Woman Drops PhD to Teach STEM on OnlyFans (Exclusive)

• Zara Darcy dropped out of her bioengineering PhD after two years due to a number of issues she had with the program, among them her desire for more control over her work and schedule.
• After leaving her professorial position, Darcy started sharing free, educational content on OnlyFans and YouTube.
• The Texan 25-year-old spoke to PEOPLE about her journeys in both academia and content creation — and the differences between her cleaner videos and more explicit posts.

Zara Darcy can cite a number of reasons why she dropped out of her bioengineering PhD program after two years; she can offer just as many for why she pivoted to adult content creation.

For one thing, Darcy’s high-level research university didn’t offer the type of hands-on work she wanted; she was in a professorial role, overseeing graduate student work, offering feedback and securing funding. Considering how competitive roles in academia can be, she also figured the doctorate would give her no less edge in the broader job market.

“I realized that even after completing a PhD, I would likely find myself in a similar position as I would with a master’s degree; overqualified for entry-level jobs but lacking industry experience,” Darcy, 25, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

She decided to “master out” instead, leaving her PhD studies but claiming the master’s degree she earned along the way. However, Darcy didn’t find herself wanting for work experience on her resume. Instead, she opted for self-employment in the field of STEM, creating educational content online.

But that’s not all the Texan creator shares, and it’s where she posts that sets her apart as a teacher. Darcy has two pages on the popular mature entertainment site OnlyFans, one of which offers free, academically focused lessons.

On the second profile, she uploads explicit content that she describes as “artistic and erotic with tasteful nudity.” There, she tells PEOPLE, she’s able to “fully express myself as an individual.”

“This content is deeply personal, and I use it to explore my thoughts, feelings and experiences,” she says of the latter page. “For example, I did a photoshoot where I wore a hard hat while being topless, symbolizing the choice between continuing to work for others or working independently. I paired it with a poem inspired by Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken,’ which reflected the two paths I’m facing in my life.”

Darcy adds, “I like to think of each set as a reflection of who I am and the message I want to share at the time.”

Even her tamer, cost-free educational posts are charged by “a hot twist to keep things engaging and fun,” she explains. This can look as simple as Darcy teaching in a low-cut or risqué top — a far cry from typical professorial attire — as she’s previously posted in teaser clips on Instagram.

“I started by sharing quick science facts on Instagram as short videos, discussing topics like the Leidenfrost effect and Schrödinger’s cat,” she says. “I cover various topics, from math and STEM to personal growth, but I like to present them in a way that’s both approachable and playful, mixing education with a little bit of spice.”

She originally joined OnlyFans in 2022, when she was still in her graduate studies. She also posted on YouTube, but she began to notice the adult platform was promoting her videos on their login page. The attention motivated Darcy to continue creating her educational content, and her YouTube subscriber count ticked upwards as well.

“This made me realize I can have an actual career by continuing to share educational and artistic [and] erotic content on OnlyFans. I love that fans respect my boundaries, and I only share what I’m comfortable with,” says Darcy.

Her viral success immediately brought in a profit that well exceeded her expectations. Within three months of posting, Darcy says she earned over $50,000, well over the roughly $200 monthly average amongst other creators.

She was cross-promoting on Instagram, but “despite simply creating science videos while showing some cleavage,” she recalls that the app banned her account, temporarily causing her revenue to decline. Her earnings would spike whenever one of her “science shorts” went viral.

In the beginning, when she was still in academia and social media was a “side project,” Darcy wasn’t too concerned about building a presence online. Still, she was curious about where her content could best thrive.

“Interestingly, I posted the same science videos on Pornhub as an experiment, and I earned almost three times more than I did on YouTube for the same content,” she notes.

Darcy caught widespread attention last autumn when she got candid with her followers about dropping out of her PhD program. The viral video garnered 1.9 million views on Instagram. “I earned over $40,000 in just 24 hours — more than my annual income as a graduate student,” she tells PEOPLE.

