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Have you ever wondered who genuinely holds the most degrees? While many viral claims circulate online about individuals with 50, 70, or even 100+ degrees, only a few cases are verified and documented. In reality, only a small number of people have earned multiple academic qualifications through recognised universities and accredited institutions.
These lifelong learners, often called perpetual students, have spent decades pursuing formal higher education across different fields. Below is a fully fact-checked list of people known for holding unusually high numbers of legitimate academic degrees.
Contents
- 1 List of Most Degrees Held by One Person
- 1.1 Michael Nicholson: A Lifetime of Learning
- 1.2 Benjamin Bolger – The Perpetual Student of Design
- 1.3 Robert W. McGee – The Multi-Doctorate Academic
- 1.4 Shrikant Jichkar – India’s Most Educated Civil Servant
- 1.5 Luciano Baietti – The Italian Scholar
- 1.6 Bruce Berry – The Academic Explorer
- 1.7 Jacob Appel – A Renaissance Man
- 1.8 Dr Robelyn Garcia – The Academic Athlete
- 1.9 The Lifelong Students – Milton De Jesús and Johnny Lechner
- 2 Who Has the Most PhDs in the World- Dr Abdul Karim Bangura
- 3 Who Holds the World Record for the Most Degrees?
- 4 Top 10 Most Educated Persons in India
- 5 10 Indian Actresses Who Hold the Most Academic Degrees
- 6 FAQs
List of Most Degrees Held by One Person
A perpetual student is someone who continues to pursue academic degrees far beyond the norm. In the table presented below, we have compiled a list of people with the highest number of academic degrees. Apart from this, you will also find their number of degrees, fields, and countries.
| Name | Number of Verified Degrees | Highest Qualifications | Primary Fields | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Nicholson | 30 | 22 Master’s, 1 Doctorate | Education, Humanities, Social Sciences | United States |
| Benjamin Bolger | 16 | 13 Master’s, Doctor of Design | Design, Social Sciences, Humanities | United States |
| Robert W. McGee | 23 | 13 Doctorates (self-reported but partially verifiable), others | Accounting, Economics, Law | United States |
| Shrikant Jichkar | 20 | Degrees across Medicine, Law, Arts | Medicine, Law, Politics | India |
| Luciano Baietti | 15 | Degrees across PE, Law, Philosophy | Education, Humanities | Italy |
| Bruce Berry | 11 | Multiple Master’s Degrees + PhD | Engineering, Education | United Kingdom |
| Jacob Appel | 10 | MD, JD, and others | Medicine, Law | United States |
| Robelyn Garcia | 9 | Degrees across Education, Sports Science | Sports Science, Education | United States |
Michael Nicholson: A Lifetime of Learning
Michael Nicholson from the United States is often regarded as one of the most credentialed people in modern academic history. Over 55 years, he earned 30 officially recognised degrees, including:
- 1 Doctorate in Education
- 22 Master’s Degrees
- Bachelor’s and Associate Degrees
His fields span religion, law enforcement, education, and liberal arts.
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Benjamin Bolger – The Perpetual Student of Design
Benjamin Bolger is an American scholar who has completed 16 verified degrees, including:
- 13 Master’s degrees from top universities such as Yale, Columbia, and Oxford
- Doctor of Design from Harvard University
Bolger is dyslexic and attributes his academic journey to perseverance and structured study.
Robert W. McGee – The Multi-Doctorate Academic
Robert W. McGee, a professor of Accounting, has documented multiple degrees, including:
- Doctorates in Accounting, Economics, and Law
- Additional Master’s and undergraduate degrees
While he claims 23 total degrees and 13 doctorates, only part of his list is independently verifiable, but still substantial enough to rank among the top lifelong learners.
Shrikant Jichkar – India’s Most Educated Civil Servant
The late Dr Shrikant Jichkar is one of India’s most academically accomplished individuals. He earned 20 degrees and passed several competitive exams. His fields included:
- Medicine (MBBS, MD)
- Law (LLB, LLM)
- Public Administration
- Philosophy
- History
- Sanskrit
- International Relations
He also served as an MLA in Maharashtra.
Luciano Baietti – The Italian Scholar
Luciano Baietti from Italy was recognised by Guinness World Records for having 15 degrees, earned from various universities. His fields include:
- Physical Education
- Law
- Philosophy
- Sociology
He is one of the few whose “most degrees” achievements were officially certified.
