US presidents who went to Ivy League schools -

While most presidents received a formal higher-level education, not all of them went to Ivy League schools. Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Columbia are some of the most prestigious colleges in the country, and many of them have educated future US presidents. Going all the way back to John Adams, the second US president, to Barack Obama, many of these highly selective institutions have a pretty decent track record when it comes to producing presidential alumni. 

So click on to discover which presidents went to Ivy League schools. 

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John Adams (1735–1826) -

Known for being the youngest student on campus, Adams attended Harvard University. He graduated in 1755 with a bachelor's degree and began working with attorney James Putnam.

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John Adams (1735–1826) -

In 1758, he received his master's degree from Harvard and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar.

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James Madison (1751–1836) -

The fourth president of the US studied at the College of New Jersey, now known as Princeton University.

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James Madison (1751–1836) -

Madison studied classical languages, mathematics, rhetoric, geography, philosophy, and Hebrew. He graduated in 1771.

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John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) -

The sixth US president also studied at Harvard, where he graduated in 1787. During his time there, Adams studied mathematics, British and classical history, science, philosophy, Latin, and Greek.

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John Quincy Adams (1767–1848) -

Adams graduated at the top of his class academically. He went on to study law for three years with Theophilus Parsons in Newburyport, Massachusetts. 

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William Henry Harrison (1773–1841) -

William Henry Harrison received a classical education at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, where he was a student from 1787 to 1790.

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William Henry Harrison (1773–1841) -

He then studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, but quickly discovered that he didn't like it. The ninth president then withdrew from Penn and embarked upon a military career. 

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Rutherford B. Hayes (1822–1893) -

In 1838 Hayes entered Kenyon College at Gambier, Ohio, and in 1842 graduated at the head of his class.

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Rutherford B. Hayes (1822–1893) -

After a year of reading law in Columbus, Hayes entered the Harvard Law School, where he earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1845.

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Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) -

In 1876, Roosevelt entered Harvard, where he studied a variety of subjects, including German, natural history, zoology, forensics, and composition. 

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Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) -

He also continued his physical endeavors, taking on boxing and wrestling during his time at Harvard. The 28th president graduated in 1880.

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William Howard Taft (1857–1930) -

Taft attended Yale University, from which he graduated second in his class in 1878. After leaving office, Taft returned to Yale as a professor. 

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William Howard Taft (1857–1930) -

During his time as a student, Taft joined the Skull and Bones, a secret society at Yale co-founded by his father. 

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Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) -

Wilson attended the College of New Jersey, which is now Princeton University, where he studied political philosophy and history, and joined the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He graduated in 1879.

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Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) -

Before becoming president of the nation, Wilson served as the president of Princeton from 1902 to 1910. 

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Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) -

Roosevelt studied at Harvard from 1900 to 1903, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in history. He remained there for a fourth year, taking graduate courses. 

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Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945) -

Roosevelt then entered Columbia Law School in 1904, but dropped out in 1907 after passing the New York Bar Examination. 

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John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) -

In September 1936, Kennedy enrolled at Harvard. He wrote occasionally for The Harvard Crimson, the campus newspaper. However, instead of politics, he preferred to concentrate on athletics and his social life.

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John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) -

JFK graduated from Harvard in 1940 with a Bachelor of Arts in government, concentrating on international affairs. 

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Gerald Ford (1913–2006) -

Ford attended Yale Law School, where he was also the junior varsity head football coach. During his time at Yale, Ford also began to work as a model.

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Gerald Ford (1913–2006) -

He graduated in the top third of his class in 1941, and was admitted to the Michigan bar shortly thereafter.

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George H. W. Bush (1924–2018) -

Bush attended Yale after serving as a pilot in the United States Navy Reserve during World War II. He graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.  

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George H. W. Bush (1924–2018) -

At Yale, Bush captained the school's baseball team and played in the first two College World Series as a left-handed first baseman. He was also a member of the Yale cheerleading squad and a member of the Skull and Bones secret society.

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Bill Clinton (1946-) -

In 1970, Clinton entered Yale Law School, where he earned his degree in 1973. There he also met his future wife, Hillary Rodham. 

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Bill Clinton (1946-) -

During his time at Yale, Clinton was a member of the Order of Demolay, a youth group affiliated with the Freemasons.

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George W. Bush (1946–) -

Bush attended Yale University from 1964 to 1968, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. 

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George W. Bush (1946–) -

During his time at Yale, the 43rd president was a cheerleader and a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon. Just like his father, Bush also became a member of the Skull and Bones society.

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Barack Obama (1961-) -

The 44th president graduated from Columbia University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.  

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Barack Obama (1961-) -

Then in 1988, Obama enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. 

Sources: (Business Insider) (Town & Country) 

See also: Words and expressions popularized by US presidents

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