The American singer-songwriter is a down-to-Earth girl with global fame. Fans often wonder if Kelly Clarkson went to college before becoming a celebrity, and many people are curious about what she may have studied in school.
Kelly Clarkson did not go to college. After graduating high school she decided to focus on her music career instead of pursuing a college degree.
Kelly Had the Opportunity to Attend College for Free
Although Kelly did not go to college, this does not mean that she did not have a chance to attend. Upon graduating high school she actually received full scholarships from highly competitive schools.
Kelly was offered a free education to study music at the University of North Texas, University of Texas at Austin, and Berklee College of Music.
These schools are very prestigious and held in high esteem for their music programs; the Hollywood Reporter ranked Berklee 2nd and the University of North Texas 13th in their list of top music schools in America.
Kelly explained that she turned down these impressive scholarships to focus on making her own music, rather than studying music in a formal college setting.
She said that she already “written so much music” and could always go back to attend college later in life after trying to make music on her own.
Kelly has not gone back to attend college just yet. The singer currently enjoys a busy and successful life as a mother, talk show host, and musician, but she may choose to expand her education sometime in the future.
Kelly Worked With a Graduate From Her Would-Be Alma Mater
Although Kelly did not attend the University of North Texas, she ended up forging close ties with one of their young graduates.
Maren Morris graduated from the University of North Texas in 2010, launched a successful music career, and worked with Kelly just a few years later in 2015.
Maren wrote the song “Second Wind” and shared it with Kelly, who recorded her own version of the beautiful tune. The song appears on Kelly’s seventh album, “Piece by Piece.”
Maren Morris later recorded her own version of “Second Wind” in 2016 for her album “Hero.” Maren received rave reviews from critics and listeners alike, including a special shoutout from Kelly Clarkson herself.
Kelly tweeted that she loved the new album, and Maren replied asking if the two could one day work together on a musical mashup project.
Their story does not end there, however, because Kelly actually covered one of Maren’s songs while the young singer was in the audience! At the Billboard Music Awards in 2018, Kelly performed a medley of top songs including Maren’s song “My Church.”
Kelly pointed to Marren during her performance and told the crowd, “I love Maren.” Maren was visibly shocked and later tweeted her appreciation for the shout out.
Kelly and Maren have a lot in common – they are both singers from Texas who started impressive music careers at a young age.
The two would have also gone to the same college if Kelly decided to attend the University of North Texas. However, it seems that fate brought them together in the end anyway.
Kelly Honors Students on their Path to College
Kelly may have decided that attending college was not the best choice for her, but she still expresses encouragement of the many students who do choose to head straight to college after high school.
Kelly was particularly vocal about honoring the Class of 2020 who graduated during the Coronavirus pandemic.
She featured a brilliant young student, Deashia Shaw, on her talk show. Deashia discussed her journey from losing her father to being accepted to Harvard University.
Kelly also expressed her support of The Voice contestant Alexa Cappelli in her decision to attend California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Kelly tweeted that she was proud of Alexa and excited to see her “conquer the world.”
Kelly may have decided that college was not the right place for her to advance her music career, but she clearly appreciates the value of higher education and encourages the students who choose that route.
Kelly also seems open to attending college later in life, so maybe she will enroll in school if her busy schedule gives her the time to attend class.