James Ax graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City and then the Brooklyn Polytechnic University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1961 under the direction of Gerhard Hochschild, with a dissertation on The Intersection of Norm Groups.
James Ax's academic journey began at Stuyvesant High School and Brooklyn Polytechnic University before culminating in a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1961 under the mentorship of Gerhard Hochschild. His dissertation focused on "The Intersection of Norm Groups."