Which university is listed as President Jed Bartlet's undergraduate alma mater?

President Jed Bartlet’s undergraduate alma mater is the University of Notre Dame. The fictional president earned a bachelor’s degree there before continuing his academic career in economics.

Notre Dame is central to Bartlet’s characterization because his Catholic faith, intellectual background, and interest in entering the priesthood all connect naturally to the university. His later education included graduate study at the London School of Economics, and he eventually became an economist and Nobel laureate before entering politics.

The other options are plausible distractions because Bartlet is portrayed as an exceptionally accomplished academic and frequently discusses elite universities, history, theology, and economics. Yale, Harvard, and Williams College are not listed as his undergraduate alma mater. The character’s Notre Dame connection also reflects actor Martin Sheen’s Catholic identity; Sheen reportedly asked that Bartlet be written as a Notre Dame alumnus.