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What degrees has Donald Trump publicly claimed to hold and when?
Executive summary
Donald Trump publicly claims a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (graduated 1968) and has repeatedly touted Wharton credentials — sometimes saying he graduated “first in his class” — while also accepting or being awarded multiple honorary doctorates (five reported, with several later rescinded) [1] [2] [3]. Reporting shows the factual record: a 1968 Wharton B.S. in economics is documented, his “first in class” claim is contradicted by Wharton commencement records and later reporting, and several honorary doctorates have been conferred and later rescinded [1] [2] [3].
1. The plain record: Wharton bachelor’s degree, class of 1968
Donald Trump attended Fordham University 1964–66 and transferred to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he is recorded as having graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in economics [1] [4]. Contemporary university listings and biographical references consistently report the undergraduate degree and graduation year [1].
2. What Trump has publicly claimed about his Wharton standing
Over decades Trump has emphasized his Wharton education in speeches and writing, and at times has claimed superior academic standing — most notably the assertion that he graduated “first in his class.” That formulation appears in repeated public remarks and was widely echoed in earlier profiles [2] [5]. Trump’s own book and campaign messaging routinely refer to “Wharton” as shorthand for his Ivy League credentials [6] [7].
3. Where the claims run into the documentary record
Investigations by journalists and university records show Trump was not listed among Wharton honorees in the 1968 commencement program and did not graduate with honors, which contradicts the “first in his class” claim [2] [8]. Multiple profiles note the origin of the “first in his class” claim in 1970s coverage and subsequent corrections; reporting concludes Trump “wasn’t close” to graduating at the top of his class [2] [8] [5].
4. Honorary degrees: conferred, then often rescinded
Newsweek’s review reports Donald Trump received five honorary doctorates across his career, but that all but two had been rescinded as of their reporting; these honorary degrees do not confer professional licensure or clinical titles [3]. Coverage emphasizes the symbolic, often ceremonial nature of such degrees and notes institutional decisions to revoke them after he entered partisan politics [3].
5. Disputed claims and where reporting differs
Some sources recount a persistent mythology around Trump’s Wharton standing that was propagated by earlier profiles and by Trump himself; the New York Times and later profiles corrected or pushed back on the “first in his class” line [2] [5]. At the same time, university biographical summaries and encyclopedias continue to list the verified facts — attendance at Fordham, transfer to Penn, and a 1968 Wharton B.S. in economics [1]. Different outlets treat the discrepancy variously: some frame it as mythmaking; others note the confirmed degree while highlighting exaggerations [2] [1] [5].
6. Why records beyond the diploma matter — and what’s unavailable
Reporting documents attempts by Trump’s team historically to keep detailed academic records private (including letters to schools and the College Board) and notes that grades and SAT data have not been publicly released, complicating efforts to independently verify class rank or scores [8] [9]. Available sources do not mention public release of Trump’s high school transcripts, college grades, or SAT scores; journalists rely on commencement programs, university statements and contemporaneous profiles instead [8] [2].
7. How journalists and scholars reconcile the tension
Analysts and university-affiliated commentators treat the situation as two-tiered: the basic credential (a Wharton undergraduate degree in 1968) is factual and repeatedly documented, while the superlative claims about ranking and honors lack documentary support and have been corrected by later reporting [1] [2] [5]. Critics argue Trump amplified or perpetuated the myth to bolster brand capital; defenders point to the long-standing, verifiable association with Wharton as sufficient credentialing [10] [7].
8. Bottom line for readers
Factually, Trump holds a 1968 Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School — a credential he frequently cites — but multiple journalistic investigations and Wharton records contradict his repeated public claims that he graduated “first in his class” or with honors; additionally he has been awarded several honorary doctorates, many later rescinded [1] [2] [3]. For deeper verification — class rank, grades, SAT scores — available sources do not provide primary academic transcripts and note those records remain unreleased [8] [9].