Every year, graduation season brings with it a fresh wave of proud parent posts and tearful hugs on university lawns. This year, however, quite a few of those parents happen to be some of the biggest names in the entertainment world. Here’s a look at the star kids who walked away with their degrees and started a new chapter of their lives in 2026:
Rysa Panday
Chunky Panday and Bhavana Panday’s younger daughter Rysa (22) officially joined the ranks of graduates this month as she completed her studies from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Actor and proud elder sister Ananya Panday celebrated the milestone on Instagram with a series of candid family pictures from the graduation ceremony in the US. In the caption below, Ananya wrote: “My chuchu is a graduate”
Arjun Mehta
Actor Juhi Chawla’s son Arjun (22) graduated from Ivy League institution Columbia University in New York, following in the footsteps of his older sister Jahnavi Mehta (25) and businessman father Jay Mehta, who also studied at the same university. As a proud mother, Juhi shared the news on social media along with pictures and an announcement about taking a well-deserved holiday now that both her children are officially settled. She wrote: “Columbia ‘26 anddd initiated into the elite Phi Beta Kappa Society … many congratulationsssss Arjunnn!! Chalo … ab chutti”
Diva, Anya and Czar Kunder
Filmmaker Farah Khan and Shirish Kunder’s triplets Diva, Anya and Czar, who turned 18 this year, graduated from Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai. The three received their degrees from chairperson Nita Ambani at the ceremony, with two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu also present as chief guest. The star kids are now reportedly heading to prestigious international universities: Diva will study Entrepreneurship and Finance at Babson College, Anya will pursue Economics and Data Science at New York University, and Czar will study Artificial Intelligence for Business at Emory University
Zidaan Khan
Actor Zayed Khan’s elder son Zidaan (18) recently graduated from Kodaikanal International School (KIS) in Tamil Nadu. The Main Hoon Na star shared the news on social media, stating how emotional the moment was because the actor and his wife Malaika Parekh graduated from the same school 30 years ago. It was also where their love story began, as students. Apart from graduating, Zidaan was also nominated Prom King by his peers, which marked another proud moment for his father
Navya Naveli Nanda
Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter and entrepreneur Navya Naveli Nanda (28) graduated from IIM Ahmedabad after completing her Blended Post Graduate Programme in Management. She was pursuing a two-year hybrid course designed for working professionals with a minimum of three years of experience. Bidding goodbye to the school, the star kid shared a bunch of her fond memories along with the caption: “A place that’s given me more than I can ever give it back❤️ And the people who have done the same! One final time.”
Deacon Phillippe
Actors and former spouses Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe recently reunited for their 22-year-old son Deacon Phillippe’s graduation from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the same school as Rysa’s. Sharing pictures from the same, Reese wrote: “After 4years of hard work, long days, endless papers &classes, working with the greatest teachers and making new friends.. my wonderful son graduated.” Deacon studied music and majored in production and songwriting
Zahara Jolie
Actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s daughter Zahara (21) graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The graduation made headlines but not just for the star kid’s academic achievement. Zahara was listed as “Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt” on the commencement programme, but when her name was called to the stage, she was introduced as Zahara Marley Jolie, confirming that she had dropped her father’s last name. Ahead of the event, Angelina and Zahara attended a mother-daughter brunch
Apple Martin
Actor Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Chris Martin’s daughter Apple (22) graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law, History, and Society. Despite the law-adjacent degree, Apple has announced she plans to focus on acting rather than pursuing law school. She shared a series of pictures on Instagram from the lead-up to the ceremony alongside friends, calling it a “bittersweet” moment
Ryder Robinson
Actor Kate Hudson’s son Ryder Robinson (22) graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Film and Television Production. The ceremony brought together Kate and her fiancé Danny Fujikawa, Ryder’s dad Chris Robinson and his wife Camille Johnson, along with his grandparents Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. A true Modern Family moment indeed. Sharing pictures from the happy day and celebrating her son, Kate wrote: “My college graduate!!!!!!”
Zahra Rock
Actor and daughter of comedian Chris Rock, Zahra Rock (22) graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Narrative Studies. The programme focuses on storytelling across media and culture. The Roommates star shared happy memories with her peers on social media, writing, “so much love, so many memories.”