Donald Trump’s Educational Background

45th President of the United States – Donald J. Trump

New York business magnate and 45th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, loves to brag about his quality of education. But the fact of the matter is that his educational journey is surprisingly a shorter one; Trump’s highest qualification is a bachelor’s degree in economics, with finance being his main area of specialization. Let’s take a look at Trump’s educational background.

Kew-Forest School, Queens

Trump grew up in Jamaica Estates in Queens, New York. His early childhood was characterized by a bit of uncouth behavior, which got his rich father Fred Trump deeply worried about his boy’s future. Being a smart businessman, Fred Trump took corrective measures and addressed little Donald’s waywardness.

Before he attained the age of 13, Trump schooled at the Kew-Forest School — it’s an old preparatory school in Forest Hill, Queens. The school offers coeducational preschool tuition for students through 12th Grade. Trump started showing his bad colors right at this preparatory school. To stop him from causing further troubles, his dad took him to New York Military Academy so that he could be disciplined over there.

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New York Military Academy

Trump excelled greatly at the military academy. His social and academic life transformed in a positive direction. He was also a great sportsman. Trump was a star soccer player, an athlete, and a member of the academy’s baseball team.

Tapping into his leadership skills, Trump was appointed a cadet captain. In 1964, his graduation year, he led his cadet members to 5th Avenue during a parade on Memorial Day.

Notwithstanding the fact that he was seen as a bully and a Ladies Man, Trump believes that his formative years were those he spent at the New York Military Academy. However, Trump went on to become a businessman, instead of serving in the Vietnam War as an American troop. The president acknowledges that he felt guilty of not going to Vietnam. But truth be spoken, a medical deferment disqualified him from military deployment.

It’s hard to dig into the details of Trump’s academic performance at the academy. After boasting of his intelligence, Trump had his lawyers and legal team bar his former schools from releasing his academic results. He entered Fordham University for a while.

Fordham University

After graduating from military academy, Trump enrolled at Fordham University for 2 years (1964-1966) before leaving on a transfer to the University of Pennsylvania. Trump claims that he transferred to Pennsylvania because he wanted a new challenge with the best. There are also unsubstantiated allegations that the future president of the U.S. left Fordham because of bad grades.

Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania

In 1966, Donald J. Trump entered University of Pennsylvania to read Economics as an undergraduate student. His interest in real estate may have convinced him to read economics in order to widen his financial literacy. When his elder brother Robert struggled to live a responsible life, Trump stepped in to inherit and manage his family‘s real estate businesses.

In 1968, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Claiming that he topped his graduating class, Trump has blocked all access to his academic results. Meanwhile, he constantly questioned president Obama’s educational background.

 

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34 Responses

  1. Raymonc Clary says:

    Regarding the above negative comments about our President’s denying access to his educational records, I have learned since my graduation from the Naval Academy in 1965 that my education served to open many doors for me. However, it was my performance in the jobs I have held that defined my successes. Whether I was first in my class or last, it was my performance that mattered most. Donald Trump’s performance as President has exceeded all expectations — and has absolutely enraged his liberal detractors.

    • Nai’a says:

      Let’s see ..???
      I assume, that, after receiving his BS Degree (I’m not referring to Bachelor of Science Degree .. rather, Bull S**T degree, with MULTIPLE BANKRUPTCIES, to support his INEPTITUDE ) which Daddy, once again, had to come rescue his sorry OKOLE), he continued on his path of privileged, underperformance, selfishness, bullying (probably had big, paid-off support), disrespect, and NARCISSISM, from the beginning. To a point where his incompetence is threatening the Stability, Respect, and Leadership, Of the GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH !!

    • Demetrio says:

      That’s why Republicans against Trump exists. It has nothing to do with liberal detractors. But nice try.

    • Rick says:

      Yes, keep drinking that Orange Kool-Aid.

    • james R Wright says:

      your joking of course! I am a (former republican thanks to djt) son of a Fordham graduate and Korean war vet! trump is thee worst businessman of all time! trump airlines! bankrupt! trump university! bankrupt! The man plotted to overturn an election he clearly lost! now the GOP is paying his legal bills while he scams people for donations! kick him to the curb!!!

    • Karen Booth says:

      Thank you so much for your comments on President Trump. His 4 years as our President says it all.

