The University of Arizona has been around since 1885. In that time, it has seen many famous and not-so-famous faces grace its halls.
Founded by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the public land-grant research university in Tucson was the first university established in the Arizona Territory.
With more than 300,000 alumni and an enrollment of around 55,000 students in 2025, it makes sense that some of these Wildcats are notable. From Olympic gold medalists and actors to members of Congress and chief executive officers, UA attendees have a wide reach.
Here’s a list of some famous University of Arizona alumni and former students.
Amanda Beard
The seven-time Olympic medalist graduated from University of Arizona in 2003. She won the 2001 NCAA title in the 100-meter breaststroke and was named American Swimmer of the Year in 2003 and 2004.
Jerry Bruckheimer
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is known for his work on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, “Top Gun” and the reality competition series “The Amazing Race.”
He has been nominated and won numerous awards for his work. He is also the first producer to have had three of his television productions ranked among the top ten in U.S. ratings.
At UA, Bruckheimer was a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and graduated with a degree in psychology in 1965.
Ted DeGrazia
Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia studied under Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. He has been described as “the world’s most reproduced artist” and is known for his colorful images of Native American children, the American Southwest and other Western scenes.
DeGrazia enrolled at the University of Arizona in 1933 with just $15 in his pocket. At night, he would play his trumpet; during the day he would landscape to pay for classes. He studied music. His first bachelor’s degree was in Art Education, his second in Fine Arts. He would later receive his master’s in Art Education in 1945.
He met his future wife, Alexandra Diamos, in 1936 while attending classes and they married that same year.
Joan Ganz Cooney
“Sesame Street” creator Joan Ganz Cooney grew up in Phoenix and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from UA in 1951.
She was named the first executive director for the Children’s Television Workshop, now the Sesame Workshop. She was one of the first female executives in American television. In 2007, the Sesame Workshop founded The Joan Ganz Cooney Center.
Nick Foles
Nick Foles is a former professional football quarterback and played in the NFL for 11 seasons. He was on six teams, most notably the Philadelphia Eagles, whom he led to their first Super Bowl title.
Foles also played college football for the Arizona Wildcats and graduated with a communication degree before he was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Eagles. In 2013, he broke the Eagles’ record for most completed passes without an interception with 233.
Raúl M. Grijalva
Raúl M. Grijalva served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona from 2003 until his death in 2025. He was one ofArizona’s longest-tenured members in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He represented Arizona’s 7th congressional district from 2003 to 2013, Arizona’s 3rd congressional district from 2013 to 2023 and the 7th district again from 2023 to 2025.
He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He was known for championing immigrants’ rights, the environment and public education.
Rob Gronkowski
NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski played for 11 seasons, nine of which were with the New England Patriots. For his final two seasons, Gronkowski played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is often regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time and is a four-time Super Bowl champion.
Gronkowski played college football for the Arizona Wildcats, and he earned third-team All-American honors as a sophomore in 2008. He played only two collegiate seasons and was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Patriots.
In 2021, he set a Guinness World record for “highest altitude catch of an American football” from a helicopter 600 feet in the air at Arizona Stadium.
Savannah Guthrie
“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie graduated from UA in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She graduated cum laude and was a member of the Arizona Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi.
She received her juris doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center and scored the highest on the Arizona Bar exam in the year she took it. She has been an anchor on the NBC News morning show since July 2012.
The disappearance of Guthrie’s mother, Nancy, from her home in Arizona’s Catalina Foothills on Feb. 1, 2026, has made national headlines.
Dan Hicks
Sportscaster and Tucson native Dan Hicks graduated from the University of Arizona in 1984. He has covered 11 Olympic Games and served as a play-by-play announcer for golf, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League on NBC.
He was inducted into UA’s School of Journalism Hall of Fame in 2022.
John Hughes
John Hughes wrote and directed classic films from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Breakfast Club” to “Sixteen Candles.” He has also written many movies, including “Home Alone” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
The filmmaker known for his 1980s classics, attended UA before leaving in his junior year.
Kourtney Kardashian
TV personality, socialite and businesswoman Kourtney Kardashian Barker is known for her role on the reality TV series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” and its spin-offs. She launched her own website Poosh in 2019 and health brand Lemme in 2022.
She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in theatre arts and a minor in Spanish. She was a member of the sorority Alpha Phi and was classmates with Nicole Richie and Luke Walton.
Steve Kerr
Nine-time NBA champion Steve Kerr graduated from UA in 1988. He is the all-time leader in NCAA three-point percentage at 57.3 percent, as well as in NBA history. His number, 25 was retired by the university.
