# United States Secretary of Education

The United States secretary of education is the head of the United States Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States, and the federal government, on policies, programs, and activities related to all education in the United States. As a member of the Cabinet of the United States, the secretary is sixteenth in the line of succession to the presidency.
The current secretary of education is Linda McMahon, serving in this role under President Donald Trump.

## Function

The United States secretary of education is a member of the president's Cabinet and is the fifteenth in the United States presidential line of succession. This secretary deals with federal influence over education policy, and heads the United States Department of Education.
The secretary is advised by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, an advisory committee, on "matters related to accreditation and to the eligibility and certification process for institutions of higher education."

## List of secretaries

Prior to the creation of the Department of Education in 1979, Education was a division of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

### Parties

Democrat  Republican

### Health, Education, and Welfare

| No. | Name | State of residence | Took office | Left office | President(s) | President(s) |
| 1 | Oveta Culp Hobby | Texas | April 11, 1953 | July 31, 1955 | | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| 2 | Marion B. Folsom | New York | August 2, 1955 | July 31, 1958 | | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| 3 | Arthur Flemming | Ohio | August 1, 1958 | January 19, 1961 | | Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) |
| 4 | Abraham A. Ribicoff | Connecticut | January 21, 1961 | July 13, 1962 | | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| 5 | Anthony J. Celebrezze | Ohio | July 31, 1962 | August 17, 1965 | | John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) |
| 5 | | Ohio | July 31, 1962 | August 17, 1965 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) |
| 6 | | John W. Gardner | California | August 18, 1965 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) | March 1, 1968 |
| 7 | | Wilbur J. Cohen | Michigan | May 16, 1968 | Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) | January 20, 1969 |
| 8 | Robert Finch | California | January 21, 1969 | June 23, 1970 | | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 9 | Elliot L. Richardson | Massachusetts | June 24, 1970 | January 29, 1973 | | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 10 | Caspar Weinberger | California | February 12, 1973 | August 8, 1975 | | Richard Nixon (1969–1974) |
| 10 | Caspar Weinberger | California | February 12, 1973 | August 8, 1975 | | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| 11 | F. David Mathews | Alabama | August 8, 1975 | January 20, 1977 | | Gerald Ford (1974–1977) |
| 12 | Joseph A. Califano Jr. | District of Columbia | January 25, 1977 | August 3, 1979 | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 13 | Patricia Roberts Harris | District of Columbia | August 3, 1979 | May 4, 1980 | | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |

### United States Secretary of Education

Source
| No. | Name | State of residence | Took office | Left office | President |
| 1 | Shirley Hufstedler | California | November 30, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) |
| 2 | Terrel Bell | Utah | January 22, 1981 | January 20, 1985 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| | William Bennett | North Carolina | February 6, 1985 | September 20, 1988 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 3 | William Bennett | North Carolina | February 6, 1985 | September 20, 1988 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 4 | Lauro Cavazos | Texas | September 20, 1988 | December 12, 1990 | Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) |
| 4 | Lauro Cavazos | Texas | September 20, 1988 | December 12, 1990 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| – | Ted Sanders Acting | Illinois | December 12, 1990 | March 22, 1991 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 5 | Lamar Alexander | Tennessee | March 22, 1991 | January 20, 1993 | George H. W. Bush (1989–1993) |
| 6 | Richard Riley | South Carolina | January 21, 1993 | January 20, 2001 | Bill Clinton (1993–2001) |
| 7 | Rod Paige | Texas | January 20, 2001 | January 20, 2005 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 8 | Margaret Spellings | Texas | January 20, 2005 | January 20, 2009 | George W. Bush (2001–2009) |
| 9 | Arne Duncan | Illinois | January 21, 2009 | January 1, 2016 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 10 | John King Jr. | New York | January 1, 2016 | March 14, 2016 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| 10 | John King Jr. | New York | March 14, 2016 | January 20, 2017 | Barack Obama (2009–2017) |
| – | Phil Rosenfelt Acting | Virginia | January 20, 2017 | February 7, 2017 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| 11 | Betsy DeVos | Michigan | February 7, 2017 | January 8, 2021 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | Mick Zais Acting | South Carolina | January 8, 2021 | January 20, 2021 | Donald Trump (2017–2021) |
| – | Phil Rosenfelt Acting | Virginia | January 20, 2021 | March 2, 2021 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| 12 | Miguel Cardona | Connecticut | March 2, 2021 | January 20, 2025 | Joe Biden (2021–2025) |
| – | Denise L. Carter Acting | | January 20, 2025 | March 3, 2025 | Donald Trump (2025–present) |
| 13 | Linda McMahon | Connecticut | March 3, 2025 | present | Donald Trump (2025–present) |