Are the Big Bang Theory cast real scholars?

Released on September 24, 2012, the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory is one of the most hit sitcoms in television history. With 12 seasons and 279 episodes, Chuck Lorre and Billy Prady created a show that has a science theme with a brush of comedy. It revolves around a group of intelligent friends who navigate through friendship, life, relationships, and of course, science. After 12 successful seasons, the show ended on May 16, 2019.

Only Mayim Bialik, who plays neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler, has a degree similar to her character. She has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles. Unlike their on-screen personas, none of the other actors are real scholars.

The Big Bang Theory cast members and their educational history

Jim Parsons (Sheldon Cooper)

Jim Parsons played one of the most important and loved characters in the show. Sheldon Copper was a theoretical physicist, possessing degrees of Ph.D. and Sc.D. In the sitcom, it was also shown that he had an I.Q. of 187 and had an eidetic memory. While Parson played the role quite effortlessly, in real life he wasn’t much into studies.

Ever since acting in a school production of The Elephant's Child when he was six, Parsons wanted to become an actor. Parsons did get his Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees. He earned his BA in Theater from the University of Houston before going on to earn his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of San Diego.

Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz)

Unlike his character in The Big Bang Theory, Helberg is not a real-life aerospace engineer. He went to Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California for his middle and high school education.

Helberg later studied acting at New York University's Tisch School of Arts. During the Golden Globes, talking about not finishing college, Simon said:

“I didn’t finish college and that’s why I’m a weird little person but was one of the great moments in my life.”

Johnny Galecki (Leonard Hofstadter)

Different than his character Leonard Hofstadter, an experimental physicist with an I.Q. of 173, Gaecki chose to take a different path when it came to education. He dropped out of high school in the eighth grade and chose not to pursue college life. In an interview with Timeout magazine, Galecki said,

Uh, I’m… [Laughs] I quit school in the middle of eighth grade. I went to high school one day. It was a half day. Just really didn’t think it was for me.

As per the same interview, at the age of 14, he dropped out of school and was living alone in a studio apartment in Burbank.

Kaley Cuoco (Penny)

Kaley Cuoco played an aspiring actress and cheesecake factory employee Penny. Unlike her other friends, Penny was more street-smart than she was book-smart.

In real life, she chose to be different than other kids and acquired her general education through homeschooling as per an interview with Parade. As per CBS, she received her high school diploma by the time she was 16. Cuoco was an amateur tennis player in her childhood but stopped playing tennis when she was 16 years old.

Kunal Nayyar (Rajesh Koothrapalli)

Unlike his character Rajesh, Nayyar does not have a Ph.D. in astrophysics. After studying in India till the age of 18, Kunal then moved to the USA. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Portland. Side by side he was also pursuing his passion for acting. Kunal also got his Master’s degree in acting.

Mayim Bialik (Amy Farrah Fowler)

Out of the whole group, Mayim Bialik is very similar to her character Amy in terms of educational degree. In the show, Amy was a neurobiologist, and in real life, Bialik too has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles. Bialik also has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Melissa Rauch (Bernadette Rostenkowski)

Melissa Rauch played the role of Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, a microbiologist in The Big Bang Theory. However, in her real life, she attended Marlboro High School where acting piqued her interest. After graduating from high school, she attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York City and graduated in 2002.