Where will Barron Trump attend college? A glimpse into his family’s graduation tree

Former US President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump’s campaign debut in Florida recently received roaring applause and a standing ovation. The event also drove attention back to his aspiring educational pursuits of the future following his high school graduation in May, as his father proclaimed Barron had already “made his choice” as far as his choice of college goes. 

Barron Trump waves as his father, Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, speaks at a campaign rally at Trump National Doral Miami, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Doral, Fla. (AP/Rebecca Blackwell)

Despite confirming that college was indeed part of his future plans, Trump didn’t give away his son’s ultimate decision during the rally. The 18-year-old Trump received his high school diploma from Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach on May 17, 2024.  

With much speculation around his college destination, one can’t help but round out the entire family tree, wondering where the rest of the Trump family pursued their higher education chapters. As far as his parents and half-siblings go, the Trump family college connections go as far as the University of Pennsylvania, University of Ljubljana and Georgetown University, while more recent interests also surround New York University. 

Also read | Melania Trump’s rare public backing of husband Donald for swanky 1st Trump residence fundraiser makes waves: ‘We must…’

Where will Barron Trump go to college? 

After graduating from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, Barron’s father attended the University of Pennsylvania. Thereafter, he graduated in May 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

On the contrary, his mother, former first lady Melania Trump never actually graduated from college despite briefly attending the University of Ljubljana (UL), the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. She reportedly dropped out a year after her enrollment to pursue a modelling career. 

Much of the rest of the family followed in their father’s footsteps. Donald Trump Jr, the oldest Trump sibling, graduated from UPenn’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. 

Eric Trump carved out a slightly different path by graduating from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washinton, D.C. He pursued a bachelor’s degree in finance and management in 2006. 

The eldest Trump daughter, Ivanka Trump, also reportedly attended Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. However, two years later, she transferred to her father’s alma mater, the Wharton School of Business at UPenn. In 2004, she graduated with honours, securing her bachelor’s degree in economics. 

Also read | Potential Kanye West ‘retirement’ gimmick and Vultures trilogy’s cursed journey explored

Similarly, Tiffany Trump also attended the University of Pennsylvania. However, her subject choice was significantly different from her family’s pursuit. She graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Four years later, as a member of the class of 2020, she also finished her studies at Georgetown Law School. 

On top of his family’s ties to these prestigious institutions, New York University’s Manhattan Campus is also one of Barron’s considerations. It’s in proximity to where the freshly high school graduated teen spent most of his childhood and formative years before he and his mother went to the White House after Trump’s 2016 election victory. 

In September 2023, Trump divulged in an interview with Megyn Kelly that Barron was “thinking about” taking his father’s path and attending UPenn’s Wharton School. However, last month things took a turn. During his appearance on Fox News’ Fox & Friends Weekend, the former president somewhat switched gears, claiming that pro-Palestinian “rioting” was now another influential factor determining his final move. 

“Six months ago you look at a college, and you sort of want a certain college,” Trump said. “And then you see all of these colleges are rioting and maybe you want to go to a different kind of a college. Because there’s plenty of colleges that we also like that are different and they don’t riot.”

Irrespective of where he chooses to go, the move-in dates for all the aforementioned colleges are approximately identical. UPenn’s freshman move-in dates are from August 19 through August 25, while classes commence on the 27th. Conversely, Georgetown has a shorter move-in window between August 22 to 23. Lastly, NYU will allow freshmen to move in between August 24 to August 31, as classes kick off on September 3.