“I had wanted to share my experience of leaving graduate school months earlier but hesitated because I didn’t think people were interested in my personal or academic life,” says the content creator. “However, after my YouTube channel surpassed 100,000 subscribers, fans began asking more about me, so I decided to share my career journey.”

She was amazed by how much her story resonated with those who came across it. She says she received dozens of direct messages from people who similarly left academia due to varying challenges, like financial difficulties and trouble with the bureaucratic systems within universities.

The internet can be an unforgiving place to share so openly, and on the other side of her largely positive reception, she’s watched a lot of misinformation spread about her journey since going viral.

“Many people assumed I completely abandoned STEM because of OnlyFans. However, I use my knowledge in ways that feel more meaningful to me — whether that’s making educational content with my own twist, researching topics that interest me without academic constraints or finding creative ways to blend STEM with erotica for my OnlyFans,” says Darcy.

She’s done her best to address her audience’s incorrect conclusions, but like many content creators, Darcy has also accepted that it’s hard to rein in the narrative online. Instead, she’s decided to focus on what’s most important to her: the lessons and messages she teaches.

“The internet moves fast, and people believe what they want,” Darcy tells PEOPLE. “At some point, I realized that I just have to accept that and focus on what actually matters.”

While most of her audience applauded and understood her career change, Darcy admits some of those in her personal circle voiced concerns about her progress.

“When I first decided to pivot away from academia, my family was initially concerned because they know how hard I worked to get to the point I was in grad school,” she says. “They were worried about what this shift meant for my future and whether it was the right move.”

Her family’s worries, she explains, were mainly sourced from their lack of knowledge about her path. They also worried for her safety, which she acknowledges as a valid point of concern.

“Once I explained more about what I’m doing and how I’m staying safe, they understood and trusted my decision,” she adds of her loved ones. “At the end of the day, they just want me to be happy and secure, and I think they see that I’ve got a plan that works for me.”

Judging by her profit, that plan has certainly worked out. “In total, I’ve made over $1 million through my online career — something I never imagined possible. Currently, I am among the top 0.1% of creators on OnlyFans and hope to continue growing my presence,” Darcy shares.

As for any future return to the traditional classroom, Darcy says she is not interested in that type of academia anymore. While she still values the field of education, she believes the best way for her to contribute is by creating online courses for free.

“Knowledge should be accessible to everyone, no matter their background or financial situation. I want to contribute to a system where people can learn on their own terms, without the constraints of expensive tuition or the traditional academic structure that doesn’t always prioritize the student experience,” she explains.

Plus, Darcy has found herself put off by the “reality” of university work, and she’s glad to be able to control her time and her content.

“Professors and teachers aren’t as respected or compensated as they should be, considering the huge impact they have on shaping minds and advancing fields,” she adds. “It’s frustrating to see how undervalued they are, especially when a lot of them are working under a lot of pressure with low pay, constantly fighting for funding and dealing with bureaucratic hurdles.”

With a digital platform like Darcy has on OnlyFans, she doesn’t have to wrestle with any of those semantics. She’s liberated in how she presents herself, what she teaches and how she presents her own vision. Her output isn’t defined or constrained by outside funding or a university-set salary.

“I get to make decisions that fit my life, not someone else’s agenda,” Darcy continues. “There’s also no limit to how much I can earn, and that’s been huge for me. I’m able to earn on my own terms and decide how I want to spend the money, whether that’s investing in myself, helping my family or planning for the future.”

In the male-dominated field of STEM, leading women are often carved out to be role models, but Darcy doesn’t totally see herself that way. If nothing else, she hopes her story shows other scientifically inclined women that there isn’t one route to success, and not all paths are going to intersect with traditional.

“I’m figuring things out as I go, just like a lot of people are, and that’s totally fine. I want others to see that you can take risks, change your mind and still find success in ways that feel right for you, not based on what everyone else thinks you should do,” Darcy says. “If my journey helps someone feel more confident in making their own choices, then that’s awesome.”