President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, broke with family tradition by choosing New York University for his college education. Unlike his older siblings, Barron is the only child of the president and first lady Melania Trump to attend NYU, where he just completed his freshman year at the prestigious Stern School of Business.
While Donald Trump’s other children attended either Georgetown University or the University of Pennsylvania—where Trump himself earned his degree—Barron opted for a different path. This choice sparked curiosity, especially amid the escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard University. Some speculated whether the president’s personal battles with Harvard might be tied to a supposed rejection of his son.
Those rumors, however, were quickly dispelled by the first lady’s office. Barron Trump never applied to Harvard. In an official statement on May 27, Nick Clemens, spokesperson for the Office of the First Lady, clarified, “Barron did not apply to Harvard, and any assertion that he, or anyone on his behalf, applied is completely false.” Harvard University did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, Barron made a public appearance at a Florida rally, where then-candidate Trump confirmed his son’s college plans. “He’s now going to college, got into every college he wanted to,” Donald Trump said at the July 9, 2024 event in Doral, Florida. “He made his choice and he is a very good guy.”
So, where exactly does Barron Trump attend college? He’s currently a student at NYU’s Stern School of Business, having finished his freshman year and expected to graduate in the class of 2028.
As for his siblings, Barron is the first among Donald Trump’s five children to attend NYU. Here’s a quick look at where the rest of the Trump children studied:
- Donald Trump Jr.: University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2000
- Ivanka Trump: University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2004
- Eric Trump: Georgetown University, Class of 2006
- Tiffany Trump: University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2016, and Georgetown Law School, Class of 2020
Beyond Barron’s education, the ongoing clash between the Trump administration and Harvard University has been making headlines. The dispute centers on the administration’s threats to cut federal funding to several universities that fail to comply with federal directives aimed at combating antisemitism. These demands arose amid protests related to the war in Gaza, which brought accusations of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Harvard pushed back against these orders, which included calls to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, hire an external auditor to ensure ideological diversity, and revise admissions policies to exclude students deemed hostile to “American values” as outlined in the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Defying these federal mandates puts Harvard’s billions in federal funding and tax-exempt status at significant risk.
As for Donald Trump himself, he graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in May 1968, earning a degree in economics. His college journey began at Fordham University in the Bronx in 1964, before transferring to Wharton two years later.
Barron Trump’s choice to attend NYU marks a notable departure from the family’s traditional college paths, while the ongoing battles with Harvard add a layer of complexity to the Trump family’s educational narrative.
