extensive education that varies by depiction. In Batman: Shadow of the Bat, Wayne attends Cambridge in the United Kingdom, Sorbonne University in France, and the Berlin School of Science in Germany.[40] Detective Comics no. 439 shows a framed “Diploma of Law” from Yale University in Wayne’s study.[41]
- Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory is described as having a BS, MS, MA, PhD, and ScD.[42]
- Satirical examples also use degree accumulation to comment on credentialism. In a 2014 essay for Inside Higher Ed, Mark J. Drozdowski depicts a fictional student, Peyton “Perry” Potetick, as earning degrees from all eight Ivy League universities.[43]