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.
Alan MacDiarmid
university teacher · 1927–2007
New Zealand chemist (1927–2007)
University of Cambridge
David Rockefeller
commissioned armed forces officers · 1915–2017
American banker and philanthropist (1915–2017)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Eric Idle
television actor · b. 1943
British comedian, actor and writer (born 1943)
University of Cambridge
Ginnifer Goodwin
film actor · b. 1978
American actress
LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)
James Hopwood Jeans
university teacher · 1877–1946
British mathematician and astronomer (1877 – 1946)
University of Cambridge
James Lovelock
mythographer · 1919–2022
English scientist (1919–2022)
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of London · University of Manchester
Jon Lord
organist · 1941–2012
English composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player (1941–2012)
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Mark Knopfler
rock musician · b. 1949
British musician
University of Leeds
Paul Langevin
philosopher of science · 1872–1946
French physicist, philosopher of science and pedagogue (1872-1946)
University of Cambridge
Robert Robinson
chemist · 1886–1975
English chemist (1886-1975)
University of Manchester
Terrence Malick
film actor · b. 1943
American film director and screenwriter (born 1943)
University of Oxford
Tupou VI of Tonga
naval officer · b. 1959
King of Tonga
University of East Anglia UEA
Bob Hawke
trade unionist · 1929–2019
Australian politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (1929-2019)
University of Oxford
Carrie Lam
justice of the peace · b. 1957
former Chief Executive of Hong Kong
University of Cambridge
Demis Hassabis
technology entrepreneur · b. 1976
British artificial intelligence researcher (born 1976)
University of Cambridge
Derek Barton
university teacher · 1918–1998
English organic chemist (1918–1998)
ARU London · Imperial College London
Gael García Bernal
film actor · b. 1978
Mexican actor and producer
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Guðni Jóhannesson
university teacher · b. 1968
President of Iceland (2016-2024)
Queen Mary University of London · University of Oxford · University of Warwick
Haitham bin Tarik Al Said
sovereign · b. 1955
Sultan of Oman since 2020 (born 1955)
University of Oxford
Hayley Atwell
television actor · b. 1982
British actress
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Imre Lakatos
philosopher · 1922–1974
Hungarian philosopher of mathematics and science (1922-1974)
University of Cambridge
Iveta Radičová
sociologist · b. 1956
Slovak politician and sociologist, former prime minister
University of Oxford
James Dewar
chemist · 1842–1923
Scottish chemist and physicist (1842–1923)
The University of Edinburgh
James II of Scotland
politician · 1430–1460
King of Scotland from 1437 to 1460
University of St Andrews
James Mason
autobiographer · 1909–1984
British actor (1909–1984)
University of Cambridge
John Polanyi
university teacher · b. 1929
Hungarian-Canadian chemist
University of Manchester
John Pople
university teacher · 1925–2004
Nobel prize winning British chemist (1925-2004)
University of Cambridge
Lily James
executive producer · b. 1989
British actress (born 1989)
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Moshe Sharett
zionist · 1894–1965
2nd Prime Minister of Israel from 1954 to 1955
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Naomie Harris
film actor · b. 1976
British actress
University of Cambridge
Natasha Richardson
film actor · 1963–2009
British actress (1963–2009)
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Peter D. Mitchell
biochemist · 1920–1992
British biochemist (1920-1992)
University of Cambridge
Richard Laurence Millington Synge
biochemist · 1914–1994
British biochemist (1914–1994)
University of Cambridge
Roger Scruton
philosopher · 1944–2020
English conservative philosopher and writer (1944–2020)
University of Cambridge
Rupert Everett
film actor · b. 1959
British actor
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London
Andreas Kaplan
university teacher · b. 1977
German economist, dean, university rector; higher education expert; edtech; social media; artificial intelligence
ESCP Business School
Angus Deaton
university teacher · b. 1945
British microeconomist (born 1945)
University of Cambridge
Anna Wintour
media executive · b. 1949
English magazine editor
University of Oxford
Boris Karloff
film actor · 1887–1969
British actor (1887–1969)
King's College London, University of London
Charles Dance
director · b. 1946
English actor (born 1946)
Arts University Plymouth · De Montfort University
Hans Eysenck
university teacher · 1916–1997
British psychologist (1916–1997)
ARU London
Hilary Mantel
short story writer · 1952–2022
British writer (1952–2022)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London · University of Sheffield
Peter Mansfield
biophysicist · 1933–2017
English physicist known for magnetic resonance imaging
Queen Mary University of London
R. D. Laing
non-fiction writer · 1927–1989
unorthodox Scottish psychiatrist
University of Glasgow
Richard Wright
keyboardist · 1943–2008
English keyboardist, co-founder of Pink Floyd (1943–2008)
University of Westminster, London
Syed Ahmed Khan
scholar · 1817–1898
Indian Muslim reformer and social activist (1817–1898)
The University of Edinburgh
Thomas Piketty
research fellow · b. 1971
French economist (born 1971)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
A. J. Cronin
autobiographer · 1896–1981
Scottish novelist (1896–1981)
University of Glasgow
Alexander Skarsgård
film actor · b. 1976
Swedish actor
Leeds Beckett University
Chaim Herzog
soldier · 1918–1997
6th President of Israel (1983–1993) – (born1918–1997)
University of Cambridge
Claire Foy
stage actor · b. 1984
British actress
Liverpool John Moores University
Ed Miliband
podcaster · b. 1969
British politician (born 1969)
London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London · University of Oxford
Emily Watson
film actor · b. 1967
English actress (born 1967)
University of Bristol
Guillaume V, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
b. 1981
monarch of Luxembourg since 2025
Brunel University of London
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
diplomat · 1836–1908
British Prime Minister from 1905 to 1908 (1836–1908)
University of Glasgow
J. G. Ballard
science fiction writer · 1930–2009
British novelist (1930–2009)
University of Cambridge
Jim Broadbent
film actor · b. 1949
English actor (born 1949)
LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art)
John Flamsteed
astronomer · 1646–1720
English astronomer and the first Astronomer Royal
University of Cambridge
Julie Walters
film actor · b. 1950
British actress
Manchester Metropolitan University
Kristin Scott Thomas
film actor · b. 1960
British-French actress
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London