Rannells attended Our Lady of Lourdes grade school in Omaha, and then Creighton Preparatory School, an all-boys Roman Catholic school in Omaha.
ɹˈænəlz ɐtˈɛndᵻd ˌaʊɚ lˈeɪdi ʌv lˈɜːdz ɡɹˈeɪd skˈuːl ɪn ˈoʊmɐhˌɑː, ænd ðˈɛn kɹˈeɪtən pɹɪpˈæɹətˌoːɹi skˈuːl, ɐn ˈɔːlbˈɔɪz ɹˈoʊmən kˈæθlɪk skˈuːl ɪn ˈoʊmɐhˌɑː.