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Brown University awarded Ben Affleck an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at its 2013 commencement. That honor was not an earned bachelor’s degree: contemporaneous coverage said he had not received a college diploma, and later reporting says he never earned a bachelor’s degree. His joke about passing Matt Damon was a quip about higher education, not a claim that he had graduated.
What did Ben Affleck say about his degree?
At Brown’s 2013 commencement, Affleck joked about his honorary degree and his longtime friend and Good Will Hunting co-star, Matt Damon. Boston Magazine quoted him saying, “This is a spectacular honor for me,” then, “Not only for the education [notch], but now I surpass Matt Damon.” Boston Magazine’s May 27, 2013 report presents that wording as a quotation from the ceremony.
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The Boston Globe rendered the joke differently: “In terms of higher ed, I’ve now passed Matt Damon.” The Globe’s May 26, 2013 account gives that version. These are contemporaneous press reports, not an official Brown transcript, so the different wordings should remain attributed to their respective outlets rather than blended into one definitive quote.
Did Ben Affleck graduate from college?
No. The honorary degree Brown awarded in 2013 recognized Affleck; it did not mean he had completed an undergraduate course of study. Boston Magazine’s contemporaneous coverage said he had not received a college diploma before the award. Later, The Washington Post described him as never having earned a bachelor’s degree.
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Affleck’s own comments in a separate 2026 GQ interview are consistent with that distinction: he described himself as someone who did not graduate from college or attend fancy schools. That interview is later context, not a source for what he said at Brown in 2013.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What degree did Ben Affleck receive from Brown?
Brown awarded Affleck an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at its 2013 commencement. An honorary degree is conferred by a university as recognition; it is distinct from a degree earned by completing an academic program. Harvard’s overview of the history of honorary degrees provides general context for the practice, but Brown’s award to Affleck is documented in the contemporaneous Boston coverage.
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