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.
Euclid Tsakalotos
philosopher · b. 1960
Greek economist and politician
University of Oxford · University of Sussex
Forbes Burnham
politician · 1923–1985
Guyanese politician (1923-1985)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Freya Madeline Stark
travel writer · 1893–1993
British travel writer (1893-1993)
Royal Holloway, University of London · SOAS University of London
Graham Hancock
documentary participant · b. 1950
British author who promotes pseudoscientific theories
Durham University
Halil İnalcık
academic · 1916–2016
Turkish historian (1916–2016)
SOAS University of London
Harry Gregson-Williams
recording artist · b. 1961
British composer, conductor and producer
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
resistance fighter · 1907–1945
German resistance fighter (1907–1945)
University of Oxford
Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke
philosopher · 1678–1751
English politician and Viscount (1678-1751)
University of Oxford
Herbert Brenon
director · 1880–1958
Irish film director and screenwriter (1880-1958)
King's College London, University of London
Holliday Grainger
film actor · b. 1988
English actress
Open University · University of Leeds
Israel Kirzner
ethicist · b. 1930
American economist
ARU London
Jacqui Smith
politician · b. 1962
British politician (born 1962)
University of Worcester
James Galway
flautist · b. 1939
Irish flute player
Guildhall School of Music & Drama · Royal College of Music
James Nesbitt
film actor · b. 1965
Northern Irish actor
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London · Ulster University
Jay Kay
singer-songwriter · b. 1969
English musician
University of West London
John Polkinghorne
theoretical physicist · 1930–2021
physicist, theologian and anglican priest (1930–2021)
University of Cambridge
John Theophilus Desaguliers
philosopher · 1683–1744
French-born British natural philosopher and clergyman
University of Oxford
John Winthrop
theologian · 1588–1649
Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay and Author of "City upon a Hill" (1588-1649)
University of Cambridge
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
television actor · b. 1981
American actor
University of St Andrews
Joss Ackland
autobiographer · 1928–2023
English actor (1928–2023)
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Julian Bream
classical guitarist · 1933–2020
English classical guitarist and lutenist (1933–2020)
Royal College of Music
Katarina Johnson-Thompson
athletics competitor · b. 1993
British heptathlete
Liverpool John Moores University
Kenneth E. Boulding
philosopher · 1910–1993
British-American economist (1910-1993)
University of Oxford
Kenny Anthony
university teacher · b. 1951
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
University of Birmingham
Kwame Anthony Appiah
novelist · b. 1954
British-American philosopher and writer
University of Cambridge
Leila Aboulela
novelist · b. 1964
Sudanese writer and playwright
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Levina
songwriter · b. 1991
German singer
King's College London, University of London
Louis Slotin
non-fiction writer · 1910–1946
Canadian physicist and chemist (1910-1946)
King's College London, University of London
Louise Brealey
film actor · b. 1979
British actress
University of Cambridge
Max Richter
film score composer · b. 1966
British composer (born 1966)
The University of Edinburgh
Mhairi Black
television actor · b. 1994
Scottish politician (born 1994)
University of Glasgow
Michael Halliday
linguist · 1925–2018
Australian linguist (1925-2018)
ARU London
Natalia Gherman
philologist · b. 1969
politician from Moldova
King's College London, University of London
Nikenike Vurobaravu
diplomat · b. 1951
president of Vanuatu since 2022
University of Westminster, London
Ong Teng Cheong
politician · 1936–2002
5th President of Singapore (1936–2002)
University of Liverpool
Peter Davison
explorer · b. 1951
English actor
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Peter Hammill
guitarist · b. 1948
English singer-songwriter
University of Manchester
Philippa Gregory
novelist · b. 1954
English novelist
The University of Edinburgh · University of Sussex
Piero Sraffa
university teacher · 1898–1983
Italian economist (1898–1983)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy
head of government · 1885–1961
Dutch politician (1885-1961)
The University of Edinburgh
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
statistician · 1893–1972
Indian scientist and statistician (1893–1972)
University of Cambridge
Prithvirajsing Roopun
official · b. 1959
Former president of Mauritius since 2019 to December 2024
University of Central Lancashire
Sam Taylor-Johnson
video artist · b. 1967
British film director (born 1967)
Goldsmiths, University of London
Samira Makhmalbaf
director · b. 1980
Iranian film director and screenwriter
University of Roehampton
Thanin Kraiwichian
university teacher · 1927–2025
Thai lawyer and politician
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Thomas Addison
physician · 1793–1860
19th-century British physician and scientist
King's College London, University of London · The University of Edinburgh
Thomas Andrews
chemist · 1813–1885
Irish chemist and physicist (1813–1885)
The University of Edinburgh · University of Glasgow
Tony Banks
keyboardist · b. 1950
British musician
University of Sussex
Torri Higginson
television actor · b. 1969
Canadian actress
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Walter Hasenclever
poet lawyer · 1890–1940
German poet and playwright (1890–1940)
University of Oxford
William Robert Grove
barrister · 1811–1896
British judge and chemist (1811–1896)
University of Oxford
Alan Cox
blogger · b. 1968
British computer programmer
Aberystwyth University · Swansea University
Alfred J. Lotka
biophysicist · 1880–1949
American mathematician (1880–1949)
University of Birmingham
Alice Oseman
young adult author · b. 1994
English author of young adult fiction
Durham University
Alistair Darling
biographer · 1953–2023
British Labour Party politician (1953–2023)
University of Aberdeen
Andy Goldsworthy
environmental artist · b. 1956
British sculptor and photographer (born 1956)
University of Bradford · University of Central Lancashire
Angel Coulby
film actor · b. 1980
English actress
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Angela Beesley Starling
researcher · b. 1977
co-founder of Wikia
Aston University, Birmingham
Angus Macfadyen
film actor · b. 1963
Scottish actor
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London · The University of Edinburgh
Anne Sofie von Otter
opera singer · b. 1955
Swedish mezzo-soprano (born 1955)
Guildhall School of Music & Drama