List of prime ministers of the United Kingdom by education

A list of prime ministers of the United Kingdom and the educational institutions they attended. As of November 2020, of the 55 prime ministers to date who have attended university, 28 were educated at the University of Oxford (including 13 at Christ Church), and 14 at the University of Cambridge (including six at Trinity College). Three attended the University of Edinburgh, three the University of Glasgow, and two Mason Science College, a predecessor institution of the University of Birmingham. John Major was (as of 2021) the last of the eight prime ministers who did not attend university after leaving secondary education. A number of the prime ministers who attended university never graduated.

Universities attended by British Prime Ministers
University Number of Prime Ministers
University of Oxford
28
University of Cambridge
14
University of Edinburgh
3
University of Glasgow
3
Other university
7
No university
8
A bar chart of universities attended by British Prime Ministers


Twenty prime ministers were schooled at Eton College, of whom nine were educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, including all three who held office between 1880 and 1902 (Gladstone, Salisbury, Rosebery). Seven were educated at Harrow School and six at Westminster School. Ten prime ministers to date have been educated at only non-fee-paying schools; these include all five who held office between 1964 and 1997 (Wilson, Heath, Callaghan, Thatcher, Major). Theresa May was educated at both independent and grammar schools. Three did not receive (primary or secondary) school education and were homeschooled during childhood.

Fifteen prime ministers trained as barristers at the Inns of Court, including 12 at Lincoln's Inn (although not all were called to the bar). Two (Wellington and Churchill) completed officer training at military academies.

Although William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath (in 1746) and James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave (in 1757) briefly attempted to form governments, neither is usually counted as Prime Minister. They are not listed below.

