The United States Presidents Ranked by Education Level
Educational attainment’s increasing importance
S Tier (Doctorate Degree):
The 28th President Woodrow Wilson is the most educated President in United States history. Wilson is the only President to have earned a Ph.D. According to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, he earned his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1886. At Johns Hopkins, Wilson studied history and political science and notably wrote a thorough analysis of the United States constitution. As of the 2018 U.S. Census, 2% of Americans aged 25 or over had attained a doctorate.
A Tier (Advanced Degree):
Eight presidents have received an advanced degree in their lifetimes. Seven of them earned an advanced Law Degree, including President Biden. President George W. Bush earned an M.B.A.
B Tier (Posthumous Advanced Degree):
Both former presidents with the last name Roosevelt attended but did not graduate from Columbia Law School. According to Mary Johnson and Erin St. John Kelly of Columbia University, on October 9, 2008, both were awarded posthumous J.D. degrees. Counting the Roosevelts, ten of the forty-four presidents have received an advanced degree. As of the 2018 U.S…
