10 power couples who were college sweethearts

While power couples might be wealthy and influential in their respective fields today, many met back before either had a big career going. In fact, there are many famous couples who met while in college, either by having classes together, knowing mutual friends, or a chance encounter at a party. These couples have often carried their romance through quite a bit as they’ve built businesses and professional careers and navigated the perils of being in the spotlight. While not all college romances last, read on to learn about some big names who are still with their college sweethearts.

1. Kate Middleton and Prince William of Wales

There are few couples that are known as well worldwide as this duo. The royal couple met while attending the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and one royal biographer described their first meeting as being pretty awkward (she curtsied, he spilled his drink on himself). The two started off as friends, even sharing an apartment together with a couple of other school chums, before they began dating in 2002. After dating for seven years off and on, the pair was married in 2010 while millions watched the event live on TV. Today, they’re one of the best-known and most widely recognized couples in the world.

2. Bill and Hillary Clinton

Bill and Hillary have endured their share of scandals during their marriage, including a particularly notable one involving an intern, but they are still going strong nearly 37 years later. The Clintons have both had pretty illustrious careers, with both former lawyers taking on high-profile political positions, he as president and governor and she as Secretary of State and senator. The two met while attending Yale Law School where they dated for a few years before tying the knot in 1975.

3. Kate and Andy Spade

The fashion-savvy will recognize these names immediately, as they are behind one of the most popular brands in fashion, Kate Spade and Jack Spade. Kate and Andy met back when they were students at Arizona State University and would later marry after starting the Kate Spade brand together with almost no funding in 1993. The iconic handbags Kate designed helped launch their business and won the duo numerous design awards. They have since sold the brand to retailer Neiman Marcus (netting them nearly $100 million) but remain well-known names in the fashion business.

4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall

This comedic couple has been together since before either had an established career. While Julia might be the household name in the couple, Brad has been working for decades behind the scenes as a comedy writer and both rose to prominence in the early ’80s with a stint onSaturday Night Live. The funny pair met while attending Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and has appeared not only on SNL together but also on an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. They have been married since 1987 and have two children together.

5. Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky

With parents who also met in college, it’s no surprise that this former first daughter also met her husband while a student. Both Chelsea and Marc come from political families, though hers is perhaps more well-known than his (both of his parents were senators), and both have highly successful careers of their own, her as a journalist and he on Wall Street. The two first met right before Clinton would attend college, as Mezvinsky was already a student at Stanford and many believe it was this early friendship that motivated Clinton to choose Stanford for her own college education. The two kept their dating under wraps while at school, and didn’t openly admit to being a couple until both had graduated in 2007.