Donald Trump at Wharton School
By Anne Dennon and BestColleges Staff
Updated on January 14, 2025
Edited by BestColleges Staff Editorial Team
Learn more about our editorial process
It’s a common question, especially given the existence of Trump University: where did Donald Trump actually go to college? The answer might surprise some. While Trump University became synonymous with educational controversy, Donald Trump’s own academic path took him through established East Coast institutions, culminating in a degree from a prestigious Ivy League business school.
Key Takeaways:
- Contrary to popular misconception, Donald Trump did not attend Trump University as a student. Trump University was a real estate education company founded by him, which later faced significant legal challenges.
- Donald Trump began his higher education journey at Fordham University before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania.
- He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a bachelor’s degree in economics. This is a point of pride for Trump, who frequently mentions his Wharton degree.
As Donald Trump embarks on his second presidential term in January 2025, his views and policies on higher education continue to be a topic of national discussion. Understanding his own educational background provides valuable context to these perspectives. While his administration is expected to scrutinize higher education policies, including student debt and curriculum content, it’s worth examining the academic institutions that shaped the former president himself.
Trump’s stance on higher education has been multifaceted. He has criticized aspects of the modern university system, particularly what he terms “wokeness” and issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. He has also been vocal against student loan forgiveness programs. However, he often highlights his own academic achievements, particularly his degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. This juxtaposition – criticizing aspects of higher education while boasting about his own credentials – makes understanding his college history all the more relevant.
In his 1987 book, “The Art of the Deal,” Trump reflected on his time at Wharton, stating, “Perhaps the most important thing I learned at Wharton was not to be overly impressed by academic credentials.” Despite this apparent ambivalence towards academic prestige, his educational choices and the emphasis he places on his Wharton degree suggest a more complex relationship with higher education. Let’s delve into the specifics of Donald Trump’s college journey.
From Fordham to Wharton: Trump’s College Years
Donald Trump’s educational path began in private schools in New York City. He attended Kew-Forest School in Queens from kindergarten through seventh grade. Later, concerned about his behavior, his parents enrolled him in the New York Military Academy, a private boarding school in upstate New York. After graduating from the military academy, Trump returned to New York City for college.
Initially, Donald Trump enrolled at Fordham University, a Jesuit and Catholic university located in the Bronx. He spent two years at Fordham before making a significant academic move. He then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution in Philadelphia. Crucially, Trump was admitted to Penn’s prestigious Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, now known as the Wharton School.
The transfer to Penn was facilitated in part by his older brother, Fred Trump Jr., who reportedly helped secure an interview for Donald with a Penn admissions officer who was a friend. His father, Fred Trump Sr., also accompanied him to this interview, according to reports in The Washington Post.
In 1968, Donald Trump graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School. While claims of him graduating “first in his class,” as reported by The New York Times in 1973, have been disputed, the fact remains that he obtained a degree from a highly regarded business school. Records indicate that he was not on the Dean’s List and was not among the top graduates at commencement. However, Trump himself has consistently emphasized the value of his Wharton degree, particularly in the business world.
As he stated in “The Art of the Deal,” “In my opinion, that degree doesn’t prove very much, but a lot of people I do business with take it very seriously. So all things considered, I’m glad I went to Wharton.” Interestingly, both of Donald Trump’s eldest children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, also followed in his footsteps by attending and graduating from the Wharton School.
Trump University: A For-Profit Venture and Controversy
Following a career in real estate development, casinos, and entertainment, Donald Trump launched Trump University in 2005. This for-profit venture aimed to teach real estate investing. Trump stated at the time that he envisioned it as part of his “legacy as an educator.”
Trump claimed that the curriculum was developed with the input of faculty from prestigious institutions like Northwestern, Stanford, and Columbia Business School. However, these universities distanced themselves from Trump University, although some individual faculty members may have been involved.
Trump University operated by offering courses ranging from free introductory seminars to expensive “premium programs” costing up to $35,000. Instructors reportedly encouraged students to invest heavily, sometimes suggesting they increase credit card limits to enroll in higher-tier programs.
Despite its name, Trump University was not an accredited university and did not grant academic degrees. In 2010, the New York Education Department raised concerns about the use of the term “university” in its name, citing state education laws. Subsequently, the company changed its name to the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative.
The venture faced significant legal challenges. The New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit accusing Trump University of being a scam. Furthermore, two class-action lawsuits were filed alleging fraud and misleading marketing practices. While Trump initially defended Trump University against these allegations, he eventually agreed to a $25 million settlement in 2016 to resolve the lawsuits. This settlement covered approximately 6,000 students who attended Trump University between 2005 and 2010, offering them partial compensation for tuition fees.
Honorary Degrees: A Mixed Academic Honor
Beyond his formal education, Donald Trump has been awarded several honorary degrees. However, many of these have been rescinded, particularly after his entry into politics in 2015.
Robert Gordon University in Scotland awarded Trump an honorary doctorate of business administration in 2010. This degree was revoked in December 2015 after Trump’s controversial call for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” The university cited Trump’s statements as “wholly incompatible with the ethos and values of the university.”
Lehigh University rescinded an honorary doctorate of laws awarded to Trump in 1988, doing so in 2021 following the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. Wagner College also revoked an honorary doctorate of humane letters, awarded in 2004, shortly after the same event.
As of now, Donald Trump retains two honorary degrees, both from Liberty University, a private Christian university. Liberty University awarded him an honorary doctorate of business in 2012, citing his “unwavering and public commitment to our nation’s founding principles.” In 2017, Liberty University further conferred upon him an honorary doctor of laws degree when he delivered the commencement address.
Conclusion: Trump’s Educational Narrative
Donald Trump’s educational background is a story of East Coast private schooling followed by a business degree from the prestigious Wharton School. While he often downplays the importance of academic credentials in general, he frequently references his Wharton degree, highlighting its perceived value in the business world. It’s crucial to distinguish between Donald Trump’s personal academic history and Trump University, the for-profit education company that became entangled in legal controversies. His journey through Fordham and Wharton provides a clearer picture of where Donald Trump went to college, contrasting sharply with the troubled legacy of Trump University.