Bruce Berry – The Academic Explorer
Bruce Berry from the UK accumulated 11 recognised degrees, including multiple Master’s degrees and one PhD. He worked in academia and technical fields before retiring. He passed away while pursuing an additional doctorate.
Jacob Appel – A Renaissance Man
Jacob Appel is a physician, attorney, and bioethicist in the United States. His credentials include:
- Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Juris Doctor (JD)
- Additional degrees in law, literature, and bioethics
He teaches at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr Robelyn Garcia – The Academic Athlete
Robelyn Garcia, a former professional basketball player, holds nine accredited degrees. She is involved in academic research in sports science and education and is associated with institutions such as Harvard and ASU.
The Lifelong Students – Milton De Jesús and Johnny Lechner
While not record holders in the number of degrees, Milton De Jesús and Johnny Lechner are two of the famous people known for their long tenure as students. Milton De Jesús has been a student at the University of Puerto Rico since 1963, while Johnny Lechner attended the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater for over 13 years, remaining a senior for most of that time.
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Who Has the Most PhDs in the World- Dr Abdul Karim Bangura
He has five accredited PhDs in:
- Political Science
- Development Economics
- Linguistics
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
His academic output includes over 35 books and 250 academic papers.
Who Holds the World Record for the Most Degrees?
The person who holds the world record for most degrees is Dr. Ranjit Das.Dr. Ranjit Das has about 23 degrees. This includes 3 Bachelor’s degrees, 13 Master’s degrees, one B.Ed, 3 Post Graduation Diplomas, 1 Post Graduation Certification, 1 M.Phil and 1 PhD. This data is as per the India Book of Records.
On the other hand, Kripal Singh is the person who holds the most master’s degrees. He has about 15, master’s degrees as per the Golden Book of Records. This is as per the Golden book of Records.
Top 10 Most Educated Persons in India
Here is a list of the ten most educated people in India:
| Rank | Name | Verified Academic Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dr. Shrikant Jichkar | 20 degrees across medicine, law, arts |
| 2 | Dr. Manmohan Singh | D.Phil. in Economics (Oxford) |
| 3 | P. Chidambaram | MBA (Harvard), Law degree |
| 4 | Dr. Subramanian Swamy | PhD in Economics (Harvard) |
| 5 | Dr. Jitendra Singh | MBBS, MD |
| 6 | Shashi Tharoor | PhD in International Relations (Tufts) |
| 7 | Jyotiraditya Scindia | BA (Harvard), MBA (Stanford) |
| 8 | Dr. Karan Singh | PhD in Philosophy |
| 9 | Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi | PhD in Physics |
| 10 | Dr. S. Radhakrishnan | Noted scholar; numerous honorary doctorates |
10 Indian Actresses Who Hold the Most Academic Degrees
Here is a list of Indian actresses who hold the most academic degrees. Their names and details of the academic qualifications are given below:
| Actress | Academic Qualifications |
|---|---|
| Parineeti Chopra | Triple Honours (Business, Finance, Economics) – Manchester Business School |
| Soha Ali Khan | BA (Oxford), Master’s (LSE) |
| Ameesha Patel | Economics (Tufts University) |
| Preity Zinta | English Honours; Master’s in Criminal Psychology |
| Vidya Balan | BA Sociology; MA |
| Sai Pallavi | MBBS (Tbilisi State Medical University) |
| Sara Ali Khan | BA in History & PoliSci (Columbia University) |
| Rakul Preet Singh | Mathematics (University of Delhi) |
| Rashmika Mandanna | Psychology, Journalism, English Literature |
| Taapsee Pannu | B.Tech in Computer Science |
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FAQs
The world’s most educated person is Dr Abdul Karim Bangura from Sierra Leone. He holds a B.A. in International Studies, an M.A. in International Affairs, an M.S. in Linguistics, and five Ph. D.S in Political Science, Development Economics, Linguistics, Computer Science, and Mathematics. Moreover, he has written more than 35 books and more than 250 scholarly articles.
The degree that is considered to be the rarest is the Manga studies. Other rare degrees are Biomimicry, Puppet Arts, Viticulture, and Cannabis Biology. Digital Mapping, Bicycle Design. Bakery Science, etc, is also considered to be rare.
The most popular degree in India is the Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech). This degree is highly valued due to the growth of the IT and engineering sectors. Prestigious universities like NIIT and IIT provide these degrees. Other popular Indian degrees are Medicine (MBBS), Business Administration (BBA/MBA), and Data Science and Analytics.
Related Reads
This was all about who holds the most degrees. If you want to know more about other Famous Personalities, then visit our General Knowledge page!
