Here are the concise answers to the question “What college did each president attend?”:
- George Washington – did not attend college.
- John Adams – Harvard University.
- Thomas Jefferson – College of William and Mary.
- James Madison – College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).
- James Monroe – College of William and Mary.
- John Quincy Adams – Harvard University.
- Andrew Jackson – did not attend college.
- Martin Van Buren – did not attend college.
- William Henry Harrison – Hampden-Sydney College (did not graduate).
- John Tyler – College of William and Mary.
- James K. Polk – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Zachary Taylor – did not attend college.
- Millard Fillmore – did not attend college.
- Franklin Pierce – Bowdoin College.
- James Buchanan – Dickinson College.
- Abraham Lincoln – did not attend college.
- Andrew Johnson – did not attend formal schooling.
- Ulysses S. Grant – United States Military Academy at West Point.
- Rutherford B. Hayes – Kenyon College and Harvard Law School.
- James A. Garfield – Williams College.
- Chester A. Arthur – Union College and the State and National Law School.
- Grover Cleveland – did not attend college.
- Benjamin Harrison – Miami University.
- William McKinley – Allegheny College.
- Theodore Roosevelt – Harvard University.
- William Howard Taft – Yale University.
- Woodrow Wilson – Davidson College, Princeton University, and University of Virginia.
- Warren G. Harding – Ohio Central College.
- Calvin Coolidge – Amherst College.
- Herbert Hoover – Stanford University.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt – Harvard University and Columbia Law School.
- Harry S. Truman – University of Missouri and University of Kansas City School of Law.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower – United States Military Academy at West Point.
- John F. Kennedy – Harvard University.
- Lyndon B. Johnson – Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University).
- Richard Nixon – Whittier College and Duke University Law School.
- Gerald Ford – University of Michigan.
- Jimmy Carter – Georgia Southwestern State University and United States Naval Academy.
- Ronald Reagan – Eureka College.
- George H.W. Bush – Yale University.
- Bill Clinton – Georgetown University and Yale Law School.
- George W. Bush – Yale University and Harvard Business School.
- Barack Obama – Occidental College, Columbia University, and Harvard Law School.
- Donald Trump – Fordham University and University of Pennsylvania.
For those who require additional information
The education of each US president is a fascinating topic to explore. As we know, George Washington, the first president of the United States, did not attend college, while John Adams, the second president, graduated from Harvard University. As Aaron David Miller, a political analyst, has noted, “Education was important to some and not to others,” which can be observed in the list of colleges attended by all 44 presidents.
Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson, the third president, founded the University of Virginia, but he did not attend or seek a degree from an institution of higher learning. Another founding father, James Madison, graduated from the College of New Jersey (now known as Princeton University) in 1771 and played an active role in modernizing the college after his presidency. James K. Polk, the eleventh president, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with honors in 1818 and went on to study law.
Among the presidents who did not attend college are Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt (though Roosevelt did complete some graduate-level work in law at Columbia University). On the other hand, some presidents, such as William McKinley and Benjamin Harrison, attended small colleges in the Midwest such as Allegheny College and Miami University, respectively.
Perhaps one of the most successful presidents in terms of education was Woodrow Wilson, who attended Davidson College, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia. According to Wilson, “The use of a university is to make young gentlemen as unlike their fathers as possible. Education should bring to light the ideal of the individual.”
Below is a table listing the colleges attended by all US presidents:
| President | College/University |
|---|---|
| George Washington | no formal education |
| John Adams | Harvard University |
| Thomas Jefferson | College of William and Mary |
| James Madison | College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) |
| James Monroe | College of William and Mary |
| John Quincy Adams | Harvard University |
| Andrew Jackson | no formal education |
| Martin Van Buren | no formal education |
| William Henry Harrison | Hampden-Sydney College (did not graduate) |
| John Tyler | College of William and Mary |
| James K. Polk | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Zachary Taylor | no formal education |
| Millard Fillmore | no formal education |
| Franklin Pierce | Bowdoin College |
| James Buchanan | Dickinson College |
| Abraham Lincoln | no formal education |
| Andrew Johnson | no formal education |
| Ulysses S. Grant | United States Military Academy at West Point |
| Rutherford B. Hayes | Kenyon College and Harvard Law School |
| James A. Garfield | Williams College |
| Chester A. Arthur | Union College and the State and National Law School |
| Grover Cleveland | no formal education |
| Benjamin Harrison | Miami University |
| William McKinley | Allegheny College |
| Theodore Roosevelt | Harvard University |
| William Howard Taft | Yale University |
| Woodrow Wilson | Davidson College, Princeton University, and University of Virginia |
| Warren G. Harding | Ohio Central College |
| Calvin Coolidge | Amherst College |
| Herbert Hoover | Stanford University |
| Franklin D. Roosevelt | Harvard University and Columbia Law School |
| Harry S. Truman | University of Missouri and University of Kansas City School of Law |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower | United States Military Academy at West Point |
| John F. Kennedy | Harvard University |
| Lyndon B. Johnson | Southwest Texas State Teachers College (now Texas State University) |
| Richard Nixon | Whittier College and Duke University Law School |
| Gerald Ford | University of Michigan |
| Jimmy Carter | Georgia Southwestern State University and United States Naval Academy |
| Ronald Reagan | Eureka College |
| George H.W. Bush | Yale University |
| Bill Clinton | Georgetown University and Yale Law School |
| George W. Bush | Yale University and Harvard Business School |
| Barack Obama | Occidental College, Columbia University, and Harvard Law School |
| Donald Trump | Fordham University and University of Pennsylvania |
Overall, the educational backgrounds of US presidents vary widely and provide insight into the values and opportunities of different time periods. As noted by historian David McCullough, “Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate, and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.” Whether or not they attended college, all US presidents have led the country and shaped its destiny in their own way.
