What were Donald Trump's academic records and courses at Fordham University?

1. Early college career: Fordham then Wharton

Donald Trump enrolled at Fordham’s liberal arts college and studied there for two years before transferring to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed his degree in economics — a sequence Fordham and subsequent reporting repeatedly note ^{[1] [6] [4]}.

2. No authenticated Fordham transcript has been publicly released

Fordham University has repeatedly told reporters and fact‑checking outlets that images purporting to be Trump’s Fordham transcript are not authentic. Spokesman Bob Howe described such images as “forgeries” and stressed the university follows federal privacy law and will not release student records without written consent ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

3. Viral “report card” images: how reporters evaluated them

Independent fact‑checkers and news outlets flagged multiple giveaways that the circulated document was fabricated — from modern printing characteristics to incorrect historical details such as an address that did not match Trump’s residence when he attended Fordham — and quoted Fordham’s denial of authenticity ^{[2] [7]}.

4. Michael Cohen’s role and Fordham’s response

Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, told Congress he had sent letters to Trump’s former schools and warned they could face legal action if they disclosed records. Fordham confirmed Cohen or a campaign representative contacted the university seeking assurances not to release grades; Fordham told them U.S. privacy law barred disclosure without Trump’s written consent ^{[4] [5]}.

5. What reporters and Fordham do not provide — course‑by‑course grades

Available sources do not publish or confirm any authentic, detailed course list or semester‑by‑semester grades from Fordham for Trump. Fact‑checkers emphasize that since Fordham will not disclose private records without authorization, there is no verified public transcript to cite ^{[1] [2]}.

6. Competing perspectives and why the dispute matters

Some social posts and videos promoted a sensational “report card” that suggested low grades and even an F in statistics; fact‑checkers and Fordham rebutted those claims, calling the images forged ^{[7] [3]}. Supporters of the authenticity arguments often point to the public’s interest in a presidential candidate’s academic record; the opposing view — echoed by the university and privacy rules — is that personal educational records are protected and must not be disclosed without consent ^{[2] [5]}.

7. Hidden or implicit agendas to consider

The rapid spread of a purported transcript that contradicts a public figure’s self‑presentation serves political and attention economies: it can reinforce narratives about competence or dishonesty. Fact‑checkers’ reliance on Fordham’s denial is necessarily constrained by the university’s legal obligation to protect student records, which also limits independent verification ^{[1] [2] [5]}.

8. Bottom line and what can be verified

What is verifiable from current reporting: Trump attended Fordham for two years before transferring to Wharton; Fordham and multiple fact‑checkers say the circulated images claiming to be his Fordham transcript are forgeries; Michael Cohen did contact Fordham to discourage disclosure of records and the university confirmed it would not release them without written consent ^{[1] [2] [4] [5]}. Any claim about Trump’s specific Fordham courses, semester grades, or GPA that relies on the leaked images is unsupported by these sources ^{[2] [7]}.

Limitations: because Fordham correctly treats student records as private and has not released an authenticated transcript, available sources do not include a primary, official semester‑by‑semester transcript for Trump ^{[1] [2]}.