what schools did barack obama attend?
Occidental College Harvard Law School Noelani Elementary School Punahou School State Elementary School Menteng 01 St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School Columbia University
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 Among a number of other schools named for Stevens , the Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School in Washington , D.C. was founded in 1868 as the first school built for African @-@ American children there . It was segregated for the first 86 years of its existence . In 1977 , Amy Carter , daughter of President Jimmy Carter , a Georgian , was enrolled there , the first child of a sitting president to attend public school in almost 70 years . 

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 After high school , Obama moved to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend Occidental College . In February 1981 , Obama made his first public speech , calling for Occidental to participate in the disinvestment from South Africa in response to that nation 's policy of apartheid . In mid @-@ 1981 , Obama traveled to Indonesia to visit his mother and half @-@ sister Maya , and visited the families of college friends in Pakistan and India for three weeks . Later in 1981 , he transferred as a junior to Columbia College , Columbia University , in New York City , where he majored in political science with a specialty in international relations and lived off @-@ campus on West 109th Street . He graduated with a BA degree in 1983 and worked for a year at the Business International Corporation , then at the New York Public Interest Research Group . In 1985 , Obama was among the leaders of May Day efforts to bring attention to the New York City Subway system , which was in a bad condition at the time . Obama traveled to several subway stations to get people to sign letters addressed to local officials and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , and was photographed at the City College subway station holding a sign protesting against the system 's condition . 

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 Obama entered Harvard Law School in the fall of 1988 , living in nearby Somerville , Massachusetts . He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year , president of the journal in his second year , and research assistant to the constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe while at Harvard for two years . During his summers , he returned to Chicago , where he worked as an associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990 . After graduating with a JD degree magna cum laude from Harvard in 1991 , he returned to Chicago . Obama 's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media attention and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations , which evolved into a personal memoir . The manuscript was published in mid @-@ 1995 as Dreams from My Father . 

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 Armstrong was born and raised in Hawaii in the mid @-@ 1800s . His father was the Kingdom of Hawaii 's ( secular ) minister of public instruction , whose schools practiced the " manual labor principle of education " . Engs wrote that Armstrong 's Hawaiian childhood insulated him from racist sentiment on the mainland . Armstrong attended private schools in Oahu before moving to study on the mainland . He shied away from the ministry , believing as his father , " the shorter one 's creed , the better " . Armstrong 's experience in the Civil War — including as a prisoner of war , leader of the United States Colored Troops , and General — led to his lifelong pursuit of " noble strife " in helping his " fellow man " . He joined the Freedmen 's Bureau and served as the first principal of the Hampton Institute on the Virginia Peninsula . Hampton 's task was to prepare African Americans " to teach their people the ' civilizing ' ways of white men " through " Christian teachings , a strict code of conduct , and manual labor " . Hampton was one of eight American Missionary Association teacher @-@ training schools . Armstrong left a 25 @-@ year legacy , and introduced the school 's manual and industrial teaching methods in the late 1860s despite its increased cost . Engs distinguishes this vision from the post @-@ 1900 industrial education , with Armstrong 's " industry " signifying the industriousness of " self @-@ discipline and self @-@ reliance " . The labor proceeds also supported the black students through school , though only during school months . Armstrong sought to see his " best " graduates ascend to higher education and to occupations " originally envisioned for whites " . As his " most famous student " , " virtual son " , and " spiritual heir " , Booker T. Washington opened the Tuskegee Institute in the style of Hampton . Armstrong later expanded Hampton 's scope to include Native Americans , who were kept apart from the blacks as a " school within a school " . 

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 As of 2015 , the school enrolls about 80 students , about half of whom are African @-@ American or Latino . The school is divided into upper and lower schools , the former ages 11 to 18 and the latter ages 4 to 11 , though they are not physically separated by age . Children apply for admission and visit for a five @-@ day orientation . Students are admitted by unanimous vote of a teacher @-@ parent @-@ student admissions committee . The group first determines whether applicants ' parents support their decision to attend and whether the school can provide for the students ' needs . The school keeps a waiting list . 
