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Lists / Colleges Attended by Presidents

Colleges Attended by Presidents

Created by College Confidential
Photo: Vlada Karpovich/Pexels

Have you ever wondered where the presidents have go to college? The most popular colleges attended by presidents are Harvard, Yale, William & Mary, Princeton, and the U.S. Military Academy. Here is a complete list of universities attended by presidents of the United States.

Eureka College

Ronald Reagan studied economics and sociology at Eureka College and graduated in 1932. Reagan was even elected student body president while a student at Eureka.

  • Eureka College
    Eureka, IL • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $28,360
    Out-of-State
    $28,360
    Acceptance Rate87%

    • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    James K. Polk graduated with a Bachelor of Art from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1818.

  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Chapel Hill, NC • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $8,998
    Out-of-State
    $37,558
    Acceptance Rate19%

    • Williams College

    James A. Garfield studied law at Williams College and graduated in 1856.

  • Williams College
    Williamstown, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $61,770
    Out-of-State
    $61,770
    Acceptance Rate9%

    • Hampden-Sydney College

    William Henry Harrison attended Hampden-Sydney for three years between the ages of 14 and 17. At 17 he withdrew at the behest of his father.

  • Hampden-Sydney College
    Hampden-Sydney, VA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $50,740
    Out-of-State
    $50,740
    Acceptance Rate37%

    • Whittier College

    Richard Nixon graduated from Whittier College with a BA in 1934.

  • Whittier College
    Whittier, CA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    Unknown
    Out-of-State
    Unknown
    Acceptance RateN.A.

    • University of Pennsylvania

    Donald Trump graduated with a BS in economics from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1968.

  • University of Pennsylvania
    Philadelphia, PA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $61,710
    Out-of-State
    $61,710
    Acceptance Rate6%

    • University of Michigan

    Gerald Ford graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in 1935.

  • University of Michigan
    Ann Arbor, MI • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $16,732
    Out-of-State
    $55,654
    Acceptance Rate20%

    • University of Delaware

    Joe Biden graduated with a BA from the University of Delaware in 1965.

  • University of Delaware
    Newark, DE • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $15,410
    Out-of-State
    $37,930
    Acceptance Rate70%

    • United States Naval Academy

    Jimmy Carter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 where he earned a Bachelor of Science.

  • United States Naval Academy
    Annapolis, MD • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    Unknown
    Out-of-State
    Unknown
    Acceptance Rate9%

    • Union College

    Chester A. Arthur graduated from Union College in 1848.

  • Union College
    Schenectady, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $63,954
    Out-of-State
    $63,954
    Acceptance Rate47%

    • Texas State University

    Lyndon B. Johnson graduated from Texas State University in 1930 with a BS in Education.

  • Texas State University
    San Marcos, TX • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $11,851
    Out-of-State
    $24,091
    Acceptance Rate70%

    • Stanford University

    Herbert Hoover graduated from Stanford in 1895 with a BS in geology.

  • Stanford University
    Stanford, CA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $56,169
    Out-of-State
    $56,169
    Acceptance Rate4%

    • Occidental College

    Barack Obama attended Occidental College before transferring to Columbia University.

  • Occidental College
    Los Angeles, CA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $60,566
    Out-of-State
    $60,566
    Acceptance Rate38%

    • Miami University

    Benjamin Harrison graduated from Miami University in 1852.

  • Miami University
    Oxford, OH • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $17,464
    Out-of-State
    $38,493
    Acceptance Rate89%

    • Kenyon College

    Rutherford B. Hayes graduated from Kenyon College in 1842.

  • Kenyon College
    Gambier, OH • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $66,490
    Out-of-State
    $66,490
    Acceptance Rate37%

    • Hiram College

    James A. Garfield attended Hiram College before transferring to Williams College.

  • Hiram College
    Hiram, OH • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $25,500
    Out-of-State
    $25,500
    Acceptance Rate93%

    • Georgia Institute of Technology

    Jimmy Carter attended Georgia Institute of Technology before transferring to the United States Naval Academy.

  • Georgia Institute of Technology
    Atlanta, GA • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $12,858
    Out-of-State
    $33,970
    Acceptance Rate21%

    • Georgia Southwestern State University

    Jimmy Carter attended Georgia Southwestern before transferring to Georgia Tech.

  • Georgia Southwestern State University
    Americus, GA • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $6,032
    Out-of-State
    $19,434
    Acceptance Rate86%

    • Georgetown University

    Bill Clinton studied foreign service at Georgetown and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1968.

  • Georgetown University
    Washington, DC • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $62,051
    Out-of-State
    $62,051
    Acceptance Rate12%

    • Fordham University

    Donald Trump attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

  • Fordham University
    Bronx, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $55,788
    Out-of-State
    $55,788
    Acceptance Rate58%

    • Dickinson College

    James Buchanan graduated from Dickinson College in 1809.

  • Dickinson College
    Carlisle, PA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $61,326
    Out-of-State
    $61,326
    Acceptance Rate48%

    • Davidson College

    Woodrow Wilson briefly attended Davidson College before transferring to Princeton University.

  • Davidson College
    Davidson, NC • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $57,690
    Out-of-State
    $57,690
    Acceptance Rate18%

    • Columbia University

    Barack Obama transferred to Columbia in 1981 and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and in English literature.

  • Columbia University
    New York, NY • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $63,530
    Out-of-State
    $63,530
    Acceptance Rate4%

    • Bowdoin College

    Franklin Pierce graduated from Bowdoin college in 1824.

  • Bowdoin College
    Brunswick, ME • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $58,322
    Out-of-State
    $58,322
    Acceptance Rate9%

    • Amherst College

    Calvin Coolidge attended Amherst College and graduated with a BA in 1895.

  • Amherst College
    Amherst, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $64,100
    Out-of-State
    $64,100
    Acceptance Rate9%

    • Allegheny College

    William McKinley attended Allegheny College from 1860 to 1861. He withdrew from college before completing his studies.

  • Allegheny College
    Meadville, PA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $52,530
    Out-of-State
    $52,530
    Acceptance Rate75%

    • United States Military Academy - West Point

    Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower both attended The United States Military Academy at West Point.

  • United States Military Academy - West Point
    West Point, NY • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    Unknown
    Out-of-State
    Unknown
    Acceptance Rate11%

    • Princeton University

    Three presidents have attended Princeton, although only two graduated from the university. James Madison and Woodrow Wilson graduated from Princeton while John F. Kennedy attended the school for two months before withdrawing for health reasons.

  • Princeton University
    Princeton, NJ • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $56,010
    Out-of-State
    $56,010
    Acceptance Rate4%

    • William & Mary

    The three presidents who attended William & Mary are Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler. Jefferson and Tyler both graduated from the university while Monroe ultimately withdrew before completing his studies there.

  • William & Mary
    Williamsburg, VA • 4-Year, Public
    In-State
    $23,812
    Out-of-State
    $46,467
    Acceptance Rate37%

    • Yale University

    The three presidents who have attended Yale are William Howard Taft, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.

  • Yale University
    New Haven, CT • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $62,250
    Out-of-State
    $62,250
    Acceptance Rate5%

    • Harvard University

    More presidents have attended Harvard than any other university. Presidents who attended Harvard are John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy.

  • Harvard University
    Cambridge, MA • 4-Year, Private
    In-State
    $55,587
    Out-of-State
    $55,587
    Acceptance Rate5%

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