    • JusticeDelivered says:

      I agree, what matters is has a person learned how to self direct acquiring the necessary knowledge and how to apply it. College is supposed to impart those skills, today colleges are not doing a very good job. The same is true of K-12.

      It is when we enter the workforce that we start really learning. Somehow, maybe because I had run of a university from 7th grade on, I was able to teach myself electrical, mechanical, architectural engineering. I am an old fart now, but I worked as an engineer – entrenpeur for 40 years. No degree, but I have a very high IQ.

      I see similar traits in Trump. I started number of businesses, some successful, 2/3rds were not. We learn as we go. Trump is the best president we have had in a very long time, and we will put him back in office in 2024.

  2. Janice Bullock says:

    I agree with Raymonic that performance matters more than academic grades; however, moral and ethical performance matters most, and this is where President Trump has failed dismally. A student displaying such behavior (bullying, name calling, racial slurring, posting threats on social media) would find him/herself facing consequences, including suspension. I fear for our country’s future when we condone such behavior from our President without consequences and place financial success above our moral and ethical values.

    • Jerry Chambers says:

      He obviously did not graduate at the top of his class or we would hear constantly about his magna cum laude. He probably failed out of Fordham. But the most serious thing was the trouble he got into at Kew-Forest. A friend of mine, who attended Kew-Forest with him told be that he was notorious for his gang-crime that he was involved in. All the members of the gang except him were arrested, but somehow he got off and withdrew. This did not surprise me when he told me this but the crime was quite awful but consistent with his normal behavior.

      • Ben Conners says:

        Jerry is exactly correct about the gang-???? that he was involved in. I have a friend that went to school with him and related this to me. His daddy made compensation and promised to “straighten him out.” His buddies were not so lucky.

  3. Mar says:

    I think he left Fordham because the school would not take money from his dad to assure passing grades for him. On to U. Of Pa. , there daddy could give lots of money to insure son at least graduated. If someone hides something you can bet that they don’t want anyone to see it. No one hides good, only bad!

    • Howie says:

      Actually, a friend of the family was on the admission committee and personally championed to have Trump admitted to Wharton. Couldnt have done it on his own.

  4. Chappie says:

    Don the Con. He was given every opportunity to excel in this world. Yet he either dumbs down his speech to pander to his base to which he admits is beneath him. Or he truly is a dotard. He has conned people into believing failure to be success, that it better to appear to be strong than be strong, to say you are smart than actually act intelligently, to pretend to be sure than to actually know, to believe he actually has a plan when none exists , to be respected when he respects nobody, to say he has faith when he has never practiced it. To say he has performed beyond expectation is saying something about how low those expectations where and are. He is an unmitigated disaster as both a human being and the POTUS.

  5. Lee Simms says:

    I voted for Donald thinking he would be a change of pace from “politics as usual”. He definitely was a change from the norm. The change was a very ugly and repulsive one. He turned out to be a racist, rich, spoiled brat and he didn’t care who knew about it. I don’t mind going back to “politics as usual”. Anybody but Trump this time. Go Biden!

  6. revniw says:

    For him to hold a BS degree in any discipline from any institution and display this level of stupidity is not just alarming, but frightening in the office of President of the United States of America.

  7. Linda Moore says:

    I think is has already been said so well. This administration has been a disaster and this AM on the news to find out our young men in service have a bounty on their backs is sickening. He does not care and has done nothing. He has torn our county apart and the people he has in place are as inept as he is. God help us.

  8. Harold says:

    Trump’s demonstrated mental abilities does not speak well for the U of P.

  9. Rob says:

    I am horrified that this man may be elected again. He certainly has not done anything but harm our country.

    • J bob says:

      I thought he did pretty good considering he was attacked from day one 24/7 365 for four years

      • Dolores says:

        I agree. He did more great things for this country than any other president in history. The amazing thing about it is, he did all this in spite of being attacked by democrats, as you said, 24/7 for 4 yrs. A lesser man would have crumbled. I might not always like his ways, but at least he says what he means, and means what he says.

  10. J says:

    Trump does not act like a person that is educated, most of the time in public. I question his manors. He seems to have ADD or ADHD. For an educated person, he seems very narrow minded. His education seems to be very narrow. No wander he is unable to see the big picture. And I made the mistake to vote for him in 2016.

