Notable UK university alumni

Arabic scholar and writer

The University of Edinburgh

Justin Chancellor

songwriter · b. 1971

English musician; book and record store owner

Durham University

Katherine Jenkins

opera singer · b. 1980

British singer

Royal Academy of Music, University of London

Katy B

pop singer · b. 1989

British singer

Goldsmiths, University of London

Kingsley Ben-Adir

film actor · b. 1986

British actor (born 1986)

Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Kofi Abrefa Busia

head of government · 1913–1978

Prime Minister of Ghana (1969-1972)

ARU London · University of Oxford

Leanne Wood

politician · b. 1971

Welsh Plaid Cymru politician (born 1971)

Cardiff University

Lenny Henry

audiobook narrator · b. 1958

British-Jamaican actor and comedian

Open University · Royal Holloway, University of London

Les Aspin

university teacher · 1938–1995

American politician (1938-1995)

University of Oxford

Leslie Valiant

university teacher · b. 1949

computer scientist, university teacher (1949-)

Imperial College London · University of Warwick

Lizzy Yarnold

skeleton racer · b. 1988

British skeleton racer

University of Gloucestershire

English author and academic (1932–2000)

Queen Mary University of London · University of Leicester

Marina Hands

film actor · b. 1975

French actress (born 1975)

LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)

Martin Lings

philosopher of religion · 1909–2005

English writer and scholar (1909-2005)

SOAS University of London

Michael Kiwanuka

recording artist · b. 1988

English singer-songwriter

University of Westminster, London

Michael Rosen

YouTuber · b. 1946

British children's author and poet (born 1946)

University of Liverpool · University of Reading

Mike Figgis

film producer · b. 1948

British composer, film director and screenwriter (born 1948)

Middlesex University

Nathaniel Parker

film actor · b. 1962

English actor (born 1962)

LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)

Nazia Hassan

singer · 1965–2000

Pakistani singer (1965–2000)

ARU London · Richmond American University London

Neil Marshall

film editor · b. 1970

British film director and writer

Northumbria University, Newcastle

English actress (born 1986)

University of Sussex

Orde Wingate

army officer · 1903–1944

British Army officer, creator of the Chindit mission in World War II (1903–1944)

SOAS University of London

Osman Kavala

philanthropist · b. 1957

Turkish businessperson and philanthropist (born 1957)

University of Manchester

Danish Orientalist and historian (1945–2015)

SOAS University of London

Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands

aristocrat · b. 1966

wife of Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands

Queen Mary University of London

Rebecca Romero

track cyclist · b. 1980

English rower and racing cyclist

St Mary's University, Twickenham · University of Surrey

Rodolfo Neri Vela

politician · b. 1952

Mexican astronaut

University of Birmingham

Rosaly Lopes

volcanologist · b. 1957

Brazilian geologist and astronomer

ARU London

British-Indian actor

LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)

Sam Houser

video game developer · b. 1971

British video game producer and developer

ARU London

Sandister Tei

Wikimedian

Ghanaian journalist and Wikimedian

Cardiff University

Sarah Lancashire

film actor · b. 1964

English actress

Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Siddhartha Mukherjee

oncologist · b. 1970

Indian-American physician and writer (born 1970)

University of Oxford

Simon Baron-Cohen

university teacher · b. 1958

British psychologist and author

King's College London, University of London

Stella Kyriakides

clinical psychologist · b. 1956

Cypriot politician

University of Manchester · University of Reading

Steve Cram

track and field coach · b. 1960

British middle distance runner

Northumbria University, Newcastle · University of Sunderland

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit

businessperson · b. 1978

Thai politician

University of Nottingham

English film and television actor and author (1946–2017)

University of Bristol

Timothy Laurence

naval officer · b. 1950

Royal Navy admiral

Durham University

Tom Dean

swimmer · b. 2000

British competitive swimmer (born 2000)

University of Bath

Unity Dow

novelist · b. 1959

Motswana politician, Lawyer and Activist

The University of Edinburgh

Yang Jiang

film screenwriter · 1911–2016

Chinese writer (1911-2016)

ARU London · University of Oxford

Yi-Fu Tuan

philosopher · 1930–2022

Chinese-American geographer (1930-2022)

University of Oxford

Yuval Ne'eman

nuclear physicist · 1925–2006

Israeli theoretical physicist, military scientist, and politician (1925-2006)

Imperial College London

Zacarias Moussaoui

b. 1968

French citizen and convicted criminal associated with the September 11 attacks; Al-Qaeda operative

London South Bank University

Zhong Nanshan

pulmonologist · b. 1936

Chinese pulmonologist

The University of Edinburgh

Adam Gemili

sprinter · b. 1993

Sprint athlete; footballer (born 1993)

University of East London

Afshan Azad

YouTuber · b. 1988

English actress and model

University of Salford

Ajayi Crowther

Bible translator · 1809–1891

Yoruba linguist and the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria (1809-1891)

University of Oxford

Alfred Fowler

physicist · 1868–1940

British astronomer (1868-1940)

Imperial College London

Amanda Donohoe

film actor · b. 1962

British actress

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London

Anjem Choudary

Islamic extremist · b. 1967

British Muslim social and political activist

University of Southampton

Ann Todd

film actor · 1907–1993

British actress (1907–1993)

Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London

Anna Chancellor

film actor · b. 1965

English actress

LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)

Anton Lesser

film actor · b. 1952

English actor

University of Liverpool

Archibald Geikie

volcanologist · 1835–1924

British geologist (1835–1924)

The University of Edinburgh

Arthur Bliss

choreographer · 1891–1975

English composer and conductor (1891–1975)

Royal College of Music

Ashley Jensen

film actor · b. 1969

British actress

Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

Ben Elton

stand-up comedian · b. 1959

British comedian, author, playwright, actor and director

University of Manchester

Bevil Rudd

athletics competitor · 1895–1948

athletics competitor (1894–1948)

University of Oxford