What education do top creators have

Skipping School, Making Millions: Top Creator’s Success Story

We used the Forbes Top 50 Creators 2023 report to examine the academic backgrounds of leading creators, including Mr. Beast, Khaby Lame, Logan Paul and Brent Rivera. Our analysis is based on the publicly available educational histories of 48 out of the top 50 creators featured on the Forbes list[1].

Key Takeaways

  • Creators with a high school degree are pulling in an impressive $15 million on average, whereas their counterparts with a Master’s degree are averaging 3x lower at $5 million
  • The top 3 Creators, Mr. Beast (Jimmy Donaldson), KSI (Olajide Olatunji), and Jake Paul, all stopped their formal education at high school.
    • Their average earnings stand at $47M, vs the overall average for the group $14M
  • 96% creators have completed their high school education. Emma Chamberlain and Josh Richards are two creators who are high school dropouts.
  • 56% completed bachelor’s and 19% dropped out in between to become full-time creators.
  • 9% of creators – Mark Rober, Christina Najjar, and Drea Okeke – are the most educated with a Master’s degree.
  • 5 of the creators received their education through homeschooling.

Education Attainment of Top Creators

While traditional wisdom holds that education is the key to success, in the digital age, producing 30-second YouTube videos can sometimes be more rewarding than earning a four-year degree. Let’s explore how the top creators have balanced their education and passion to achieve remarkable success.

96% (46 of 48) of creators have completed high school, surpassing the national average of 93.3%[3]

Out of 48 top creators, 27 (56%) completed their college, 9 (19%) are college dropouts, and 12 (25%) never attended college.

9% (3) of creators completed their master’s degree and one dropped out in between to become full-time creators.

The national average for degree completion of undergraduates is 64%[4]

Education Attainment of Top Creators

Earnings of Top Creators by Highest Educational Attainment

Just having a higher education degree won’t necessarily lead to big bucks in the creator economy. In fact, we’re seeing that for creators the more you study, the less you might earn!

  • The average earning for a top creator with a high school degree is $15M.
  • The average earning for a top creator with a bachelor’s degree is $10M.
  • The average earning for a top creator with a master’s degree is $5M
Highest Educational AttainmentNo of Top CreatorAverage Earnings of Top Creators#Median National Annual Earning[2]
Less than High School [High School Dropouts]2$13M$35,470
High School* 10$15M$41,790
College Dropouts 9$26M
Bachelor’s Degree 24$10M$66,610
Master’s Degree3$5M$80,180
Table 1.1: Average Income Analysis of Top Creators by Educational Attainment

The study excluded two creators, Dream and Michael Le, as their educational histories were not available.

#Gross earnings calculated between June 2022 and June 2023

*Includes those creators who were home-schooled

High School Dropouts

  • Emma Chamberlain with earnings of $20M and Josh Richards at $5M are notable high school dropouts among creators.
High School Dropouts

Creators with highest educational attainment as high school

  • 9 creators have their highest educational qualification as high school.
  • Jake Paul leads in earnings among the 10 creators who stopped their education at high school, with estimated earnings of $34M.
  • Average earnings of these creators is $15M
Creators with highest educational attainment as high school

Creators who are college dropouts

  • 9 creators are college dropouts
  • Mr. Beast leads in earnings among the 9 creators who are college dropouts, with estimated earnings of $82M.
  • Average earnings of college drop outs is $26M
Creators who are college dropouts

Creators with highest educational attainment as Bachelor’s

  • 24 creators have the highest education degree as bachelor’s
  • Rhett & Link lead in earnings among the 24 creators whose highest educational level is college, with estimated earnings of $35M.
  • Average earnings of college drop outs is $10M
Creators with highest educational attainment as Bachelor's

Creators with highest educational attainment as Master’s degrees

  • 3 creators completed their Master’s degrees: Christina Najjar (Tinx), Mark Rober, and Drea Okeke (Drea Knows Best).
  • One, Mikayla Nogueira, dropped out of her Master’s degree to become a full-time influencer.
Creators with highest educational attainment as Master’s degrees

Home-Schooled Creators

  • 10% of the creators (5) received their education through homeschooling.
  • Ryan Kaji from “Ryan’s World,” who is just 14 years old, is currently being homeschooled.
  • At national level[5], 2.8% is the number of homeschooled children
Home-Schooled Creators

Their journeys illustrate that success is not solely defined by formal education but by passion, creativity, and relentless dedication. While some creators hold advanced degrees, many have achieved the pinnacle of their fields through alternative routes. This demonstrates that the traditional path to success is not the only way; one can achieve one’s dreams by following one’s passion and working diligently.