  11. Serge Petelin says:

    The most telling event to display his character was when he let an 92 year old lady stand for 10-15 minutes waiting for his motorcade to arrive. Then he and old lady went for a walk to inspect a guard of soldiers.
    He then proceeded to walk in front of said old lady, expecting her I suppose to catch up on her 92 year old legs.
    Every other world leader has observed protocol, manners and respect for a 2,000 year old institution.

    Humpy Trumpy however decided he was far more important, walked in front of her, obscuring her from the cameras, and struggling to keep up.
    That 92 yr old lady was of course, Queen Elizabeth of England/Britain.

  12. Randall Jones says:

    Trump is a First Generation American. Why does He decide who else gets to be an American?

  13. James Condon says:

    If Trump had graduated high in his class, how come he wasn’t at least Cum Laude or above, or with honors. If he had either, I am sure we would have heard of it from him. Furthermore, these honors are public record – has anyone looked into that?

    • JusticeDelivered says:

      Have you considered that very bright people are not challenged enough in school, that they are bored by the slow pace? Rather students are slow or very bright, they may be disruptive and not motivated to do well in class. The truth is that our public schools are failing to motivate students who fall outside the normal range. Adding to the problem are woke teachers who are so busy trying to impose Marxism and CRT, that they fail to teach what is important. It seems that K-12 has been so corrupted that we should fire those people, even with that, public schools are probably unsalvageable.

  14. Audrey says:

    Donald J. Trump will go down in history as one of the greatest presidents. One of the first things he did upon entering office was to take action to protect the unborn baby. The true character of a person is exposed by the value they place on the sanctity of human life at its’ beginning and end. In addition, he also began to work on prison reform. He met with Christian ministers to provide opportunities for mentorship with inmates since 85% are raised without fathers.

    On the home front, He secured our borders by enforcing the US law. A country without borders is not a country. He strengthened and honored our military who sacrifice their lives and families to protect our constitution and freedoms. Trump was wise enough to see how our former presidents negotiated with China that led to seizing American jobs. He renegotiated and brought American companies back to the US providing millions of jobs. He restored our lost dignity and respect with other countries by displaying strong leadership in regards to negotiating not only trades but alliances.
    As far as Trump’s character, his actions revealed a man who was not a real politician, which is one who is usually trained in the ways of suave and deception. But Trump is real and unabashed at what he loves. He says what he means and actually means what he says. Being unafraid and confident made him a threat to the weak followers of liberals because they’re used to being told what to think and what to do. Before you berate his character you might examine your own. No one is without flaws. If you were in the public eye what would be said of YOU? Also, I would never hold it against anyone who is wealthy because their parents worked hard and provided their children a stable life and left them an inheritance. There are rewards for faithfulness and hard work and one of them is that your children will be blessed with opportunities. President Trump obviously benefited from his parents example because he did not take a check for being president. He took one dollar. He has worked hard his whole life, as did his parents and he actually didn’t even need the money. Where do you think that money went? He put it right back into the economy. Has any other president done that? Maybe one other. I would venture to say that most of the people who left negative comments about Trump would never work for free.
    I’m sorry to see so many people deceived by the deception of the mainstream media. There are several underground news sources that report with integrity. But you must be willing to dig for it and learn to think for yourself. If you’re not willing to investigate and discover the truth for yourself, then you deserve to be deceived.

  15. Kreece says:

    🙄…Seriously? The author’s perspective is blatantly skewed.

  16. matthew flynn says:

    Oh god , i thought that I’ve read and seen @thing…. Why is his past so well hidden… If he’s half the con man he thinks he is , why would,nt he come fourth with this info… The great Don Is no more…. Go New York. Thank You Sgt M.G.Flynn United States American Embassy 1981-1984 (Middle East).USMC

  17. Rose Maguire says:

    This article on Trumps Educational background is skewed so negatively that it is useless. I am relieved that he was not educated at one of the IVY League bastions of Liberalisms. It confirms my assumption that he actually had a normal upbringing. He has his head screwed on right because he was protected from becoming a LIMOSENE Liberal, like so many Politicians today. He was a great President. I would appreciate objective information without the bias.

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