When people ask, what school did Trump attend, they usually expect a one-word answer like "Wharton." But honestly, the reality is a bit more of a winding road across New York and Pennsylvania. It wasn’t just one campus. We’re talking about a journey that started in a private neighborhood school, detoured through a rigid military academy, and eventually landed in the Ivy League.
If you've followed the headlines over the last decade, you've probably heard a lot of conflicting stuff about his grades or his "super genius" status. Getting to the bottom of his actual education history means looking at three very different institutions.
The Early Years: From Kew-Forest to the Drill Deck
Donald Trump’s education started in Queens. He attended the Kew-Forest School from kindergarten through the seventh grade. It was a private, leafy campus, but things reportedly got a bit rocky toward the end. His father, Fred Trump, was actually on the board of trustees there. Despite that family connection, Donald was known for being a handful.
By age 13, his parents decided he needed a serious dose of discipline. They packed him off to the New York Military Academy (NYMA) in Cornwall-on-Hudson.
Think about that for a second. One day you're a kid in Queens, the next you're wearing a uniform and waking up to a bugle.
He stayed there from 1959 to 1964. It wasn't just a "phase" either. Trump actually thrived in that environment. He rose to the rank of student captain and was very involved in sports, particularly baseball. He’s often quoted saying that the academy gave him "more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military." While that’s a classic Trump-ism, it highlights how much that rigid, hierarchical culture shaped his worldview.
The Fordham Years: A Two-Year Pit Stop
After graduating from NYMA in 1964, Trump didn't head straight to the Ivy League. He actually stayed local. He enrolled at Fordham University in the Bronx.
Most people forget this part. He was a student at Fordham for two years, studying economics. He lived at home and commuted, which is a pretty different experience from the typical "college life" you see in movies.
Why did he leave? According to his own book, The Art of the Deal, he felt like he needed to test himself against the best. He basically said that as long as he had to be in college, he might as well be at the most prestigious place possible for business.
The Wharton School: The Ivy League Brand
In 1966, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. Specifically, he entered the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (now just known as Wharton). This is the credential he leans on the most.
He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics.
💡 You might also like: Is Scarlett Johansson Married? The Truth About Her Life With Colin Jost
The Graduation Controversy
Here is where things get a bit spicy. For years, there were reports that Trump graduated "first in his class." However, researchers and former classmates have pushed back on this pretty hard.
- He didn't make the Dean’s List.
- He didn't graduate with honors (cum laude, etc.).
- The 1968 commencement program doesn't list him as a prize winner.
One of his former professors, the late William T. Kelley, reportedly called him "the dumbest goddam student I ever had," according to some of Kelley’s associates. On the flip side, Trump consistently points to his Wharton degree as proof of his high IQ. It's a classic case of two very different narratives.
Did He Actually Go to Classes?
Classmates from that era, like Louis Calomaris, have said that Trump didn't seem particularly interested in the academic side of things. He wasn't the guy in the library until 2 a.m.
Instead, he spent his weekends back in New York. While other students were partying or studying, he was reportedly following his father around real estate sites. He was basically doing an informal apprenticeship in the family business while getting his degree. This might explain why he wasn't a "straight-A" student—his head was already in the Manhattan skyline.
The Legacy of His Education
Trump’s schooling is more than just a list of names. It’s a roadmap of his personality. The Military Academy gave him his love for "strength" and "order." Fordham was his bridge from childhood to adulthood. Wharton gave him the "Ivy League" stamp of approval that he’s used as a shield and a sword in business and politics ever since.
Whether you think he was a brilliant student or just a guy with a famous last name and a transfer application, there's no denying the weight those institutions carry.
What to Look for Next
If you're researching this for a project or just out of curiosity, here’s how to dig deeper:
- Check the Archives: The Daily Pennsylvanian (UPenn’s student paper) has archived dozens of articles from the 1960s that mention Trump and his classmates.
- Read the Biographies: The Trumps by Gwenda Blair provides the most detailed look at his transfer from Fordham to Penn, including the family connections that might have helped the process.
- Verify the Titles: Always remember that "Wharton" in 1968 was specifically the "Wharton School of Finance and Commerce." If you see a source calling it something else, they might not have the historical facts straight.
Understanding what school did Trump attend helps clarify the man behind the brand. It shows a mix of military discipline, local New York roots, and high-level Ivy League networking.