Methodology

For our analysis, we utilized Forbes’ Top 50 Creators 2023 report to examine the educational backgrounds of the creators. We consulted sources like Wikipedia, Wikitubia, and other relevant websites to gather academic information. We got the educational records of 48 creators out of 50. The rates for the national average are taken from the official website of the National Sector for Education Statistics and US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Annexure

Academic Background of top 50 Creators

S. NoName Total FollowersAcademic Background
1Mr. BeastYT Subscribers: 300M
TikTok Followers: 98.6M
Instagram Followers: 58.5M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Greenville Christian Academy
2Olajide Olatunji (KSI)YT Subscribers: 24.1M
TikTok Followers: 11.8M
Instagram Followers: 13M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Berkhamsted School
3Jake PaulYT Subscribers: 20.7M
TikTok Followers: 17.8M
Instagram Followers: 26.6M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Westlake High School
4Rhett & LinkYT Subscribers: 5.23M
TikTok Followers: 4.6M
Instagram Followers: 3.6M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: North Carolina State University
5Charli D’AmelioYT Subscribers: 9.19M
TikTok Followers: 155.4M
Instagram Followers: 43.9M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Home-School
6Logan PaulYT Subscribers: 23.5M
TikTok Followers: 18.5M
Instagram Followers: 26.9M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Westlake High School
7Elliot Tebele (F*ckJerry)TikTok Followers: 4.6M
Instagram Followers: 133K
Highest degree: High School
Education: York Preparatory School
8Emma ChamberlainYT Subscribers: 12M
TikTok Followers: 429.3K
Instagram Followers: 15.2M
Highest degree: High School Dropout
Education: California High School
9Matt RifeYT Subscribers: 2.71M
TikTok Followers: 18.8M
Instagram Followers: 8M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: local University in Anaheim
10Brent RiveraYT Subscribers: 32M
TikTok Followers: 48.1M
Instagram Followers: 23.2M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: California State University
11Khabane (Khaby) LameYT Subscribers: 9.73M
TikTok Followers: 162.7M
Instagram Followers: 81M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Local School in Italy
12Alexandra CooperTikTok Followers: 1.9M
Instagram Followers: 3.1M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Boston University
13Mark Edward Fischbach (Markiplier)YT Subscribers: 36.8M
TikTok Followers: 1.9M
Instagram Followers: 12M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Milford High School
14Sean McLoughlin (Jacksepticeye)YT Subscribers: 30.7M
TikTok Followers: 5.2M
Instagram Followers: 7.8M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Athlone Institute of Technology
15Huda KattanYT Subscribers: 4.14M
TikTok Followers: 9.6M
Instagram Followers: 54M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: University of Michigan
16Preston Arsement (PrestonPlayz)YT Subscribers: 26.8M
TikTok Followers: 10.6M
Instagram Followers: 1.8M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Travis Academy of Fine Arts
17Ryan KajiYT Subscribers: 37.3MHighest degree: NA
Education: Home-Schooled
18Dixie D’AmelioYT Subscribers: 6.64M
TikTok Followers: 56M
Instagram Followers: 20.8M
Highest degree: High School
Education: King School
19Zach KingYT Subscribers: 36M
TikTok Followers: 82.2M
Instagram Followers: 29.5M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Biola University
20Drew Desbordes (Druski)YT Subscribers: 1.78M
TikTok Followers: 7M
Instagram Followers: 7.8M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Gwinnett High School
21Chiara FerragniYT Subscribers: 157K
TikTok Followers: 6.5M
Instagram Followers: 28.8M
Highest degree: High School
Education: NA
22Bailey SarianYT Subscribers: 7.36M
TikTok Followers: 2.9M
Instagram Followers: 3M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Paloma Valley High School
23Addison Rae EasterlingYT Subscribers: 4.21M
TikTok Followers: 88.8M
Instagram Followers: 35M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Calvary Baptist Academy
24Adam WaheedYT Subscribers: 17.9M
TikTok Followers: 20.1M
Instagram Followers: 9.4M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Southern Methodist University
25Josh RichardsYT Subscribers: 2.14M
TikTok Followers: 25.7M
Instagram Followers: 6.1M
Highest degree: High School Dropout
Education: St. Mary Catholic Secondary School
26Christina Najjar (Tinx)YT Subscribers: 2.85K
TikTok Followers: 1.5M
Instagram Followers: 574K
Highest degree: Master’s
Education: Stanford University, Parsons School of Design
