College dropout refers to someone leaving their studies or college before completing their degree. Dropping out of college is common, and it can happen due to various reasons such as financial difficulties, personal problems, or lack of interest in studies.

While higher education is not always necessary to achieve success, it can provide individuals with knowledge, skills, and experience to help them in their chosen field. A college degree can also lead to higher-paying jobs and more significant career opportunities.

This article will highlight the top 10 college dropouts who achieved tremendous success. Each person's biography, reasons for dropping out, and success story will be discussed in detail. The article aims to inspire and motivate those considering dropping out of college and pursuing their passions.

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur and inventor, born in San Francisco, California, in 1955. He co-founded Apple Inc. and was instrumental in revolutionising the personal computer industry. He also significantly developed and marketed several popular electronic devices like the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. Jobs passed away in 2011, leaving behind a legacy that continues to influence the world of technology.

After only six months, jobs dropped out of Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He didn't find any real value in college and was more interested in exploring his interests in technology and design. He continued to attend classes that interested him while sleeping on friends' floors and returning Coke bottles for the 5-cent deposits to buy food.

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After dropping out of college, Jobs co-founded Apple Inc. with Steve Wozniak in 1976. The company became one of the world's most valuable and innovative technology companies, creating products such as the Macintosh computer, iPod, and iPhone. Jobs' contribution to the tech industry earned him numerous awards and accolades, including induction into the California Hall of Fame and the Disney Legends award.

Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg is an American entrepreneur and computer programmer born in New York in 1984. He is the co-founder and CEO of Facebook, one of the world's most successful social media platforms.

Zuckerberg left Harvard University after his sophomore year to pursue his passion for creating Facebook. He believed that the potential of Facebook was greater than anything he could learn in college.

Zuckerberg's decision to drop out of college and focus on Facebook paid off, as the platform became a huge success. Today, Facebook has over two billion monthly active users valued at over $500 billion. Zuckerberg has been named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people and the subject of several movies and documentaries.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is an American entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, born in Seattle, Washington, in 1955. He co-founded Microsoft Corporation, which revolutionised the personal computer industry and has since become one of the most successful software companies in the world.

Gates dropped out of Harvard University after just two years to start Microsoft. He envisioned putting a computer in every home and believed that Microsoft would make that vision a reality.

Gates' decision to drop out of college and focus on Microsoft paid off in a big way. The company's software, including the Windows operating system, became widely used, and Gates became one of the richest people in the world. 

In recent years, Gates has become a philanthropist and has donated billions of dollars to charity through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He has been awarded several prestigious honours, including the French government's Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Legion of Honor.

Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is a well-known American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She was born on January 26, 1958, in Metairie, Louisiana. She started her career as a stand-up comedian and gained popularity with her sitcom, Ellen, which ran from 1994 to 1998.

DeGeneres dropped out of the University of New Orleans after just one semester. She wanted to pursue her career in stand-up comedy and moved to New York to perform.

After moving to New York, DeGeneres started performing at various comedy clubs and became a popular comedian. She appeared on several TV shows and movies, including The Ellen Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Finding Nemo, and Finding Dory. She has won numerous awards for her work and is considered one of the most influential women in the entertainment industry.

Michael Dell

Michael Dell is an American entrepreneur and investor. He was born on February 23, 1965, in Houston, Texas. He is the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, a multinational technology company specialising in personal computers and related products and services.

After just one year, Dell dropped out of the University of Texas at Austin. He started a computer business from his dorm room and wanted to focus on it full-time.

Dell's computer business, which he started from his dorm room, grew rapidly and eventually became Dell Technologies. The company is now one of the largest technology companies in the world, with a revenue of over $94 billion. Dell is also a philanthropist and has donated millions of dollars to various causes and organisations.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is a well-known American television host, actress, author, and philanthropist. She was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran from 1986 to 2011.

Winfrey dropped out of Tennessee State University to pursue her career in media. She started working at a local radio station and later moved to television.

Winfrey's career in media took off quickly. She became a co-anchor for the evening news and later started hosting her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. The show became one of the most successful and influential talk shows in history, and Winfrey became one of the richest and most powerful women in the world. She has also been involved in various philanthropic efforts, including the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison is the co-founder and former CEO of the software company Oracle Corporation. He was born in New York City in 1944 and was adopted by his aunt and uncle. Ellison attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for one term before dropping out. After moving to California, he worked odd jobs before co-founding Oracle Corporation in 1977.

Ellison dropped out of college after only one term, reportedly because his adoptive mother had died, and he could not bear to be in school without her. However, Ellison has also stated that he dropped out because he felt his professors were not teaching him anything useful.

Ellison co-founded Oracle Corporation, one of the world's largest software companies. He served as the company's CEO for 37 years before retiring in 2014. As of 2023, Ellison has a net worth of over $100 billion, making him one of the richest people in the world.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was born in London in 1950 and attended the Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, England. While still in school, Branson started his first business, a magazine called Student. He later dropped out of school at 16 to start a mail-order record business called Virgin.

Branson dropped out of school at 16 because he felt he was not learning anything useful. He has also stated that he was dyslexic and had difficulty with traditional classroom learning.

Branson went on to build the Virgin Group, a conglomerate that includes over 400 companies in industries such as aviation, media, and hospitality. He is known for his adventurous spirit and has set numerous world records, including crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a hot air balloon. As of 2023, Branson has over $5 billion net worth.

Jack Dorsey

Jack Dorsey is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder of Twitter and Square. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1976 and attended the University of Missouri before dropping out.

Dorsey dropped out of college because he was more interested in pursuing his entrepreneurial ventures than in traditional classroom learning. He has stated that he was particularly inspired by the idea of using technology to facilitate communication and connectivity.

Dorsey co-founded Twitter in 2006, and the platform quickly became one of the world's most popular social media networks. He later went on to found Square, a mobile payments company. As of 2023, Dorsey has over $4 billion net worth.

Travis Kalanick

Travis Kalanick is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder of Uber. He was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1976 and attended the University of California, Los Angeles, before dropping out.

Kalanick dropped out of college because he was more interested in pursuing his entrepreneurial ventures than in traditional classroom learning. He has stated that he was particularly inspired by using technology to disrupt traditional industries.

Kalanick co-founded Uber in 2009, and the platform quickly revolutionised the ride-sharing industry. However, he stepped down as CEO in 2017 following a series of scandals and controversies. As of 2023, Kalanick has a net worth of over $5 billion.