Hollywood A-Listers to Politicians: The Most Famous UK and Ireland University Alumnus

Celebrities like Jessica Ennis, Rowan Atkinson, Vanessa Kirby and Toby Brown attended some of the top universities in the UK like Newcastle, Sheffield, Liverpool and Exeter.

 

So, if you're picking your university options and need help deciding which university to go to – maybe your favourite celebrity can help influence your decision. Discover the most famous alumni from some of the UK's key universities.

 

Which university has the most famous alumni?

If you’re planning out your next steps for uni, it can feel like a lot of decisions to make. They say that it’s best to take advice from someone who’s done it before, so checking out the university’s previous alumni and what they’ve gone on to do can be a great indicator to help you decide.

 

Our data analysts have discovered which UK universities have the most famous alumni – read on to find out whether you and your favourite celebrities have something in common.

 

Exeter

Ranking top for the university that has produced the most famous alumni in the UK, the University of Exeter has seven seriously famous alumni, from Harry Potter series author JK Rowling to Mayor of London Sajid Javid. Find your Exeter student home fit for a celeb here.

 

 

Oxford

 

Oxford University ranks second as one of the UK's top universities to produce the most celebrity alumni. Data shows that 95% of celebrities listed below, from Emma Watson to Hugh Grant have become actors after graduating from the prestigious university. The most popular subjects for budding actors to study at Oxford were Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and English Literature. Check out Between Towns Court for a stylish study base for your next adventure.

 

 

Cambridge

 

From Emma Thompson to Hugh Laurie, it seems that Cambridge University was a trendy choice to study for many of Hollywood’s leading actors. Data reveals that English and Anthropology were both popular degree choices for those who went into acting after studying at Cambridge.

 

 

Manchester

 

According to the Complete University Guide of 2023, the city of Manchester is in the top five for Drama, Dance and Cinematics – so it makes sense that leading actor Benedict Cumberbatch is amongst the famous alumni to have studied Drama at the University of Manchester.  

 

 

Trinity College Dublin

 

As well as being Ireland's leading university, Trinity College in Dublin also ranks fifth in the UK for producing the most famous alumnus. Data reveals that international celebrities such as Courtney Love, Dominic West and Jack Gleeson all decided to study here, with Theology being a popular subject. Join Dublin’s future famous in one of our perfect places to call home.

 

 

 

Which university has produced the celebrities with the highest net worth?

 

Many celebrities delved into higher education before settling into their long-term careers. From LSE to Coventry University, universities all over the country have produced many successful celebrities and famous people, but how many of them have created the stars with the highest net worth?

 

LSE

Data analysis shows that the two celebrities from the London School of Economics have the highest net worth overall – primarily due to Mick Jagger's enormous net worth of nearly £500 million. Start your uni life living in the best located student accommodation in London.

 

 

 

*To the nearest million

Manchester

 

Data reveals that the University of Manchester has a reputation for producing many actors, musicians and TV personalities with high net worths. Alumni Phil Collins is amongst the highest paid, with a fortune of £292 million.

 

 

*To the nearest million

 

Exeter

 

Once again, Exeter is amongst the top three for both criteria. Not only have celebrities studied at Exeter University, it’s also produced many stars with high net worths, such as JK Rowling who has an approximate net worth of £238 million.

 

 

*To the nearest million

 

Which university has produced the most famous celebrities?

 

Our data analysts have also discovered which universities have produced the most celebrities. From British royalty such as Prince William and Kate Middleton, who studied at St Andrew's University, to Hollywood A-Listers such as Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma Thompson.

 

These celebrities are all searched hundreds of thousands of times every month. Read on to discover the most famous celebrity graduates and which universities they studied at:

 

 

Methodology

Our data analysts have used only search data to discover the alumni of universities around the UK and Ireland and their celebrity net Worth. They also used SEMrush to find the average number of monthly searches for each celebrity.

 

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