A viral meme says Biden graduated 76th in a class of 85 from Syracuse University Law School in 1968. Here are the facts

Claim:

Joe Biden graduated 76th academically in a class of 85 students at Syracuse University School of Law in 1968.

Rating:

In April 2024 – a few months before the US elections in November – a even was virally sharing on Facebook, X and other websites showing an earlier photo of President Joe Biden with the words “Graduated 76th in class of 85.” As of this writing, it was not clear who created the meme or where it was first posted. Searches with reverse image search tools yielded few results.

One of the most popular posts appeared as follows:

“Did Biden graduate 76th out of a class of 85?” a reader asked Snopes via email. “I saw it posted by a friend on Facebook today April 19 with a picture of a graduate who looks a little like him shaking hands with someone else. Both in regalia. Photo in black and white.”

This statement was true. Biden finished 76th out of a class of 85 at Syracuse University College of Law in 1968. This fact has already been confirmed in decades-old reporting by the Associated Press, the New York Times, the Washington Post and others. Many dated reports publishing this news cite documents that Biden himself released in the late 1980s.

The photo featured in the meme showed Biden with the Rev. William J. Byron, the former president of the University of Scranton. It was captured at the 1976 undergraduate commencement ceremony, during which Biden — then a U.S. senator — received an honorary degree and addressed students with a speech. Byron died at the age of 96 on April 9, 2024, just days before the meme went viral.

https://www.facebook.com/universityofscranton/posts/pfbid02Yxe2ym7SJXzDEMaGzckMXiRQa77uyeYjpHAhLMU8qksmbrSsNkjrWK4f1B6wVHnhl

The Syracuse University College of Law Alumni Association once released a letter mentioning Biden’s low ranking in its graduating class. “But statistics often prove not to be an indicator of a person’s abilities or prospects,” the letter reads. “And indeed, it was after he left Syracuse that his life and career took off.”

On this same topic, Snopes previously reported on Biden’s past false claim that he said he finished in the “top half” of his class at Syracuse. That and other false claims about his past — including a plagiarism scandal — reportedly factored into his decision to withdraw from the 1988 presidential race.

Snopes contacted Syracuse University College of Law to request records regarding this case. We will update this story if we receive more details.

Sources:

“Biden made big statements, article says.” Charlotte Observer via Washington PostSeptember 21, 1987, https://www.newspapers.com/image/625387830/?terms=biden&match=1.

“Biden urges students to be engaged citizens beginning in 1976.” Royal news | The University of ScrantonNovember 18, 2020, https://news.scranton.edu//articles/2020/11/news-biden.shtml.

Joseph R. Biden Jr., Class of 1968. Syracuse University College of Law Alumni Association, https://law.syracuse.edu/wp-content/uploads/VP_Biden_Citation.pdf.

Liles, Jordan. “Did the White House announce that Biden’s IQ was 187? SnopesJanuary 30, 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/biden-187-iq/.

“Rev. William J. Byron, SJ, 21st President of the University of Scranton, dies.” Royal news | The University of ScrantonApril 9, 2024, https://news.scranton.edu//articles/2024/04/news-president-byron.shtml.

“Senator Joe Biden claimed during a campaign appearance in New Hampshire last spring that he finished in the top half of his law school class, although records indicate he finished near the bottom.” The Associated Presshttps://apnews.com/article/cd977f7ff301993f7976974ba07c5495.

“The Vice Presidential Candidates.” News day, November 2, 2008, p. K7, https://www.newspapers.com/image/730761354/.

Tonic, Robin. “Biden attacks new dishonesty report.” The New York TimesSeptember 21, 1987, https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/21/us/biden-assails-new-report-of-dishonesty.html.

Waxman, Olivia B. “Why Joe Biden’s First Presidential Campaign Collapsed After Just 3 Months.” TIMEJuly 30, 2019, https://time.com/5636715/biden-1988-presidential-campaign/.