Tennis great Billie Jean King graduates from Cal State L.A. 65 years after enrolling

Tennis legend Billie Jean King received her bachelor's degree in history from Cal State Los Angeles on Monday, completing her education 65 years after first enrolling in 1961.

The 82-year-old sports icon left college in 1964 without graduating to pursue her professional tennis career, which led to dozens of Grand Slam titles and numerous groundbreaking achievements in sports and civil rights.

King walked across the stage at the Shrine Auditorium alongside roughly 6,000 other graduates from the Class of 2026, also serving as the ceremony's commencement speaker.

The completion of her degree represents a personal milestone for King, who had long been bothered by not finishing her college education and would correct anyone who mistakenly said she had graduated.

Her return to academia demonstrates the growing trend of older adults pursuing higher education, which could influence housing demand patterns in California as more seniors seek proximity to educational institutions and urban amenities.

The story also highlights the continued importance of California's state university system in serving diverse student populations across different life stages, potentially affecting residential development planning near major campuses like Cal State LA.