However, many other presidents started their academic journeys at smaller and/or lesser-known schools that many people overlook! 

Check out our list of 9 presidents who attended hidden gem colleges. You never know— you might find a college that would be a great fit.

Joe Biden (Born 1942) - Before embarking on his political career, President Biden studied at the University of Delaware (Newark, DE), a highly-ranked public research university known for science, engineering, and business programs. Today, Delaware has 18,618 students with popular majors in Finance, Nursing, Marketing, Exercise Science and Biological Sciences. Named for the 46th president, UD’s Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration prepares policy researchers and public servants.

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) - Prior to his acting and political career, Reagan studied Economics and Sociology at Eureka College (Eureka, IL), a small liberal arts school focused on sciences and humanities. In addition to traditional liberal arts majors, students will find professionally oriented niche majors here, such as Child Life Specialist, Sports Management, Digital Media & Design, and Agricultural Science. Additionally, there are some unique minors, including Genre and Fandom Studies.

Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) - Johnson worked his way through Texas State Teachers College, which became Texas State University (San Marcos, TX). Now Texas State is a major public university with more than 200 undergraduate majors and more than 100 postgraduate programs. It is the only public university in Texas to have graduated a U.S. president.

Richard Nixon (1913-1994) - Nixon graduated in 1934 from Whittier College (Whittier, CA), a private Quaker college where he was the student body president, co-founded the Orthogonian Society, and was an excellent debater. Today the college with 815 undergraduates is known for its small 8:1 student-faculty ratio, diverse student body with 69% students of color, and wide variety of majors, including the option to create your own. 

Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) - Harrison studied law at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). Today, Miami University has strong programs in Business, Education, Engineering, and Liberal Arts. As an original “Public Ivy, a term coined by Richard Moll in his 1985 book The Public Ivies: A Guide to America’s Best Colleges and Universities. Miami “provides Ivy League-quality education at a public school price with an exceptional return on investment.” 

Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893)- Hays grew academically at Kenyon College (Gambier, OH), a top regional college focused on balanced liberal arts integration. Most popular majors today include English (Young Adult Author John Green is an alum), Economics, Psychology, Political Science, and History. Kenyon is well-known for its strong English program and creative campus culture. Its highly regarded Dance, Drama, and Film department is where actors Allison Janey and Paul Newman got their start. 

William McKinley (1843-1901) - Briefly attended Allegheny College (Meadville, PA), a private college 90 miles north of Pittsburgh focused on leadership and civic education. Leading majors include Economics, Biology, Environmental Science, and Psychology. Allegheny attracts outdoorsy and adventurous students.

Zachary Taylor (1784-1850) - Lacking early formal education, Taylor studied at Georgetown College (Georgetown, KY), a small college rooted in the Christian faith. Most popular majors today include Psychology, Exercise Science, Biology, Communication & Media, and Elementary Education.

William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) - Attended Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, VA) for several years in the 1790s, but did not earn a degree. He later studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Hampden-Sydney is a small liberal arts college for men, one of only three in the nation. More than half of graduates strive for careers in business, so it’s not surprising that the most popular academic department is Economics and Business. History, Biology, and Government are also common majors.

This Presidents’ Day, remember that there are thousands of colleges and universities in the U.S., and there is no perfect college for every student. As many of our former presidents show, it’s what you do at your college that matters.