Video answer to your question
The YouTube video “Every President’s Education” by Mr. Beat discusses the education and intelligence of every US President. Despite acknowledging that education is not a perfect way to determine intelligence, Beat explores where each President went to school or educated themselves, and estimates their IQ based on research by Dean Keith Simonton. Throughout the video, he highlights how some Presidents had very little formal education but were self-taught and curious. Additionally, he notes that private schools and universities helped pave the way for many Presidents to become leaders of the free world, with only 12 out of 46 Presidents not holding a college degree.
Other viewpoints exist
Undergraduate
School Location President(s) Dickinson College Carlisle, Pennsylvania James Buchanan Eureka College Eureka, Illinois Ronald Reagan Fordham University New York, New York Donald Trump (transferred to the University of Pennsylvania) Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Bill Clinton
I’m sure you will be interested
People also ask, What college degrees do most presidents have? As an answer to this: Presidents usually study business, psychology or political science. 71% of presidents hold a bachelor’s degree and 12% hold a master’s degree. We found these by analyzing 127,149 president resumes to investigate the topic of president education more precisely.
Additionally, Who was the most educated US president? The reply will be: The 28th President Woodrow Wilson is the most educated President in United States history. Wilson is the only President to have earned a Ph. D. According to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, he earned his Ph.
Similarly, Which presidents went to Harvard?
Response: Alumni of Harvard who became President of the United States
- John Adams. John Adams was a native of Massachusetts, where he also received his early education, and in 1751, at the age of sixteen, he enrolled at Harvard.
- John Quincy Adams.
- Rutherford B.
- Theodore Roosevelt.
- Franklin D.
- John F.
- George W.
- Barack Obama.
In this way, Who is the only president with a Phd? Answer will be: After graduation from Princeton (then the College of New Jersey) and the University of Virginia Law School, Wilson earned his doctorate at Johns Hopkins University and entered upon an academic career.
Which presidents have attended a foreign College? Answer: Two presidents have attended a foreign college at the undergraduate level: John Quincy Adams at Leiden University and Bill Clinton at the University of Oxford ( John F. Kennedy intended to study at the London School of Economics, but failed to attend as he fell ill before classes began.)
Consequently, Which college has the most presidents? Answer to this: Harvard University has produced the most Presidents when it comes to their undergraduate school with 8! That includes John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Rutherford B. Hayes, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, and George W Bush.
Beside this, Which presidents have attended Yale University? Response to this: That includes John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Rutherford B. Hayes, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, and George W Bush. Yale University follows Harvard and five presidents have attended the school: William Howard Taft, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Bill Clinton.
Likewise, Which president attended Hampden-Sydney College? The inauguration of President William Henry Harrison in 1841. (AP) The shortest-serving president attended Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia before studying medicine at Penn. 10. John Tyler — William & Mary Tyler’s aristocratic family had a tradition of attending William and Mary. He entered the school’s preparatory branch at age 12. 11.
Furthermore, Which presidents have attended a foreign College? Two presidents have attended a foreign college at the undergraduate level: John Quincy Adams at Leiden University and Bill Clinton at the University of Oxford ( John F. Kennedy intended to study at the London School of Economics, but failed to attend as he fell ill before classes began.)
People also ask, How many presidents went to Princeton University? A total of three presidents attended Princeton University — which was originally known as the College of New Jersey. One transferred to a different Ivy League school, while another went on to become president of the college.
In respect to this, Did presidents ever get a college degree?
The reply will be: But it wasn’t always common for presidents to have earned degrees or even attended college. In fact, educational attainment wasn’t a prime consideration among voters. Fewer than half of the nation’s first 24 presidents held college degrees. That’s because they just didn’t need to.
Keeping this in view, Which school has the most presidents?
Response: It is home to the most number of presidents than any other school. John Adams was the first president product of Harvard and was also the first-ever president to earn a college degree. His son and future sixth president, John Quincy Adams, also graduated from Harvard. Both of them received two degrees from the institution.