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What grades or GPA did Donald J. Trump have at Fordham University 1966–1968
Executive summary
There is no verifiable public record of Donald J. Trump’s grades or semester GPA from Fordham University for 1966–1968; multiple fact-checkers and Fordham itself say the widely circulated image showing a 1.28 GPA is a forgery [1] [2] [3] [4]. Fordham confirms it received a 2015 letter from Michael Cohen warning against releasing Trump’s records and has said it will not authenticate or release private academic transcripts [5] [2].
1. The alleged “1.28 GPA” and why it circulated
A social-media image claiming Donald Trump had a 1.28 semester GPA at Fordham has been widely shared and mocked; fact-checkers (Snopes, AOL fact-check, Reuters, Check Your Fact) all report the image is a fake and that Fordham identified it as a forgery [1] [2] [3] [4]. Those posts likely spread because the purported low number is sensational and fits a familiar narrative about public figures’ academic records.
2. What Fordham and reporters say about the authenticity of any transcript
Fordham University has publicly stated the shared image is not an authentic Fordham transcript and stressed it follows federal privacy law regarding student records; university spokesman Bob Howe is quoted calling the image a forgery [1] [3] [2]. Reuters and other outlets obtained Fordham’s comment and found no evidence the image is genuine [3].
3. Why we don’t have independent confirmation of Trump’s Fordham grades
U.S. education privacy laws and institutional policy mean Fordham will not release a student’s grades without authorization; in public testimony and reporting, Michael Cohen said he warned Fordham and other schools against releasing Trump’s records, and Fordham confirmed it received such a warning [5]. As a result, independent journalists and fact-checkers report no verified transcript has been released publicly [2] [4].
4. What Trump’s collegiate path that’s on record shows
What is well documented: Trump attended Fordham College at Rose Hill for two years before transferring to Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in May 1968 with a B.S. in economics [6]. Public accounts agree on the schools and transfer but not on any Fordham GPA numbers because no authenticated transcript has been published [6] [3].
5. Conflicting pressures and why the subject attracts scrutiny
Reporting notes an implicit motive for secrecy: Cohen testified that Trump directed letters threatening legal action to schools and the College Board to prevent release of grades and test scores, a fact Fordham corroborated [5]. Journalists and commentators interpret those actions either as routine privacy protection or as an attempt to conceal poor performance—sources disagree on motive, but the underlying fact of the letters and Fordham’s acknowledgement are on record [5].
6. What the fact-checkers and outlets conclude—and their limitations
Snopes, Reuters, AOL fact-check, and Check Your Fact all conclude the circulated Fordham transcript image is forged and state there is no evidence supporting the 1.28-GPA claim [1] [3] [2] [4]. These organizations rely on Fordham’s denial and absence of any authenticated school release; they do not, however, and cannot, produce Trump’s private academic records themselves because those records are controlled by the university and protected by law [1] [3].
7. What remains unknown and responsibly stated limits
Available sources do not provide Trump’s semester-by-semester grades or an official Fordham GPA for 1966–1968; therefore any specific numeric claim about those years (beyond the forged 1.28 image which institutions and fact-checkers reject) is unsupported by the cited reporting [1] [2] [3] [4]. If the user is seeking an authenticated transcript, current reporting indicates Fordham will not release such records publicly without proper authorization [3] [5].
8. Bottom line for readers and next steps for verification
The fact-checked conclusion across multiple outlets is clear: the viral Fordham transcript and the 1.28 GPA are fabrications and Fordham has denied its authenticity [1] [2] [3] [4]. To obtain an authoritative answer about Trump’s Fordham grades would require either release by Fordham (which it has refused absent authorization) or disclosure by Trump or his authorized representatives—available sources do not indicate either has happened [5] [2].