Sarah Palin is among the top influential women in United States politics, and many would ask, “What colleges did Sarah Palin go to? She has also been a reality TV personality, author, and commentator.

Sarah was born in Idaho, U.S., and has served in different capacities as a Republican. Sarah has plenty of achievements as the 9th Governor of Alaska. She was also a mayor of Wasilla and served as the Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Besides politics, Sarah enjoys her private life with her children after divorcing Palin in 2020. Sarah has had a series of controversies and drama in her political life.

So, What Colleges Did Sarah Palin Go To?

Sarah Palin went to six colleges in six years. She attended the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hawaii Pacific University, North Idaho College, Matanuska-Susitna College, and twice at the University of Idaho. 

At some of the mentioned Universities, Sarah only attended for less than two weeks, and her record is unavailable in the school’s database. The scanty details about her education have questioned her qualifications.

Sarah’s Early Life And Education

Sarah Palin has been among the politicians whose education has often been questioned. The influential woman has not gone without drama. 

As a strong supporter of the Republicans, Sarah managed to gain trust and was given key responsibilities by the party.

Sarah was born on February 11, 1964, in Idaho, USA. She was the third born in the family. Her parents, Charles R. “Chuck” Heath and Sarah “Sally” Heath, worked in the education sector.

Sarah’s father moved to teach with his family in Skagway, Alaska when Sarah was a few months old. The family later moved to Eagle River, Anchorage, and in 1972, they settled in Wasilla, Alaska.

Sarah attended Wasilla High School, where she took part in various leadership positions. She also played flute and was part of the basketball team. Besides sports and music, Sarah was a beauty pageant winner, winning various awards.

Palin graduated from high school in 1982, beginning her college education. Below are the universities where Sarah enrolled and the details of her college journey.

1. University of Hawaii at Hilo

The University of Hawaii at Hilo was Sarah’s first college. It is believed that Sarah, with her three friends, enrolled at the college in 1982. 

However, the trio didn’t stay longer at the institution as they left after a few weeks, citing plenty of rainfall.

The school registrar in Hawaii doesn’t trace any record of Sarah, making it hard to know if she enrolled there. After leaving the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Sarah, with her friend, moved to the next University.

2. Hawaii Pacific University

The Hawaii Pacific University is famous for its strong academic programs, diverse population, and small classes. After leaving the University of Hawaii at Hilo, Sarah enrolled at the Hawaii Pacific University in 1982.

According to the school’s spokeswoman Crystale Lopez, Sarah only attended during the 1982 fall. Sarah was in the business administration program. However, Lopez still insisted that they were trying to track someone who knew about her.

3. North Idaho College

It was in 1983 when Sarah transferred to North Idaho College. Sarah attended this college for two semesters as a general studies major during the 1983 spring and 1983 fall.

According to Stacy Hudson, the school spokesperson, they could not track Sarah’s affiliations to any school clubs.

Before her selection by McCain in 2008-2009, Sarah received a notification from the North Idaho College Alumni Association, revealing that she would receive the 2008-2009 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award.

4. University of Idaho

The University of Idaho is 70 miles south of North Idaho College. This was her fourth college, where she majored in journalism, emphasizing broadcast news. The period was from the fall of 1984 to the spring of 1985.

5. Matanuska-Susitna College

During the fall of 1985, Sarah enrolled at Matanuska-Susitna College in Palmer. In this institution, not much information is available regarding her studies.

6. University of Idaho

Sarah returned to the University of Idaho in the spring, fall, and spring of 1986, 1986, and 1987 respectively. She graduated with a journalism degree.

Even though she learned at the college, there is no information showing that she worked for the college newspaper or the campus television.

Palin revealed that she went for journalism naturally since she was curious and loved writing. In her profile, Palin worked briefly at KTUU in Anchorage as a sports broadcaster.

Upon Palin’s nomination, the University of Idaho featured her photograph on the school’s website.

Sarah Palin Mariage

Sarah Palin had a great reputation at school, and her basketball skills were excellent. She was nicknamed “Sarah Barracuda” since she displayed a fierce approach on the basketball court. Sarah met her fiance, Todd Palin, in high school.

The two tied the knot in August 1988 and embarked on the commercial fishing business. Later, Sarah joined politics, resulting in a fallout between the two couples. In their marriage, they had five children. Palin filed for divorce in 2020.

Palin noted that they were incompatible, leading to the separation. However, after Sarah Palin’s nomination, she stated that they met in high school and were blessed with five children and that he was still her guy.

Exploring Sarah’s Political Career

You may wonder how Sarah jumped into politics. Initially, Sarah served as a sportscaster, making her profile famous. 

She later ran for the Wasilla City Council seat and won it in 1992. In 1995, Sarah Palin was re-elected to the same seat.

During her time as a council member, she was firm on issues with sexual assault, budgeting, and how victims were treated. Her contributions brought her to the limelight, where she vied for a large seat as a mayor in 1996.

Palin won the mayor seat despite being a young woman. She went into office from 1996 to 1999 for her first term. 

She still ran for the same position and won, extending her tenure to 2002. After 2002, her term limit was over; the only option was to set her ambitions higher.

Palin moved her attention to statewide politics. She began campaigning for the lieutenant governor’s office. She did not win the 2002 elections but was later appointed the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission commissioner.

Her tenure was met with controversy, which made her resign. In the controversy, Palin was found investigating Randy Ruedrich, the state Republican Party chair. Randy had resigned from his position.

Palin collaborated with another member and bypassed passwords on Randy’s computer. They accessed files that revealed he had worked with oil companies he was supported to regulate.

She resigned from her role as the outcomes of the events went against her investigation.

Palin Governorship Race And Accomplishments

In 2006, Palin pulled a surprise by vying for the Alaska governor’s seat and winning it. She became the most popular governor and gained a rating of 93% in 2007. As a governor, she faced more controversies and drama but remained key in Republican politics.

Did Sarah accomplish anything as a governor? Sarah’s key milestone was approving the natural gas pipeline to pass through Canada. 

The project required $500 million of taxpayers’ money, something that landed Palin in trouble with the Native tribes.

Palin also signed a $6.6 billion operating budget into law. She also made cuts in the capital budget using her veto power. The cuts significantly reduced the capital budget to $1.6 billion.

In July 2008, Palin dismissed Walt Monegan, citing underperformance in his roles.

During her term, Palin’s job approval ratings were as high as 93% and as low as 54%. Below is a table showing the ratings.

The 2008 Vice Presidential Campaign

Palin was not very famous beyond Alaska. However, her impressive record prompted conservative commentators to meet her in 2007. Bill Kristol would later urge McCain to pick Palin as his running mate.

Her selection was seen to boost the religious right wing. Even though her status was not publicly known, the strategists of McCain saw it as a positive factor. McCain personally called Palin and informed her of the plans.

Palin later had face-to-face meetings with McCain, discussing a joint ticket.

Conclusion

What colleges did Sarah Palin go to is a common question. Sarah surprised many with her political career growth. 

She was a mayor and later a governor. Afterward, Sarah was nominated as a running mate for McCain despite her unknown status.

Sarah attended six colleges, with three confirming that she studied at the institution. Her education journey has been controversial, with many doubting her qualifications. 

Despite the status, the former Alaska governor rose to a higher political rank through the 2007 nomination.

Sarah is known for her bold approach to situations and is a loyal member of the Republicans.