What grades did Donald Trump receive at Fordham University in 1966–1968?

1. What people are claiming and why it caught attention

News and social posts circulated an image purporting to be Donald Trump’s Fordham University report card from 1966–1968 that reportedly showed a very low GPA; that image quickly circulated because it appeared to contradict past claims about his academic record and because Trump’s academic files have been unusually guarded. Fact‑check organizations picked up the claim and treated it as a testable document, since a genuine transcript would settle long‑running questions about his undergraduate performance. The claim’s traction reflected both curiosity about a high‑profile figure’s background and the political value of an apparently authoritative document appearing to challenge Trump’s own statements about his academic standing ^{[5] [3]}.

2. What the verifications found — forgery and institutional denial

Multiple fact‑checking outlets analyzed the image’s features, metadata and historical plausibility and reached the same conclusion: the document is not authentic. Reuters’ October 9, 2024 review found no evidence the image was a real Fordham record, and Fordham University itself told reporters the image is a forgery; Snopes reached the same conclusion in May 2025 ^{[1] [2]}. Those reviews also noted the university cannot and did not release student records publicly because FERPA protects academic records, meaning investigators had no legitimate official transcript to compare the image against unless a release was provided ^{[1] [2]}.

3. Why Fordham never confirmed grades publicly — FERPA and reported threats

Fordham’s refusal to disclose grades is legally supported by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which prevents universities from releasing student academic records without written consent. Reporting from PBS NewsHour and others highlighted that Trump’s team has historically sought to keep his academic records private, with testimony indicating his associates warned schools against releasing records; Fordham confirmed it received warnings, and therefore did not disclose records ^[4]. The combination of FERPA protections and reported legal pressure explains why independent verification of the 1966–1968 grades is effectively blocked absent voluntary release by Trump or a lawful process.

4. How the forgery was identified and the limits of public evidence

Fact‑checkers examined typographic anomalies, formatting inconsistencies, and contextual errors in the circulated image that conflict with authentic Fordham documents from the period; these technical red flags, together with Fordham’s explicit denial, formed the basis for labeling the image a fake ^{[3] [2]}. Independent reporters also noted there is no contemporaneous chain of custody or credible provenance for the image: no one provided an original paper transcript or corroborating institutional record. Because no verified transcript has been produced by Fordham or Trump, the only available public materials are secondary reports about attendance and transfer to Wharton, which confirm enrollment but not grades ^{[6] [7]}.

5. Bottom line: what is established and what remains unresolved

It is established that Donald Trump attended Fordham University from 1966–1968 and then transferred to Wharton; it is also established that the widely shared image claiming to display his Fordham grades is a forgery and that Fordham has not released official grades ^{[6] [2] [1]}. What remains unresolved and likely to remain so absent a voluntary release or court order is the precise semester‑by‑semester grades and GPA for Trump at Fordham during 1966–1968. The available evidence therefore supports a clear conclusion: no reliable, verifiable grades exist in the public record for Trump’s Fordham years ^{[3] [4]}.