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.
Lee Kuan Yew
autobiographer · 1923–2015
1st Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore (1923–2015)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London · University of Cambridge
Thomas Carlyle
literary historian · 1795–1881
Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher (1795–1881)
The University of Edinburgh
Desmond Tutu
anti-apartheid activist · 1931–2021
South African churchman, politician, archbishop, Nobel Prize winner (1931–2021)
King's College London, University of London
Ursula von der Leyen
equestrian · b. 1958
President of the European Commission since 2019
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Chris Pine
video game actor · b. 1980
American actor (born 1980)
University of Leeds
Kazuo Ishiguro
science fiction writer · b. 1954
British novelist (born 1954)
University of East Anglia UEA · University of Kent
Thomas Hardy
novelist · 1840–1928
English novelist and poet (1840–1928)
King's College London, University of London
Edward Snowden
intelligence analyst · b. 1983
American whistleblower and former NSA contractor (born 1983)
University of Liverpool
Elton John
recording artist · b. 1947
British singer, songwriter and musician (born 1947)
ARU London · Royal Academy of Music, University of London
John Ruskin
daguerreotypist · 1819–1900
English writer and art critic (1819–1900)
King's College London, University of London
William Golding
science fiction writer · 1911–1993
British novelist, poet, playwright and Nobel Prize for Literature laureate (1911–1993)
University of Oxford
Abdullah Gül
diplomat · b. 1950
11th President of Turkey (born 1950)
ARU London · University of Exeter
Batman
philanthropist
fictional character in DC Comics
University of Cambridge
William Somerset Maugham
prose writer · 1874–1965
English playwright and author (1874–1965)
King's College London, University of London
Edward Jenner
biologist · 1749–1823
English physician, scientist and pioneer of vaccination (1749–1823)
University of St Andrews
Harold Pinter
novelist · 1930–2008
British playwright (1930–2008)
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Rosalind Franklin
molecular biologist · 1920–1958
British chemist, biophysicist, and X-ray crystallographer (1920–1958)
University of Cambridge
Tsai Ing-wen
university teacher · b. 1956
14th and 15th President of Republic of China (Taiwan)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
William, Prince of Wales
helicopter pilot · b. 1982
heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth Realms
University of St Andrews
Wole Soyinka
novelist · b. 1934
Nigerian writer (born 1934)
ARU London · University of Leeds
Margrethe II of Denmark
textile artist · b. 1940
Queen of Denmark from 1972 to 2024 (born 1940)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London · University of Cambridge
Srinivasa Ramanujan
accountant · 1887–1920
Indian mathematician (1887–1920)
University of Cambridge
Carrie Fisher
film actor · 1956–2016
American actress, writer and screenwriter (1956–2016)
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Mohammad Ali Jinnah
freedom fighter · 1876–1948
politician and the founder of Pakistan (1876–1948)
University of Oxford
Muhammad Iqbal
children's writer · 1877–1938
British-Indian Islamic philosopher, poet and politician (1877-1938)
University of Cambridge
Catherine, Princess of Wales
socialite · b. 1982
member of the British Royal Family and princess of Wales since 2022
University of St Andrews
Thabo Mbeki
economist · b. 1942
President of South Africa from 1999 to 2008
ARU London · Glasgow Caledonian University · University of Sussex
Edward VII
art collector · 1841–1910
King of the United Kingdom from 1901 to 1910
The University of Edinburgh
Rajiv Gandhi
politician · 1944–1991
Prime Minister of India (1984-1989)
Imperial College London · University of Cambridge
Alfred Russel Wallace
zoological collector · 1823–1913
British naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist (1823–1913)
Birkbeck, University of London
Amartya Sen
Nobel Prize winner · b. 1933
Indian economist and philosopher (1933-)
University of Cambridge
Seamus Heaney
linguist · 1939–2013
Irish poet, playwright, translator, lecturer (1939–2013)
Queen's University Belfast
Simon Pegg
television actor · b. 1970
English actor (born 1970)
University of Bristol
Thomas Robert Malthus
political economist · 1766–1834
British political economist (1766–1834)
University of Cambridge
Chinua Achebe
essayist · 1930–2013
Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic (1930-2013)
ARU London
D. H. Lawrence
librettist · 1885–1930
English writer and poet (1885–1930)
ARU London · University of Nottingham
Daniel Craig
film actor · b. 1968
English actor
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Edward Gibbon
classical scholar · 1737–1794
English historian and politician (1737–1794)
University of Oxford
George Soros
activist · b. 1930
Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist (born 1930)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Dorothy Hodgkin
crystallographer · 1910–1994
British chemist
University of Oxford
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio
translator · b. 1940
French writer and Nobel Prize winner (born 1940)
University of Bristol
Robert Hooke
diarist · 1635–1703
English natural philosopher, architect and polymath (1635 — 1703)
University of Oxford
Helen Mirren
film actor · b. 1945
English actress (born 1945)
Middlesex University
Juan Manuel Santos
journalist · b. 1951
president of Colombia from 2010 to 2018
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Christopher Marlowe
translator · 1564–1593
English dramatist, poet and translator (1564–1593)
University of Cambridge
John Donne
librettist · 1572–1631
English poet and cleric (1572-1631)
University of Cambridge
David Livingstone
explorer · 1813–1873
Scottish missionary and explorer (1813-1873)
University of Glasgow
Eric Clapton
jazz musician · b. 1945
British musician
Kingston University
Imran Khan
autobiographer · b. 1952
22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan
University of Oxford
Romano Prodi
university teacher · b. 1939
Italian politician and economist (born 1939)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Alfred North Whitehead
philosopher · 1861–1947
English mathematician and philosopher (1861–1947)
University of Cambridge
Edmond Halley
mathematician · 1656–1742
English astronomer, mathematician, geophysicist, meteorologist and physicist (1656–1742)
University of Oxford
James Chadwick
nuclear physicist · 1891–1974
English physicist (1891-1974), who discovered the neutron in 1932
University of Cambridge · University of Manchester
Mick Jagger
rock singer · b. 1943
British singer and songwriter; vocalist of The Rolling Stones
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin
university teacher · 1824–1907
British physicist and engineer (1824–1907)
University of Cambridge · University of Glasgow
J. M. Barrie
television writer · 1860–1937
Scottish writer and playwright (1860–1937)
The University of Edinburgh
Liam Neeson
film actor · b. 1952
actor from Northern Ireland (born 1952)
Queen's University Belfast
William Makepeace Thackeray
prose writer · 1811–1863
British novelist (1811–1863)
University of Cambridge
William of Ockham
Catholic theologian · 1287–1349
English Franciscan friar and theologian (c.1287–1347)
University of Oxford
Anthony Eden
foreign minister · 1897–1977
British soldier, diplomat and politician (1897–1977)
University of Oxford