UK leads globally in educating world leaders, research reveals

Recent research by Jisc, the UK’s higher education digital, data, and technology agency, found that 50 world leaders who held office in 2022 were educated at UK institutions.

The study suggests that the UK ranks first globally in educating world leaders, surpassing the United States (41), the Russian Federation (14), and France (six).

The University of Oxford takes the lead among UK institutions, having educated 36 heads of state or government since 1990. This includes every UK Prime Minister since Tony Blair, with the exception of Edinburgh alumnus Gordon Brown.

Several other UK universities have educated a significant number of world leaders. Since 1990, the London School of Economics and Political Science has heralded 24 leaders, the University of London federation a collective of 16, with the University of Cambridge and Manchester each counting 13 in their alumni.

A 2014 analysis by the British Council found that 1 in 7 countries in the world had a UK-educated prime minister or head of state

The current Prime Minister of Cameroon, Joseph Dion Ngute, the immediate predecessor to the Icelandic Presidency, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, as well as Bolivian President Luis Arce, all attended the University of Warwick.

Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is set to become Keele University’s first alumnus head of state when she assumes the Presidency of Namibia on 21 March. She is set to be Namibia’s fifth, and first female, President.

A 2014 analysis by the British Council found that 1 in 7 countries in the world had a UK-educated prime minister or head of state, a trend which, with the release of the recent study, appears to have continued.

Despite the impressive statistics, the UK’s higher education sector faces significant financial challenges. The Office for Students has forecast a £3.4 billion drop in income for the 2025-2026 academic year, prompting several universities to implement redundancy measures and expand overseas campuses to stay afloat.