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.
John Lennox
philosopher of science · b. 1943
Northern Irish mathematician and philosopher of science (b. 1943)
University of Oxford · University of Surrey
John Nettles
opinion journalist · b. 1943
British actor and writer
University of Southampton
John Richardson
scientific collector · 1787–1865
Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer (1787–1865)
The University of Edinburgh
John Scott Haldane
philosopher · 1860–1936
British physiologist (1860–1936)
The University of Edinburgh
John Simm
film actor · b. 1970
British actor, director, singer and guitarist
Blackpool and the Fylde College
John Smith
politician · 1938–1994
Labour Party leader from Scotland (1938-1994)
University of Glasgow
John Williams
classical guitarist · b. 1941
Australian classical guitarist (born 1941)
Royal College of Music
Keith O'Brien
Catholic bishop · 1938–2018
British catholic cardinal (1938–2018)
The University of Edinburgh
Kim Little
association football player · b. 1990
Scottish footballer
University of Hertfordshire
Kurt Hahn
head teacher · 1886–1974
German educator (1886-1974)
University of Oxford
Linus Roache
actor · b. 1964
English actor
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Marc Almond
vocalist · b. 1957
British singer
Leeds Beckett University
Marina Lewycka
novelist · 1946–2025
British writer
Harper and Keele Veterinary School · King's College London, University of London · University of York
Mark Rolston
voice actor · b. 1956
American actor
Richmond American University London
Michael Fallon
politician · b. 1952
British politician (born 1952)
University of St Andrews
Michael Scot
philosopher · 1175–1235
Scottish mathematician and scholar (1175–c.1232)
University of Oxford
Peter Mullan
television actor · b. 1959
British actor, filmmaker and socialist
University of Glasgow
Philip Kerr
science fiction writer · 1956–2018
British novelist (1956–2018)
University of Birmingham
Ralph Ineson
film actor · b. 1969
British actor
Lancaster University
Rina Sawayama
model · b. 1990
Japanese singer
University of Cambridge
Robert Greene
playwright · 1558–1592
English author (1558-1592)
University of Cambridge
Robert Kerr
translator · 1757–1813
Scottish scientific writer and translator (1757–1813)
The University of Edinburgh
Şafak Pavey
human rights defender · b. 1976
Turkish statesperson (born 1976)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London · University of Westminster, London
Simon Russell Beale
music historian · b. 1961
British actor and music historian
Guildhall School of Music & Drama · University of Cambridge
Sophia Di Martino
film director · b. 1983
British actress
University of Salford
Stephen Merchant
television actor · b. 1974
English actor, director, and writer
University of Warwick
Stephen Toulmin
philosophy historian · 1922–2009
English philosopher (1922–2009)
University of Cambridge
Susanne Klatten
entrepreneur · b. 1962
German businesswoman
University of Buckingham
Sydney Chapman
geophysicist · 1888–1970
British mathematician and geophysicist (1888–1970)
University of Salford
Thomas Morley
music theorist · 1559–1602
English composer, organist and editor
University of Oxford
Timothy Peake
helicopter pilot · b. 1972
British Army Air Corps officer and astronaut
University of Portsmouth
Todd Young
consultant · b. 1972
United States Senator from Indiana
ARU London
Victor Turner
anthropologist · 1920–1983
British cultural anthropologist (1920-1983)
University of Manchester
Victoria Pendleton
autobiographer · b. 1980
British cyclist and jockey
Northumbria University, Newcastle
Vilém Flusser
communication scholar · 1920–1991
Czech philosopher and photographer
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Vuk Jeremić
diplomat · b. 1975
Serbian politician
University of Cambridge
William Cullen
university teacher · 1710–1790
Scottish physician, chemist and agriculturalist; (1710-1790)
The University of Edinburgh · University of Glasgow
William Roxburgh
scientific collector · 1759–1815
British surgeon and botanist (1751–1815)
The University of Edinburgh · University of Aberdeen
Winnie Byanyima
aircraft pilot · b. 1959
20th and 21st-century Ugandan aeronautical engineer, politician and diplomat
Cranfield University · University of Manchester
Zainab Salbi
women's rights activist · b. 1969
Iraqi American author, women's rights activist
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Ahmed al-Mirghani
politician · 1941–2008
Sudanese politician (1941–2008)
ARU London
Alec Issigonis
car designer · 1906–1988
British car designer (1906–1988)
ARU London · University of Surrey
Ali Dia
association football player · b. 1965
Senegalese footballer
Northumbria University, Newcastle
Anders Tegnell
epidemiologist · b. 1956
Swedish physician and civil servant
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London
Ashley Montagu
anthropologist · 1905–1999
British-American anthropologist
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Bellamy Young
television actor · b. 1970
American actress
University of Oxford
Ben Howard
guitarist · b. 1987
English singer and songwriter
Falmouth University
Binyavanga Wainaina
journalist · 1971–2019
Kenyan writer (1971–2019)
University of East Anglia UEA
Brian Friel
theatre director · 1929–2015
Irish dramatist, author and theatre director (1929–2015)
Ulster University
Caroline Goodall
film actor · b. 1959
English actress
University of Bristol
Carwyn Jones
barrister · b. 1967
First Minister of Wales from 2009 to 2018
Aberystwyth University
Charlotte Riley
film actor · b. 1981
British actress
Durham University · LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)
Dan Houser
video game producer · b. 1973
English video game producer
University of Oxford
Daniel Wiffen
swimmer · b. 2001
Irish swimmer
Loughborough University
David Owen
politician · b. 1938
British politician (born 1938)
King's College London, University of London
David Vitter
lobbyist · b. 1961
American politician (born 1961)
University of Oxford
Delta Burke
beauty pageant contestant · b. 1956
actress
LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)
Duncan Scott
swimmer · b. 1997
Scottish swimmer
University of Stirling
Ferdinand Canning Scott Schiller
philosopher · 1864–1937
German-born British philosopher
University of Oxford
Genesis P-Orridge
performance artist · 1950–2020
British artist, musician and writer (1950–2020)
University of Hull