Noah Schnapp, best known for playing Will Byers in the hit series ‘Stranger Things’, has graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The 21-year-old shared photos and videos from her graduation ceremony on Instagram on Monday, May 18, ending a chapter in which she has been openly vocal during the show.In her post, Schnapp shared a photo of herself in her cap and dress with twin sister Chloe and their parents, Karine and Mitchell Schnapp. Another photo showed him in front of the commencement stage, along with a video of his name being called as he walked across the stage to accept his diploma. She captioned the post with one of Elle Woods’ most famous lines from “Legally Blonde”: “What, is it hard?”
How Noah Schnapp Balanced College With His Acting Career
Schnapp told Vogue in December 2022 that she attended classes at the Ivy League institution until ‘Stranger Things’ producers needed her on set, at which point she planned to switch to virtual school. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in December 2025, he reflected on how education has always been a priority in his career.“Growing up, education was always so important. Even on set, I went through a lot of teachers,” he told the outlet. “My parents used to say, ‘He’s not getting a good enough education. He needs a math teacher and another English teacher.'”He added that going to college was never in doubt. “It was never a question of whether or not I would go to college, so much as what I would study. I knew I wanted to be an actor, but I wasn’t in a rush. I wanted to have my childhood and get all those experiences first before it all went in and I lost all sense of a normal life.”
What graduation means for Noah Schnapp’s next chapter
According to Schnapp, the decision to go to college meant she had to put aside some projects in order to prioritize her studies. But graduation time, coinciding with the end of ‘Stranger Things’, has been a particularly significant moment.“It’s interesting now because I’m graduating in a few months at the same time I’m taking finals. So all these chapters of my childhood are closing, and now I’m entering a new world where anything can happen. It’s scary and exciting at the same time,” she said.The actor also shared that stepping away from the entertainment industry for periods of time allowed him to explore other creative interests. “Acting is really all I know,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “It’s helped me explore and learn other aspects, to take screenwriting and directing classes and say, ‘OK, maybe I want to write a movie for myself, or maybe I want to direct something.’“So outside of the acting world, I became interested in the idea that I could do that someday.”
