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Fact check: What are the current educational pursuits of Malia and Sasha Obama?
Executive Summary
Malia Obama is widely reported to have completed her formal university education and is currently focused on a career in entertainment, including writing and directing projects, while Sasha Obama graduated from the University of Southern California with a sociology degree in 2023 and is living in Los Angeles pursuing post-graduate life. Contemporary coverage converges on Malia pivoting from student to creative professional and on Sasha finishing college and establishing a residential and professional foothold in L.A., but sourcing varies on timing and emphasis, requiring careful reconciliation of reports [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. Why Malia’s “education” now reads like a career pivot, not ongoing study
Reporting from 2025 frames Malia Obama primarily as a creative professional rather than a current student, noting her Harvard degree in African American Studies completed in 2021 and subsequent work as a writer for television, including credits on projects like Swarm and reported directorial activity. Sources describe her trajectory as a transition from formal education to industry apprenticeship and practice, implying her higher-education phase concluded and her energy shifted to entertainment and film work [1] [2]. Different outlets emphasize credits versus degree completion, but all indicate an absence of ongoing enrolled study.
2. Sasha’s academic record: degree complete and a Los Angeles chapter
Multiple pieces of analysis identify Sasha Obama as having graduated from the University of Southern California in 2023 with a degree in sociology after transferring from the University of Michigan; reporting places her in Los Angeles following graduation and suggests she is building a post-college life rather than continuing formal education. This consensus points to Sasha’s higher education as complete, with her current pursuits described as personal and professional development within L.A.’s social and cultural milieu, as noted in September 2024 and April 2025 accounts [3] [4] [5].
3. Timeline alignment: graduation dates and subsequent moves
Available sources align on a clear chronology: Malia completed Harvard in 2021, Sasha transferred in 2022 and graduated USC in 2023, and by 2024–2025 both were observed in Los Angeles with career-oriented activities. This sequence supports the interpretation that neither sister is currently enrolled in degree programs as of the latest reporting, and both have entered post-academic phases, though media focus differs — Malia on creative credits and Sasha on life after graduation [1] [3] [4] [5].
4. Divergent emphases reveal different narratives and potential agendas
Entertainment-focused outlets highlight Malia’s industry credits and creative identity, often framing her as an emerging writer-director, while society and local press emphasize Sasha’s degree and relocation to L.A. These distinct frames can reflect editorial priorities: celebrity-career coverage seeks the next project, while community reporting underscores educational milestones and local presence, so readers should note how outlet focus shapes the portrayal of each sister’s current pursuits [2] [4] [3].
5. Assessing gaps and unverifiable claims in the record
Some sources included in the dataset offer background but lack up-to-date confirmation or contain unrelated or sensational material; these pieces either do not address current study or mix accurate milestones with conjecture. The most reliable inferences arise where multiple, recent reports corroborate graduation dates and professional activities; where only single or older articles speak, uncertainty remains about ongoing short-term courses, fellowships, or informal learning, which are plausible but unreported in the provided analyses [6] [7] [8].
6. What the evidence does not show but matters to the big picture
The assembled reporting does not document any current enrollment in degree programs for either sister, but it cannot exclude short-term professional training or private study that wouldn’t attract press coverage. Understanding their present status depends on two distinctions: formal degree enrollment versus career training, and public-facing projects versus private development — the evidence supports that both are in post-degree, career-oriented phases, with Malia publicly tied to entertainment and Sasha settling into life after a sociology degree at USC [1] [2] [3] [4].
7. Bottom line for readers tracking educational status and next steps
Based on cross-checked reporting through 2025, the factual baseline is straightforward: Malia has completed her university education and is focused on entertainment work; Sasha graduated USC in 2023 with a sociology degree and is building her post-college life in Los Angeles. For definitive confirmation of any new academic enrollments, one should look for direct statements, university records, or contemporaneous reporting beyond these analyses, since current public coverage emphasizes career and residential developments rather than new formal educational pursuits [1] [3] [4] [5].