List of British prime ministers by education
Prime minister Term of office School University Degree Professional training
Walpole, RobertRobert Walpole 1721–1742 Eton College Cambridge (King's Coll.) 1696–98, did not graduate (LL.D. 1728)[1]
Compton, SpencerSpencer Compton
Earl of Wilmington		 1742–1743 St Paul's School Oxford (Trinity Coll.) 1690–?, did not graduate (D.C.L. 1730)[2] Inns of Court: Middle Temple
Pelham, HenryHenry Pelham 1743–1754 Westminster School Cambridge (King's Coll.) 1709–10[3]
Oxford (Hart Hall) 1710–?, did not graduate[4]
Pelham-Holles, ThomasThomas Pelham-Holles
Duke of Newcastle		 1754–1756
1757–1762		 Westminster School Cambridge (Clare Coll.) 1710–?, did not graduate (LL.D. 1728)[5]
Cavendish, WilliamWilliam Cavendish
Duke of Devonshire		 1756–1757 —[6] — —
Stuart, JohnJohn Stuart
Earl of Bute		 1762–1763 Eton College Groningen University Civil law
1730–32[7]
Leiden University Civil law
1732–34, graduated 1734[8]
Grenville, GeorgeGeorge Grenville 1763–1765 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) 1730–?, did not graduate[9] Inns of Court: Inner Temple
Watson-Wentworth, CharlesCharles Watson-Wentworth
Marquess of Rockingham		 1765–1766
1782 		Westminster School —[10] —
Pitt, William 1William Pitt the Elder
Earl of Chatham		 1766–1768 Eton College Oxford (Trinity Coll.) 1727–28, did not graduate[11]
Utrecht University 1728[12]
FitzRoy, AugustusAugustus FitzRoy
Duke of Grafton		 1768–1770 Westminster School Cambridge (Peterhouse) 1751–53, M.A. 1753[13]
North, FrederickFrederick North 1770–1782 Eton College Oxford (Trinity Coll.) 1749–50, M.A. 1750[14]
Leipzig University 1751–52[15][16]
Petty, WilliamWilliam Petty (FitzMaurice)
Earl of Shelburne		 1782–1783 —[17] Oxford (Christ Church) 1755–57, did not graduate[18][19]
Cavendish-Bentinck, WilliamWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck
Duke of Portland		 1783
1807–1809		 Westminster School Oxford (Christ Church) 1755–57, M.A. 1757[20]
Pitt, William 2William Pitt the Younger 1783–1801
1804–1806		 —[21] Cambridge (Pembroke Coll.) 1773–76, M.A. 1776[22]
MP for Cambridge Univ. 1784–1806		 Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Addington, HenryHenry Addington 1801–1804 Winchester College Oxford (Brasenose Coll.) 1774–78, B.A. 1778 (M.A. 1780)[23] Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Grenville, WilliamWilliam Grenville
Lord Grenville		 1806–1807 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) 1776–80, B.A. 1780[24] Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Perceval, SpencerSpencer Perceval 1809–1812 Harrow School Cambridge (Trinity Coll.) 1780–82, M.A. 1782[25] Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Jenkinson, RobertRobert Jenkinson
Earl of Liverpool		 1812–1827 Charterhouse School Oxford (Christ Church) 1787–90, M.A. 1790[26]
Canning, GeorgeGeorge Canning 1827 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) 1787–91, B.A. 1791 (M.A. 1794)[27]
Robinson, Frederick JohnFrederick J. Robinson
Viscount Goderich		 1827–1828 Harrow School Cambridge (St John's Coll.) 1799–1802, M.A. 1802[28]
Wellesley, ArthurArthur Wellesley
Duke of Wellington		 1828–1830
1834 		Eton College — — French Royal Academy of Equitation, Angers
Grey, CharlesCharles Grey
Earl Grey		 1830–1834 Eton College Cambridge (Trinity Coll.) 1781–83, did not graduate[29]
Lamb, WilliamWilliam Lamb
Viscount Melbourne		 1834
1835–1841		 Eton College Cambridge (Trinity Coll.) 1796–99, M.A. 1799[30] Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Glasgow University Resident pupil of Prof. John Millar
1799–1801[31]
Peel, RobertRobert Peel 1834–1835
1841–1846		 Harrow School Oxford (Christ Church) Classics and Mathematics
1805–08, B.A. 1808 (M.A. 1814)[32]
MP for Oxford Univ. 1817–29		 Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Russell, JohnJohn Russell
Earl Russell		 1846–1852
1865–1866		 Westminster School Edinburgh University Resident pupil of Prof. John Playfair
1809–12[33]
Smith-Stanley, EdwardEdward Smith-Stanley
Earl of Derby		 1852
1858–1859
1866–1868		 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) Classics
1817–20, did not graduate[34][35]
Hamilton-Gordon, GeorgeGeorge Hamilton-Gordon
Earl of Aberdeen		 1852–1855 Harrow School Cambridge (St John's Coll.) 1800–04, M.A. 1804[36]
Temple, Henry JohnHenry John Temple
Viscount Palmerston		 1855–1858
1859–1865		 Harrow School Edinburgh University Resident pupil of Prof. Dugald Stewart
1800–03[37][38]
Cambridge (St John's Coll.) 1803–06, M.A. 1806[39]
MP for Cambridge Univ. 1811–31
Disraeli, BenjaminBenjamin Disraeli
Earl of Beaconsfield		 1868
1874–1880		 Dr Cogan's School, Walthamstow — — Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Gladstone, WilliamWilliam Ewart Gladstone 1868–1874
1880–1885
1886
1892–1894		 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) Classics and Mathematics
1828–32: B.A. 1832 (M.A. 1834)[40]
MP for Oxford Univ. 1847–65		 Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Gascoyne-Cecil, RobertRobert Gascoyne-Cecil
Marquess of Salisbury		 1885–1886
1886–1892
1895–1902		 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) Mathematics
1847–50, B.A. 1850 (M.A. 1853),
Fellow of All Souls Coll. 1853[41]		 Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Primrose, ArchibaldArchibald Primrose
Earl of Rosebery		 1894–1895 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) 1866–68, did not graduate[42][43]
Balfour, ArthurArthur Balfour 1902–1905 Eton College Cambridge (Trinity Coll.) Moral Sciences
1866–70, B.A. 1870 (M.A. 1874)[44]
Campbell-Bannerman, HenryHenry Campbell-Bannerman 1905–1908 High School of Glasgow Glasgow University Greek and Logic
1851–53[45]
Cambridge (Trinity Coll.) Classics
1854–58, B.A. 1858 (M.A. 1861)[46]
Asquith, Herbert HenryH. H. Asquith 1908–1916 City of London School Oxford (Balliol Coll.) Classics
1870–74, B.A. 1874, Fellow 1874–82[47]		 Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Lloyd George, DavidDavid Lloyd George 1916–1922 Llanystumdwy National School — — Solicitor
Law, BonarBonar Law 1922–1923 High School of Glasgow Glasgow University Extramural student
1879–80[48]
Baldwin, StanleyStanley Baldwin 1923–1924
1924–1929
1935–1937		 Harrow School Cambridge (Trinity Coll.) History
1885–88, B.A. 1888 (M.A. 1892)[49]
Mason College Metallurgy
Macdonald, RamsayRamsay MacDonald 1924
1929–1935		 Drainie Parish School Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution Extramural student
1886–87[50][51]
Chamberlain, NevilleNeville Chamberlain 1937–1940 Rugby School Mason College Metallurgy
1887–89[52]
Churchill, WinstonWinston Churchill 1940–1945
1951–1955		 Harrow School — — RMC Sandhurst
Attlee, ClementClement Attlee 1945–1951 Haileybury College Oxford (University Coll.) Modern History
1901–04, B.A. 1904 (M.A.)[53]
Lecturer at LSE 1912–14, 1919–23[54]		 Inns of Court: Inner Temple
Eden, AnthonyAnthony Eden 1955–1957 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) Persian and Arabic
1919–22, B.A. 1922 (M.A.)
Macmillan, HaroldHarold Macmillan 1957–1963 Eton College Oxford (Balliol Coll.) Classics
1912–14, did not graduate
Douglas-Home, AlecAlec Douglas-Home
Earl of Home		 1963–1964 Eton College Oxford (Christ Church) Modern History
1922–25, B.A. 1925 (M.A.)
Wilson, HaroldHarold Wilson 1964–1970
1974–1976		 Royds Hall Grammar School;
Wirral Grammar School for Boys		 Oxford (Jesus Coll.) PPE (transferred from Modern History)[55]
1934–37, B.A. 1937 (M.A.)
Fellow of University Coll. 1938–45[56]
Heath, EdwardEdward Heath 1970–1974 Chatham House Grammar School Oxford (Balliol Coll.) PPE
1935–39, B.A. 1939 (M.A.)
Callaghan, JamesJames Callaghan 1976–1979 Northern Secondary School, Portsmouth — — Civil Service: Inland Revenue
Thatcher, MargaretMargaret Thatcher 1979–1990 Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School Oxford (Somerville Coll.) Chemistry
1943–47, B.Sc. 1947 (M.A. 1950)		 Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Major, JohnJohn Major 1990–1997 Rutlish School — — Correspondence course in banking
Blair, TonyTony Blair 1997–2007 Fettes College Oxford (St John's Coll.) Law
1972–75, B.A. 1975 (M.A.)		 Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn
Brown, GordonGordon Brown 2007–2010 Kirkcaldy High School Edinburgh University History
1967–82, M.A. 1972, Ph.D. 1982,[57]
University Rector 1972–75[58]
Cameron, DavidDavid Cameron 2010–2016 Eton College Oxford (Brasenose Coll.) PPE
1985–88, B.A. 1988 (M.A.)
May, TheresaTheresa May 2016–2019 Holton Park Girls' Grammar School Oxford (St Hugh's Coll.) Geography
1974–77, B.A. 1977 (M.A.)
Johnson, BorisBoris Johnson 2019– Eton College Oxford (Balliol Coll.) Classics
1983–87, B.A. 1987 (M.A.)
Prime Minister Term of office School University Degree Professional training

