Melania Trump‘s life has been no less than a beautiful dream. Born into a working-class family in Slovenia, Melania has gracefully carried the title of the first lady of the United States twice. From her fashion choices to her relationship with Donald Trump, everything is closely monitored by the media and her fans around the world. At the same time, people are interested to know about her life before becoming first lady, including her struggles, familial bonds and educational qualifications.
Though Melania is an opinionated woman with a successful modelling career, her educational qualifications aren’t at par with other former first ladies. Melania was born to Viktor Knavs, who initially worked as a chauffeur and then started selling car parts for a state-owned vehicle manufacturer. Her mother, Amalija, worked as a patternmaker at a children’s clothing manufacturing company.
From a very young age, she has been interested in fashion. She used to customize and sew her own clothes and even participated in fashion shows that featured children’s clothing.
View this post on Instagram
At 15, she started attending the Secondary School for Design and Photography in Ljubljana. When she turned 19, she enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture and Civil and Geodetic Engineering at the University of Ljubljana to further study design. However, she dropped out only after a year to pursue her modeling career. As per public records, she never completed her degree, making her one of the least educated first ladies in the recent history of the White House.
As per the statistics provided by The American Presidency Project, Melania Trump’s predecessor, Michelle Obama, has completed her BA from Princeton University, where she majored in sociology and minored in African-American studies. She then earned her JD degree from Harvard Law School and is known to be the third first lady to have a postgraduate degree after Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush.
View this post on Instagram
Jill Biden, who succeeded Melania in 2021 completed her BA in English from the University of Delaware. She did her master’s degrees in education and English from West Chester University and Villanova University. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Delaware.
While Melania doesn’t have a degree, she has had a successful career in modelling through which she met the love of her life, Donald Trump. Even the web page dedicated to Melania Trump on the White House website doesn’t mention her educational qualifications, and instead, focuses on her work as a model and first lady.
White House website describes her as a “highly successful modeling career” who appeared in many “high profile ad campaigns.” It also mentions that she worked with some of the best photographers in the fashion industry.
As per the White House report, Melania was the Chairwoman of the American Heart Association in 2010, which raised $1.7 million for research. In the same year, the former model launched her own jewelry collection. As a first lady, she has actively promoted BE BEST initiative, which focuses on youth well-being and combating cyberbullying. She actively works with vulnerable children and families in order to make their lives better.
Scroll down to see some images of First Lady Melania Trump:
Melania and Donald Trump got married in 2005.
Melania Trump became the FLOTUS for the second time in 2025 as Donald Trump returned to the White House after a big win in the 2024 presidential elections.
