Luke Combs Reveals Why He ‘Hated School’ and Never Finished College: ‘I Was Probably Failing Out’

Country star Luke Combs has opened up about his decision to leave college before earning his degree from Appalachian State University. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, which will air this Sunday on NBC, Combs candidly discusses his reasons for dropping out, admitting that school was never a place he felt comfortable or motivated.

“You came pretty close to finishing school, like a semester away,” interviewer Geist begins. “21 hours, yeah,” Combs reveals, confirming he was just a few courses shy of completing his degree.

When asked what prompted his decision to leave school and pursue music in Nashville, Combs is straightforward. “Well, I mean I hated school,” he admits. “That helped; I was also probably failing out. We can pull the records on that probably. I love getting the alumni letters in the mail ’cause somehow those have wound up at my place like, ‘Hey, old pal, you sure love it up here don’t you?’ Which I do actually,” he says with a laugh.

Geist jokes about the fundraisers finding Combs’ phone number, to which he responds, “The fundraisers have figured out that I went there for sure. But that was a thing I honestly struggled with [for] a long time ’cause I did want to graduate. I just don’t know honestly if I could have, you know? Maybe I’m dumb for saying this but, I don’t think I wasn’t smart enough to graduate, I just don’t think I was committed enough.”

For Combs, the desire to graduate was there, but he lacked the motivation to continue once he realized his true passion. “There was nothing about it that made me want to be like, ‘Man, I just — I gotta get up and go to science class today,'” he explains. “Nothing about me wanted to go to math or science, you know what I mean? I was just more concerned with drinking and playing rugby and singing.”

Combs reflects on his priorities during his college years. “I was like ‘Man, this is all stuff that I want to do,'” he says. “Obviously you can’t drink for a living, so that was off the list and then I quickly realized I couldn’t play rugby for a living either and so there was really only one choice. That left one thing.”

In the end, Combs’ passion for music outweighed his academic ambitions, leading him to Nashville where he has since built a successful career. Despite not completing his degree, Combs has no regrets about his decision, as it ultimately allowed him to pursue his true calling.