what college did elon musk go to
Elon Musk attended several colleges: he first studied at Queen’s University in Canada, then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned dual bachelor’s degrees in physics and economics, and he briefly started (then dropped out of) a PhD program at Stanford University.
Quick Scoop: Elon Musk’s College Journey
- University of Pretoria (brief stop): Musk spent a few months at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to Canada, using it partly as a path out of mandatory military service in apartheid-era South Africa.
- Queen’s University (Canada): In 1989 he moved to Canada and enrolled at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, where he studied for about two years and focused on physics and economics.
- University of Pennsylvania (USA): After two years at Queen’s, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. There he completed two bachelor’s degrees: a Bachelor of Science in physics (College of Arts and Sciences) and a Bachelor of Arts in economics (Wharton School), officially awarded in 1997.
- Stanford University (PhD, dropped out): In 1995 he was accepted into a PhD program in applied physics/materials science at Stanford University, but left after about two days to start his first company, Zip2, and chase internet opportunities.
Mini Timeline
- University of Pretoria (South Africa) – short stint before emigrating.
- Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada – ~2 years of undergraduate study.
- University of Pennsylvania, USA – dual bachelor’s degrees in physics and economics, completed in 1997.
- Stanford University, USA – started but quickly left a PhD program in applied physics/materials science.
Colleges Musk Attended (Overview)
| Institution | Location | Years (approx.) | Field / Degree | Completed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pretoria | Pretoria, South Africa | Late 1980s (a few months) | Early studies, physics/economics interest | No (short- term study) |
| Queen’s University | Kingston, Canada | ~1989–1991 | Undergraduate studies (physics & economics focus) | No (transferred out) |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, USA | Early 1990s–1995; degrees awarded 1997 | B.S. in Physics, B.A. in Economics (Wharton) | Yes |
| Stanford University | California, USA | 1995 (about two days) | PhD in Applied Physics/Materials Science (planned) | No (dropped out) |
In forum and social discussions, people often summarize this as:
“Queen’s University → UPenn (two degrees) → admitted to Stanford but dropped out almost immediately.”
Why This Still Trends
- Musk’s path feeds the ongoing online debate about whether elite degrees matter, especially since he now says he cares more about skills than diplomas when hiring.
- At the same time, his record shows a serious academic background in physics and economics at an Ivy League university, plus acceptance into a top-tier PhD program, which forums often point out when debunking the “Musk is a college dropout only” myth.
TL;DR:
He went to Queen’s University in Canada, then the University of Pennsylvania
(where he earned two bachelor’s degrees in physics and economics), and briefly
started a PhD at Stanford before dropping out.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
