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Fact check: What is the complete educational background of Donald Trump?
1. Summary of the results
Donald Trump's complete educational path is well-documented and consistently reported across multiple sources. His education began at the private Kew-Forest School, where he studied through seventh grade [1]. He was then transferred to the New York Military Academy due to behavioral issues [1]. After completing his secondary education, Trump attended Fordham University for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School [1]. He graduated from Wharton in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics [1] [2].
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
Several important contextual elements are worth noting:
- The reason for Trump's transfer from Kew-Forest to New York Military Academy was specifically due to behavioral issues [1], which provides important context about his early education.
- While Trump claims he transferred from Fordham to Penn because he "wanted a new challenge," there were unsubstantiated allegations about poor grades at Fordham [3].
- Despite Trump's frequent mentions of his Wharton education during his political career, it's important to note that his degree was a bachelor's degree, not an MBA or advanced degree as some might assume [2].
3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement
The question itself is neutral, but there are several areas where misunderstandings commonly occur:
- Some sources deliberately focus on other aspects of Trump's life while omitting his educational background entirely [4] [5], which could contribute to incomplete public understanding.
- The consistent mention of "Wharton" in Trump's public statements might lead some to assume he held an advanced degree, when in fact it was a bachelor's degree [1] [3].
- While allegations about poor grades at Fordham have circulated, these remain unsubstantiated [3], demonstrating how educational backgrounds can become politicized without proper evidence.