The Education of Robert Nifkin is a 1998 novel written for young adults by United States author Daniel Pinkwater.

Robert attended Riverview High School, which was only notable for its anti-semitic attitudes, homophobia, boredom, and anti-communist paranoia.

His boredom and hatred for school grows and he eventually stops attending for large periods of time, preferring to hang out with Kenny Papescu and his girlfriend Linda in a very beatnik part of town.

Robert's truancy increased even more, except on the occasions that he sought shelter in Riverview from the Chicago winter.

Robert matures greatly while attending the Wheaton school and learns to appreciate art, chess, and the city's architecture; the freedom that it provides allows him to explore his interests with the guidance of the teachers.