This is a complete list of Philippine presidents by college education that consists of the 16 heads of state in the history of the Philippines.
Almost all presidents (except Emilio Aguinaldo and Joseph Estrada) completed a college degree program.[1] College and postgraduate education have prepared presidents in their future roles as heads of state, architects of foreign policy, commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and managers of the entire government bureaucracy.
By law, under the Constitution of the Philippines, any Filipino citizen aged forty and above who can read and write and can meet residency requirements is eligible to run as President. However, in practice, popularity, political machinery, and financial resources are the key elements leading to a successful presidential candidate.
List by degree
This section lists presidents according to schools from which they earned degrees. Schools that presidents attended but did not earn degrees from are not included.
The J.D. was first conferred in the Philippines in lieu of the LL.B. by the Ateneo Law School in 1990[4], with the model program later adopted by most schools now offering the J.D.[5][6][7] However, no President as of yet has graduated with the J.D., as all have earned the LL.B. prior to 1990.[1]
Some presidents attended more than one institution, though only those from which they earned undergraduate degrees are included here. Two presidents never earned undergraduate degrees: Emilio Aguinaldo never attended college[2], while Joseph Estrada dropped out from both colleges that he attended[3]. Two presidents attended foreign colleges at the undergraduate level: Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos. One president attended a United States service academy: Fidel Ramos graduated from the United States Military Academy as part of his professional education as a career soldier.
^ abcAlthough Garcia and Macapagal attended the original campus of the Philippine Law School in Manila, the school has since relocated to Pasay in 1958.
^The Weekly Sillimanian Vol. LXXXII No.4: SU Law adopts Juris Doctor Program. By: Princess Dianne Kris S. Decierdo. Published July 15, 2009. Archived copies can be viewed and verified at the Sillimaniana Section of the Silliman University Main Library.