27Kaitlyn Siragusa (Amouranth)YT Subscribers: 997K
Highest degree: High School
Education: Local private school in Houston
28Dani Austin RamirezYT Subscribers: 162K
Instagram Followers: 2.3M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: The University of Texas
29Mark RoberYT Subscribers: 54.3M
TikTok Followers: 3.5M
Instagram Followers: 2M
Highest degree: Master’s
Education: Brigham Young University (BYU)
University of Southern California (USC)
30DreamYT Subscribers: 31.9M
TikTok Followers: 6.9M
Highest degree: NA
Education: NA
31Tyler Blevins (Ninja)YT Subscribers: 23.8M
TikTok Followers: 10.8M
Instagram Followers: 12.3M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Silver Lake College
32Marques BrownleeYT Subscribers: 19.1M
TikTok Followers: 2M
Instagram Followers: 4.9M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Stevens Institute of Technology
33Michael Le (JustMaiko)YT Subscribers: 3.67M
TikTok Followers: 51.5M
Instagram Followers: 2.3M
Highest degree: NA
Education: NA
34Bella PoarchYT Subscribers: 7.01M
TikTok Followers: 94.2M
Instagram Followers: 12.3M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Local University in Texas
35Nick DiGiovanniYT Subscribers: 17.9M
TikTok Followers: 12.9M
Instagram Followers: 3.1M
Highest degree: bachelor’s
Education: Harvard University
36Mikayla NogueiraYT Subscribers: 628K
TikTok Followers: 15.7M
Instagram Followers: 2.9M
Highest degree: Master’s
Education: Bryant University
37Brooke MonkYT Subscribers: 7.05M
TikTok Followers: 33.4M
Instagram Followers: 5.6M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Home Schooled
38Madison BeerYT Subscribers: 3.4M
TikTok Followers: 20.1M
Instagram Followers: 38.7M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Jericho High School
39Nick Kolcheff (Nickmercs)YT Subscribers: 4.08M
TikTok Followers: 1.4M
Instagram Followers: 2.5M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: NA
40Anthony Dawson (TooTurntTony)YT Subscribers: 5.99M
TikTok Followers: 20.3M
Instagram Followers: 2.7M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Western Michigan University
41Aimee SongYT Subscribers: 356K
TikTok Followers: 117K
Instagram Followers: 7.3M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Academy of Art University
42Alix EarleYT Subscribers: 94.6K
TikTok Followers: 7M
Instagram Followers: 3.7M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: University of Miami
43Drew AfualoYT Subscribers: 10K
TikTok Followers: 8M
Instagram Followers: 1M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: University of Hawaiʻi
44Kai CenatYT Subscribers: 8.52M
TikTok Followers: 13.5M
Instagram Followers: 10.3M
Highest degree: High School
Education: Frederick Douglass Academy
45Alan Chikin ChowYT Subscribers: 48.8M
TikTok Followers: 14.9M
Instagram Followers: 1.5M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: University of Southern California
46Vivian TuYT Subscribers: 782K
TikTok Followers: 2.5M
Instagram Followers: 2.5M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: University of Chicago
47Monet McMichaelYT Subscribers: 428K
TikTok Followers: 3.8M
Instagram Followers: 1.3M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Rutgers University
48Olivia DunneYT Subscribers: 97.5K
TikTok Followers: 8M
Instagram Followers: 5.3M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: Louisiana State University
49Drea Okeke (Drea Knows Best)YT Subscribers: 69.7K
TikTok Followers: 6.6M
Instagram Followers: 415K
Highest degree: Master’s
Education: University of Southern California
50Dylan MulvaneyYT Subscribers: 14.7K
TikTok Followers: 9.6M
Instagram Followers: 1.6M
Highest degree: Bachelor’s
Education: University of Cincinnati
Table 4.1: Academic Background of Top 50 Creators

References

[1]Forbes Top Creators 2023 (Forbes Top Creators 2023: The Richest On TikTok, Instagram & YouTube)

[2]Median annual earnings of full-time tear-round workers 25 to 34 years old- National Sector for Education Statistics (Median annual earnings of full-time year-round workers 25 to 34 years old and full-time year-round workers as a percentage of the labor force, by sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment: Selected years, 2005 through 2022)

[3]Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates- National Sector for Education Statistics (Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 2019)

[4]Undergraduate graduation rates- National Sector for Education Statistics (Fast Facts: Undergraduate graduation rates (40))

[5]Home-Schooling rates- National Sector for Education Statistics (Fast Facts: Homeschooling (91))


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