Notable UK university alumni
13,528 people who studied at a UK university and have Wikipedia coverage. Ranked by international notability (number of language Wikipedias they appear in). Sourced from Wikidata.
Valerie Isham
statistician · b. 1947
British mathematician
Imperial College London
Valerie Vaz
politician · b. 1954
British politician and lawyer (born 1954)
Royal Holloway, University of London
Vanessa Lawrence
geographer · b. 1962
British government official
University of Sheffield
Vanraj Bhatia
music director · 1927–2021
Indian composer (1927-2021)
Royal Academy of Music, University of London
Velislava N Petrova
researcher · b. 1990
researcher
University of Bristol
Verla De Peiza
politician · b. 1971
Barbadian politician; leader of the DLP
Queen Mary University of London · University of Southampton
Veronica Ryan
sculptor · b. 1956
Montserrat-born British artist (born 1956)
SOAS University of London
Victor Adebowale, Baron Adebowale
politician · b. 1962
British politician (born 1962)
University of East London
Victor Owusu
diplomat · 1923–2000
Lawyer, politician and former attorney general and foreign minister of Ghana (1923-2000)
University of Nottingham
Vilsoni Hereniko
director · b. 1954
Fijian filmmaker
Newcastle University
Violetta Thurstan
sailor · 1879–1978
nurse and weaver
University of St Andrews
Virginia Man-Yee Lee
academic · b. 1945
Professor in Alzheimer’s Research
Royal Academy of Music, University of London
Vivian French
non-fiction writer · b. 1945
children's writer
University of Exeter
Vivien Goldman
music journalist · b. 1954
British journalist and singer
University of Warwick
W. Neil Carmichael
farmer · b. 1961
British Conservative politician (born 1961)
University of Nottingham
Wallace Browne, Baron Browne of Belmont
politician · b. 1947
British politician (born 1947)
Queen's University Belfast
Walter Cecil Macfarren
conductor · 1826–1905
English pianist and composer
Royal Academy of Music, University of London
Walter Crum
chemist · 1796–1867
Scottish chemist and businessman
University of Strathclyde
Walter Eric Spear
physicist · 1921–2008
German physicist (1921–2008)
Birkbeck, University of London · University of Westminster, London
Walter Galpin Alcock
music educator · 1861–1947
English organist and composer (1861–1947)
Royal College of Music
Walter Thomas James Morgan
biochemist · 1900–2003
British biochemist (1900-2003)
Queen Mary University of London · University of East London
Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad
politician · 1960–2016
former Malaysian politician, architect and entrepreneur (1960-2016)
Kingston University
Wanjiru Kihoro
academic · 1953–2006
economist, writer, feminist, a founding member of Akina Mama wa Afrika
University of Leeds
Wayne Morris
television actor · b. 1964
British actor
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Wayne Peterson
jazz pianist · 1927–2021
American composer (1927-2021)
Royal Academy of Music, University of London
Wendy Alexander
politician · b. 1963
Scottish politician (born 1963)
University of Warwick
Wilfred Ukpong
artist
French-Nigerian artist
Oxford Brookes University
Will Carling
rugby union player · b. 1965
English rugby union footballer
Durham University
Will Knightley
film actor · b. 1946
British actor
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Willa Muir
linguist · 1890–1970
Scottish novelist, essayist and translator
University of St Andrews
William Barr
polar explorer · b. 1940
Arctic historian
University of Aberdeen
William Dunbar
explorer · 1750–1810
American explorer (1749–1810)
University of Aberdeen
William F. Grimes
prehistorian · 1905–1988
British archaeologist (1905–1988)
Cardiff University
William Gilbert Chaloner
scientific collector · 1928–2016
British paleobotanist (1928-2016)
University of Reading
William Henry Squire
music educator · 1871–1963
British cellist, composer and music professor (1871–1963)
Royal College of Music
William Holford, Baron Holford
university teacher · 1907–1975
British architect and town planner (1907–1975)
University of Liverpool
William Roy Branch
herpetologist · 1946–2018
South African herpetologist (1946-2018)
University of Southampton
William Whitla
politician · 1851–1933
British physician and politician
Queen's University Belfast
Willie Coffey
politician · b. 1958
Scottish politician (born 1958)
University of Strathclyde
Willie Doherty
video artist · b. 1959
Northern Irish artist (born 1959)
Ulster University
Wolfgang Wüster
herpetologist · b. 1964
UK-based German herpetologist
University of Aberdeen
Wolfram Wagner
flautist · b. 1962
Austrian composer and flautist
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Wouter Van Besien
politician · b. 1971
Flemish politician
University of Hull
Yannis Kyriakides
musician · b. 1969
Dutch composer
University of York
Yewande Sadiku
investment banker · b. 1972
Nigerian investment banker
University of Warwick
Yisa Braimoh
politician · b. 1942
Nigerian politician
Cranfield University
Yousra Elbagir
journalist · b. 1992
Sudanese–British journalist
University of St Andrews
Zahida Manzoor
business executive · b. 1958
British businesswoman (born 1958)
University of Bradford · University of Leeds
Zaib Jaffar
official
politician in Pakistan
Middlesex University
Zeng Baosun
women's rights activist · 1893–1978
Chinese feminist and historian
Chesterfield College
Zerkaa
gamer · b. 1992
British Internet personality (born 1992)
Ravensbourne University London
Ziad Takieddine
arms trader · 1950–2025
Lebanese-French businessman
University of Reading
Zoë Henry
actor · b. 1973
British actress
Manchester Metropolitan University
Zubin Varla
film actor · b. 1970
British actor and singer
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
ʿAbd al-Karīm Maḥmūd Gharāybah
university teacher · 1923–2014
Jordanian historian and politician
SOAS University of London
A. K. Warder
Indologist · 1924–2013
British Indologist (1924–2013)
SOAS University of London
Aamer Anwar
lawyer · b. 1967
Scottish lawyer
University of Liverpool · University of Strathclyde
Aaron Bastani
media scholar · b. 1984
British political commentator
Royal Holloway, University of London
Aaron Sloman
artificial intelligence researcher · b. 1936
philosopher and researcher on artificial intelligence and cognitive science
University of Sussex
Abbie Hutty
mechanical engineer · b. 1986
British mechanical engineer
University of Surrey