See also

References
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  2. Foster, Joseph (1891). Alumni Oxonienses: Compton, (Hon.) Spencer. p. 315. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  3. "Pelham, Henry (PLHN709H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  4. Foster, Joseph (1891). Alumni Oxonienses: Pelham, Henry. p. 1138. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  5. "Pelham, Thomas (PLHN709T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  6. Thompson, Andrew, History of Government: William Cavendish Duke of Devonshire: "Initially educated at home by tutors, he, like many young aristocrats of the period, completed his education by undertaking the Grand Tour to France and Italy."
  7. "Schotse oud-student werd premier van Engeland". Groninger Gezinsbode (in Dutch). 15 November 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  8. Gillan, Caroline (2018). Lord Bute and eighteenth-century science and patronage. NUI Galway: PHD Theses (Thesis). NUI Galway. p. 44. Retrieved 29 June 2019. He left Eton College in 1730, and subsequently travelled to the Netherlands where he too pursued civil law, first attending Groningen University, before moving to Leiden University in 1732. After spending two years in Leiden, Bute left in March 1734 with a degree in civil law.
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  10. J. M. Rigg, 'Watson-Wentworth, Charles, second Marquis of Rockingham (1730–1782)', Dictionary of National Biography, 1899, has Rockingham attending St John's College, Cambridge. However, there is no mention of him in Alumni Cantabrigienses, and the DNB is not followed in this detail by the Oxford DNB.
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