29-05-2025
Did Trump go to Harvard? A look at 8 presidents who graduated from the university
Harvard has recently come under fire from the Trump administration for failing to adhere to federal norms and guidelines. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security revoked Harvard's Student and Visitor Exchange Program (SVEP) certification, stripping its ability to host foreign students.
The development has led to several non-immigrant students being forced to switch schools mid-semester or risking their legal status being stripped away. The government accused the university of 'fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus' and failure on the part its administration to turn in footage and disciplinary records of foreign students. This leaves the future of Harvard's ever-increasing foreign demographic at stake and threatens the reputation of the university responsible for producing some of America's most eminent contributors in fields ranging from science and law to public policy and decision-making.
According to an article published in The Harvard Gazette, the university's official news website, 'Harvard has educated more U.S. presidents than any other university. Yale University has produced five U.S. presidents, with George W. Bush counting for both Harvard and Yale.'
John Adams (in office 1797-1801)
America's second president and first vice president enrolled at Harvard back in 1951. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1755 and passed out at a time when graduates were still arranged according to the dignity of their birth ranks rather than merits. Adams developed a keen interest in literature and law during his time at the university and graduated with a Master of Arts degree in 1758.
John Quincy Adams (in office 1825-29)
Son of John Adams, John Quincy Adams followed in the footsteps of his father's alma mater when he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the university in 1785. His education before was handled by private tutors and schools in Paris and the Netherlands. Adams graduated second in a class of 51 pupils.
Rutherford B. Hayes (in office 1877-81)
After finishing his schooling in Connecticut and graduating as valedictorian from Kenyon College, the 19th President of America enrolled at Harvard in 1843 to pursue law. Hayes is remembered for his efforts to cut across divisions of the Civil War.
Theodore Roosevelt (in office 1901-09)
A pioneer for granting women equal marital rights among other progressive policies, Roosevelt was considered eccentric by his classmates during his time at Harvard. The former President had a knack for natural sciences and participated in a range of extracurricular activities. He passed out in 1880 with a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude after graduating with honors.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (in office 1933-45)
A distant cousin of Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D Roosevelt is remembered for leading the country through the Great Depression and World War II over the course of his four terms as President. Captain of the freshman football team and reporter for the student paper The Crimson were only some of Roosevelt's attempts to gain a social standing rather than any sort of academic excellence. His rejection from the university's most elite club Porcellian left the former President dejected. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1903.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (in office 1961-63)
Kennedy's senior honor thesis during his time at Harvard, about Britain's lack of preparation for World War II, went on to become his famous publication Why England Slept years later. Though he was never academically inclined and always in his brother's shadow, Kennedy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government with a concentration in international affairs in 1940. He is known for being America's youngest president and dealt with the Cold War, space race, and civil rights advancements during his time in office.
George W. Bush (in office 2001-09)
George W Bush originally followed in his father's footsteps by earning a degree in history from Yale. Following the rejection of his law application to the University of Texas, Bush enrolled at Harvard Business School instead. He passed with a Master of Science degree in business administration from the university in 1975, making him the first American President to hold an MBA. Rather than starting in the legal division, Bush got his start in the oil business and went on to lead America in the wake of the September 11 attacks and the Iraq invasion.
Barack Obama (in office 2009-17)
America's first president of color was originally born in Hawaii but passionate about following in his father's footsteps to study at Harvard. After getting a degree in international relations from Columbia, Barack Obama pursued a legal education at Harvard in 1988. During his stint as a student, he was also elected president of Harvard Law Review, a student-run journal of legal scholarship. Obama also received a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the university's Law School magna cum laude in 1991 and went on to spend his time in office focusing on reforms in healthcare and economy.
Donald Trump, the current President of the United States, did not attend Harvard University. He originally enrolled at Fordham College in New York in 1964 and then went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1968 after transferring there two years prior.
