Fact check: Did Donald Trump graduate from u Penn with. Honors

1. Summary of the results

Based on multiple corroborating sources, Donald Trump did NOT graduate with honors from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. This is evidenced by:

• His name was absent from the 1968 Dean's List of 56 top students ^[1]
• He was not listed among cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude recipients in the commencement program ^{[1] [2]}
• Records indicate he graduated with approximately a 2.5 GPA, known as a "Gentleman's C" ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are worth noting:

• Trump himself admitted in a 1988 interview that he was not "first in his class" as previously claimed ^[2]
• Professor William T. Kelley, who taught Trump, described him as "the dumbest goddamn student I ever had" ^[2]
• The vast majority of his classmates (68 out of 74 respondents) reported having "never encountered Trump at Penn" ^[2]
• Trump has actively tried to prevent his academic records from being released, including threats of legal action ^[3]
• He did successfully graduate from Wharton in 1968 with a B.S. in real estate ^[2]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question itself stems from years of misleading statements and claims:

• Trump has repeatedly made claims about graduating with honors and being "first in his class" ^[2]
• These claims have been definitively disproven by multiple sources, including official university records and witness accounts
• The narrative of academic excellence appears to have been cultivated to enhance Trump's public image as a successful businessman and leader
• While Trump suggested he had "the highest grades possible" ^[2], documentary evidence shows he was an unremarkable student who was "not particularly studious" ^[1]

This pattern of misrepresentation benefits those seeking to build or maintain a particular public image of academic and professional excellence, even when such claims are not supported by historical records.