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.
Luc Montagnier
virologist · 1932–2022
French virologist and joint recipient of the Nobel Prize of Physiology or Medicine (2008)
University of Oxford
Michelle Yeoh
beauty pageant contestant · b. 1962
Malaysian actress (born 1962)
Manchester Metropolitan University
Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett
nuclear physicist · 1897–1974
British physicist (1897-1974)
University of Cambridge
Richard Griffiths
film actor · 1947–2013
British actor
Manchester Metropolitan University
Hassan II
military leader · 1929–1999
King of Morocco from 1961 to 1999
Imperial College London
John Evans Atta Mills
university teacher · 1944–2012
sixth President of the Republic of Ghana (1944–2012)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London · SOAS University of London
Alfred Marshall
philosopher · 1842–1924
British economist (1842–1924)
University of Cambridge
Charles K. Kao
university teacher · 1933–2018
Hong Kong-British-American physicist
ARU London · University of Greenwich
Constantine II of Greece
sailor · 1940–2023
King of Greece from 1964 to 1973
University of Cambridge
Freeman Dyson
theoretical physicist · 1923–2020
theoretical physicist and mathematician (1923–2020)
University of Cambridge
Hastings Banda
diplomat · 1890–1997
First president of Malawi
The University of Edinburgh
Julie Christie
film actor · b. 1940
British actress
Open University · Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Nicola Sturgeon
jurist · b. 1970
First Minister of Scotland from 2014 to 2023
University of Glasgow
Robert Edwards
physiologist · 1925–2013
English physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine and in-vitro fertilisation
Bangor University · The University of Edinburgh
Syd Barrett
guitarist · 1946–2006
British musician (1946–2006)
Anglia Ruskin University
Ana Brnabić
business manager · b. 1975
President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia
University of Hull
Francis Galton
eugenicist · 1822–1911
British eugenist, polymath, and behavioural geneticist (1822–1911)
King's College London, University of London
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
malariologist · b. 1965
Ethiopian and politician, Director-General of the World Health Organization
ARU London · London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London · University of Nottingham
Andre Geim
inventor · b. 1958
Russian-born Dutch-British physicist
University of Manchester
Antony Hewish
Nobel Prize winner · 1924–2021
English physicist and radio astronomer (1924–2021)
University of Cambridge
Cecil Frank Powell
nuclear physicist · 1903–1969
British physicist
University of Bristol · University of Cambridge
Erik Erikson
non-fiction writer · 1902–1994
American German-born psychoanalyst & essayist
University of Oxford
Kit Harington
film actor · b. 1986
British actor
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Letsie III of Lesotho
sovereign · b. 1963
King of Lesotho since 1996
ARU London · University of Bristol
May-Britt Moser
neuroscientist · b. 1963
Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist
The University of Edinburgh
Vanessa Redgrave
film actor · b. 1937
British actress and activist (born 1937)
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Alexander Stubb
foreign minister · b. 1968
Finnish politician and the 13th President of Finland (2024–)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Aníbal Cavaco Silva
university teacher · b. 1939
Portuguese politician (born 1939)
University of York
Bülent Ecevit
journalist · 1925–2006
16th Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey (1925–2006)
SOAS University of London
Gerard Butler
film actor · b. 1969
Scottish actor and film producer
University of Glasgow
Michael Collins
statesperson · 1890–1922
Irish revolutionary and politician (1890–1922)
King's College London, University of London
Petr Pavel
diplomat · b. 1961
Czech general and statesman, 4th president of the Czech Republic
King's College London, University of London
Sydney Brenner
geneticist · 1927–2019
South African biologist, Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine 2002
University of Oxford
Anthony James Leggett
university teacher · 1938–2026
British physicist (1938–2026)
University of Oxford
Bruce Dickinson
heavy metal singer · b. 1958
English heavy metal singer (born 1958)
Queen Mary University of London
Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
politician · 1784–1865
British statesman and prime minister (1784–1865)
The University of Edinburgh · University of Cambridge
James Blunt
pop musician · b. 1974
English singer-songwriter
University of Bristol
Maurice Wilkins
biophysicist · 1916–2004
New Zealand-born English physicist and biologist
University of Birmingham · University of Cambridge
Meles Zenawi
politician · 1955–2012
Ethiopian politician; Prime Minister of Ethiopia (1955-2012)
Open University
Oscar Pistorius
athletics competitor · b. 1986
South African sprinter and convicted murderer (born 1986)
University of Strathclyde
Annie Lennox
recording artist · b. 1954
Scottish singer-songwriter (born 1954)
Royal Academy of Music, University of London
Benjamin Constant
diarist · 1767–1830
French-Swiss politician, writer on politics and religion (1767-1830)
The University of Edinburgh
Charles Scott Sherrington
pathologist · 1857–1952
English footballer, neurophysiologist and Nobel Prize recipient (1857–1952)
University of Oxford
Dominique Strauss-Kahn
university teacher · b. 1949
French economist
University of Bristol
Lemmy
bass guitarist · 1945–2015
British rock musician (1945–2015)
University of Staffordshire
Melvin Calvin
biochemist · 1911–1997
American biochemist (1911–1997)
University of Manchester
Roger Taylor
bass guitarist · b. 1949
English musician, drummer of Queen (born 1949)
University of East London
Andrew Wiles
university teacher · b. 1953
English mathematician (1953–)
University of Cambridge
Benjamin Britten
choreographer · 1913–1976
English composer, conductor, and pianist (1913-1976)
Royal College of Music
Bongbong Marcos
merchant · b. 1957
president of the Philippines since 2022
University of Oxford
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Catholic bishop · 1100–1155
Historian and Bishop of St Asaph, Wales (c.1095–1155)
University of Oxford
Mary McAleese
journalist · b. 1951
8th President of Ireland
Queen's University Belfast
Monica Lewinsky
designer · b. 1973
American activist and writer (born 1973)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
university teacher · b. 1943
Icelandic politician, 5th President of Iceland
University of Manchester
Richard Harris
rugby union player · 1930–2002
Irish actor, singer, film director and writer (1930–2002)
LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)
Zygmunt Bauman
opinion journalist · 1925–2017
Polish philosopher and sociologist (1925-2017)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Andrew Lloyd Webber
producer · b. 1948
British theatre composer (born 1948)
Royal College of Music
Arthur Harden
biochemist · 1865–1940
British biochemist
University of Manchester
Bjarne Stroustrup
programmer · b. 1950
Danish computer scientist, creator of C++ (born 1950)
University of Cambridge
John Knox
Christian minister · 1514–1572
Scottish clergyman, writer and historian (1514–1572)
University of Glasgow · University of St Andrews