The 10 universities with the most US senator alums in the incoming Congress

Cory Booker was the commencement speaker at the 121st Commencement ceremony at Stanford Stadium. Gary Reyes/MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images Several US colleges have numerous alums who went on to prolific political careers in the Senate. Many of the colleges are Ivy League or have extremely low acceptance rates. Harvard University has produced the most graduates among the senators in the incoming Congress. US senators come from all sorts of different educational backgrounds. Some graduated from the US Naval Academy or smaller private schools, but at least 43 of the 100 senators who will serve in the incoming 120th Congress attended just 10 prominent universities. Alaska's Senate race is still uncalled; if Sen. Dan Sullivan retains his seat, the total will rise to 44. Using public biographies of returning and newly elected senators as of the 2026 midterm elections, Business Insider compiled a list of the institutions with the most alums who hold undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, law, or medical degrees. Some have graduated from multiple of the listed universities. Honorary degrees and schools a senator attended without graduating were excluded. Harvard University, the oldest college in the country and one of the hardest to get into, tops the list. Here's a look at the 10 US colleges with the most senator alums who will serve in the 120th Congress. Brigham Young University BYU had a 70.2% acceptance rate for its current freshman class. George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images Senators: Mike Crapo (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), and John Curtis (R-UT). Sen. Crapo graduated from BYU in Utah with a bachelor's degree in political science, as did Sen. Lee. Sen. Curtis earned a bachelor's degree in business management. Dartmouth College Baker-Berry Library on the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S., on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021. Dartmouth Colleges endowment returned 47% in the fiscal year that ended in June, the latest university to post some of the strongest investment gains in decades. Bloomberg/Getty Images Senators: Angus King (I-ME), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Dartmouth is the smallest Ivy League school by undergraduate enrollment. Sen. King earned a bachelor's degree in government, Sen. Hoeven earned a bachelor's degree in economics. Sen. Gillibrand graduated with a bachelor's degree in Asian studies. Duke University DURHAM, NC - OCTOBER 26: A general view of the Duke University Chapel on campus of Duke University on October 26, 2013 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) Lance King/Getty Images Senators: Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Rand Paul (R-KY). Sen. Alsobrooks studied public policy, Sen. Moore Capito studied zoology, and Sen. Paul received a medical degree. Princeton University Student walk along the campus of Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. (Photo by Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images) Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty Images Senators: Ted Cruz (R-TX), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Princeton is an Ivy League university. Sen. Cruz earned a bachelor's degree in public policy, Sen. McCormick earned a Ph.D. in international relations, and Sen. Merkley earned a master's degree in public affairs. University of Chicago Cobb Gate at the University of Chicago campus in Chicago, Illinois, US, on Tuesday May 27, 2025. Chicago universities produce legions of science and technology workers, and the city is poised to benefit from growth of nascent industries such as quantum computing. Photographer: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg/Getty Images Senators: Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Todd Young (R-IN). The University of Chicago's five Senate alums span the political spectrum, from independent Sen. Bernie Sanders to Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts. Both Sen. Sanders and Sen. Kim earned a bachelor's degree in political science. Sen. Ricketts graduated with both a bachelor's degree in biology and an MBA. Sen. Young also earned an MBA, while Sen. Klobuchar earned a law degree. University of Virginia CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - MARCH 01: An aerial view of the central grounds on campus at the University of Virginia on March 1, 2013 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) Lance King/Getty Images Senators: Incoming Sen. Andy Barr (R-KY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Kennedy (R-LA), Angus King (I-ME), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Sen. Kennedy, Sen. King, and Sen. Whitehouse earned law degrees from the University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819. Sen. Moore Capito earned a master's degree in education. Incoming Sen. Barr earned his bachelor's degree in government and philosophy. Stanford University PALO ALTO, CA - SEPTEMBER 26: A general view of the campus of Stanford University including Hoover Tower as seen from Stanford Stadium on the day of the ACC college