Collins spent two years in a Ph.D. program in Physics at the University of Texas at Austin before transferring to the University of Notre Dame where he received a Ph.D. in philosophy in 1993.
Collins menempuh dua tahun program Ph.D. dalam bidang fisika pada University of Texas at Austin sebelum pindah ke University of Notre Dame di mana ia meraih gelar Ph.D. dalam bidang filsafat pada tahun 1993.