Breckinridge studied education at a classical school operated by Dr. Louis Marshall, the brother of Chief Justice John Marshall, then followed his brothers, Cabell and John, to Princeton in 1817. His behavior problems continued there; in one year, he spent more than $1200. He was suspended for fighting, and although he was later reinstated, the incident soured him on Princeton, and he was granted an honorable release. (The school later awarded him an honorary Master of Arts degree in 1832.) Breckinridge enrolled at Yale University, but after three months, discovered that a one-year residency was required for graduation. Unwilling to complete this requirement, he moved to Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1819.