Kerr was named head coach of the Golden State Warriors NBA team in 2014. That year, he and his wife also donated $1 million to the University ofArizona for the ongoing McKale Center renovations.
He has also been the head coach of the U.S. national team and is known as one of the most accurate three-point shooters in NBA history.
Greg Kinnear
Actor Greg Kinnear, known for his roles in “Little Miss Sunshine,” “You’ve Got Mail” and “The Last Song,” graduated from the University of Arizona in 1986 with a degree in broadcast journalism. While there, he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
Harvey Mason Jr.
Record producer, songwriter and film producer Harvey Mason Jr. has been the chief executive officer of the Recording Academy and MusiCares since 2021. Mason has written and produced songs for several musicians, including Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé.
He attended the University of Arizona on a basketball scholarship from 1986 to 1990, and he played in the 1988 Final Four. Mason is on the National Leadership Council and the board of trustees for the University of Arizona.
Linda McCartney
Photographer, musician, activist and author Linda McCartney was married to the Beatles member Paul McCartney.
She was the first woman to have a photograph, a portrait of Eric Clapton, on the cover of the influential music magazine Rolling Stone. In 1974, six years later, she appeared on the cover of the magazine with her husband. She is the only person to have one of her photographs featured on the front cover and to have a photograph of her on the front cover as well.
She attended the University of Arizona, where she majored in fine arts and took up nature photography as a hobby. She left without graduating in 1962.
Craig T. Nelson
Craig T. Nelson studied drama at UA on a scholarship but dropped out in 1969 and moved to Hollywood to pursue acting.
He is known for his roles in “Poltergeist,” the ABC sitcom “Coach” and as the voice of Mr. Incredible in “The Incredibles” and its sequel.
Caroline Rhea
Caroline Rhea portrayed Hilda Spellman on the hit TV show “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” and voiced Linda Flynn-Fletcher in the Disney Channel animated series “Phineas and Ferb.”
The actress and stand-up comedian attended UA in 1985.
Nicole Richie
Media personality, actress and fashion designer Nicole Richie is known for starring in the reality show “The Simple Life” alongside her then-best friend Paris Hilton. She is the founder of the lifestyle brand House of Harlow.
Richie attended the University of Arizona in 1999 alongside Kourtney Kardashian and Luke Walton; there, she studied arts and media. She dropped out after two years and returned to California.
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera was the host of the TV talk show “Geraldo” and worked at the Fox News Channel from 2001 to 2023. In 1965, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Arizona.
Linda Ronstadt
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and 11-time Grammy Award winner, Linda Ronstadt, began school at UA in 1965, but left after one semester.
Former President Barack Obama presented Ronstadt with one of the 12 National Medals of Arts and Humanities for 2013. She has also won three American Music Awards and an Emmy Award and received nominations for a Tony Award and a Golden Globe Award. Ronstadt was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy in 2016.
Garry Shandling
Actor, writer and comedian Garry Shandling began his career writing for sitcoms, including “Sanford and Son.” In 1986, he created the “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” which was nominated for four Emmys.
Shandling won an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series in 1998 for “The Larry Sanders Show.” He has also had a recurring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He graduated from UA in 1971, initially majoring in electrical engineering but completing a degree in marketing. He also pursued a year of postgraduate studies in creative writing.
Ayọ Tometi
Ayọ Tometi is a human rights activist, writer, strategist and community organizer. She is a co-founder of Black Lives Matter, a political and social movement that highlights racism, discrimination and racial inequality experienced by Black people in the United States, and promotes anti-racism.
Tometi graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in public/applied history from the University of Arizona in 2005 and with a master’s degree in communication studies, with a specialization in advocacy and rhetoric from Arizona State University in 2010.
Jack Wagner
Jack Wagner tried out for the golf team and drama department at UA. He received a full scholarship from the drama department and graduated in 1982.
The actor, singer and golfer is best known for his roles on soap operas such as “General Hospital,” “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “Melrose Place.” His 1985 single “All I Need” also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Kate Walsh
Kate Walsh is an actress and businesswoman known for her role as Dr. Addison Montgomery in ABC medical dramas “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice.”
Walsh grew up in a Catholic household in Tucson. She graduated from Catalina Magnet High School and studied acting at the University of Arizona in 1988 before dropping out.
Kristen Wiig
Actress, comedian and screenwriter Kristen Wiig is known for her seven-season tenure on the NBC sketch comedy series “Saturday Night Live.” She also co-wrote and starred in “Bridesmaids.”
She attended the University of Arizona in 1995 and majored in art. After taking an acting class to fulfill a course requirement, the professor suggested she continue acting. She eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.
Reporting by Dina Kaur, Arizona Republic
