This is a list of notable graduates as well as non-graduate former students, academic staff, and university officials of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. It also includes those who may be considered alumni by extension, having studied at institutions that later merged with the University of Edinburgh. The university is associated with 20 Nobel Prize laureates, three Turing Award winners, an Abel Prize laureate and Fields Medallist, four Pulitzer Prize winners, three Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, and several Olympic gold medallists.

Government and politics Heads of state and government

Leader State/government OfficeDr Harini Amarasuriya Prime Minister (2024–) Hastings Banda Prime Minister (1964–1966), President (1966–1994) Sir Robert Black Colony of Singapore Governor (1955–1957) Governor (1958–1964) Sir Thomas Brisbane Governor (1821–1825) Gordon Brown Prime Minister (2007–2010) Chang Taek-sang Prime Minister (1952) John Crawfurd Colonial Singapore Resident (1823–1826) Sir Gilbert Elliott Anglo-Corsican Kingdom Viceroy (1793–1796) British India Governor-General (1807–1813) Sir Dawda Jawara Gambia Colony and Protectorate Prime Minister (1962–1965) The Gambia Prime Minister (1965–1970), President (1970–1994) Yusuf Lule President (1979) Fawzi Mulki Prime Minister (1953–1954) Lord Dunrossil Governor-General (1960–1961) Daniel Chanis Pinzón President (1949) Julius Nyerere Chief Minister (1960–1961), Prime Minister (1961–1962), President (1962–1964) President (1964–1985) Paul Reeves Governor-General (1985–1990) Lord John Russell Prime Minister (1846–1852; 1865–1866) Sir Ninian Stephen Governor-General (1982–1989) John Swinney First Minister (2024-) Lord Palmerston Prime Minister (1855–1858; 1859–1865) Sir Charles Tupper Prime Minister (1896) William Walker Filibuster (1856–1857) Yun Posun President (1960–1962)

United Kingdom Cabinet and Party Leaders

Scottish Cabinet and Party Leaders

Current Members of the House of Commons Douglas Alexander, MP for Lothian East Catherine Atkinson, MP for Derby North Julia Buckley, MP for Shrewsbury Wendy Chamberlain, MP for North East Fife Charlie Dewhirst, MP for Bridlington and The Wolds Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East John Grady, MP for Glasgow East Chris Hinchliff, MP for North East Hertfordshire Neil Hudson, MP for Epping Forest Danny Kruger, MP for East Wiltshire Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington Jerome Mayhew, MP for Broadland Pat McFadden, MP for Wolverhampton South East Catherine McKinnell, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North David Mundell, MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South Louise Sandher-Jones, MP for North East Derbyshire Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and Kinross-shire Imogen Walker, MP for Hamilton and Clyde Valley

Current Members of the House of Lords James Bethell, 5th Baron Bethell, Conservative Peer Christine Blower, Baroness Blower, Labour Peer Kathryn Clark, Baroness Clark of Kilwinning, Labour Peer Lynda Clark, Baroness Clark of Calton, Labour Peer William Cullen, Baron Cullen of Whitekirk, Crossbench James Douglas-Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas, Conservative Peer Andrew Dunlop, Baron Dunlop, Conservative Peer Neil Davidson, Baron Davidson of Glen Clova, Labour Peer Ruth Davidson, Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links, Conservative Peer Murray Elder, Baron Elder, Labour Peer Peter Forster, Lord Spiritual George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock, Labour Peer Andrew Hardie, Baron Hardie, Crossbench David Hope, Baron Hope of Craighead, Crossbench Richard Keen, Baron Keen of Elie, Conservative peer Michael Andrew Foster Jude Kerr, 13th Marquess of Lothian, Conservative Peer Eleanor Laing, Baroness Laing of Elderslie, Conservative Peer James Lindesay-Bethune, 16th Earl of Lindsay, Conservative Peer Donald Mackay, Baron Mackay of Drumadoon, Conservative peer James Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern, Conservative Peer Mark McInnes, Baron McInnes of Kilwinning, Conservative Peer Anne McIntosh, Baroness McIntosh of Pickering, Conservative Peer Patrick McLoughlin, Baron McLoughlin, Conservative Peer Malcolm Offord, Baron Offord of Garvel, Conservative peer Adrian Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer, Crossbench Robert Reed, Baron Reed of Allermuir, Crossbench Nicol Stephen, Baron Stephen, Liberal Democrat Peer Keith Stewart, Baron Stewart of Dirleton, Conservative Peer Alexander Trees, Baron Trees, Crossbench Fiona Twycross, Baroness Twycross, Labour Peer Jim Wallace, Baron Wallace of Tankerness, Liberal Democrat Peer John Woodcock, Baron Walney, Crossbench Clifton Wrottesley, 6th Baron Wrottesley, Conservative Peer

Current Members of the Scottish Parliament Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin John Swinney, MSP for Perthshire North Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland

United States

Africa Joseph Ukel Abango, South Sudan Minister of General Education (2011–2013) Eustace Akwei, Ghanaian Minister for Health (1966–1969) Prince Hamid Armah, Ghanaian MP Ahmed Mohamed Adan, Somali Foreign Minister (1990-1991) Herbert Bankole-Bright, political activist in Sierra Leone Jaya Krishna Cuttaree, Mauritian Minister of Labour, Lands and Housing (1982–2000), Minister of Industry and Trade (2000–2005) Moses Da Rocha, Nigerian doctor, journalist and politician Yusuf Dadoo, former chair of the South African Indian Congress and the South African Communist Party Unity Dow, Botswana Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (2019–2020), member of the National Assembly Patrick Duncan, 6th governor-general of the Union of South Africa, South African Minister for the Interior, Education and Public Health (1921–1924) Kesaveloo Goonam, South African doctor, Indian nationalist and anti-apartheid activist Alex Ibru, Nigerian Minister of Internal Affairs (1993–1995) Omar Ali Juma, former vice-president of Tanzania Danielle de St. Jorre, Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs (1989–1997) Vedastus Kyalakishaija Kyaruzi, former Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the United Nations Nazir Karamagi, Tanzanian Minister of Energy and Minerals (2006–2008) Nelson P. W. Khonje, Speaker of the National Assembly of Malawi (1975–1987) Peter Msolla, Tanzanian MP Shettima Ali Monguno, Nigerian Federal Minister for Airforce and Internal Affairs (1965–1966), Minister for Mines, Power, Petroleum and Energy (1972–1975), President of OPEC (1972–1973) James Moroka, President of the African National Congress (1949–1952) Agnes Nyalonje, Malawi Minister of Education (2020–) Monty Naicker, anti-apartheid activist and leader of the South African Indian Congress Frederick Nanka-Bruce, Ghanaian doctor, journalist and former member of the Ghanaian Parliament Bandele Omoniyi, Nigerian law student and political activist Betty Ogwaro, South Sudanese Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (2011–2014; 2014–2015; 2016–2019) Sam Ongeri, Kenyan Minister for Education (2008–2012), Minister for Foreign Affairs (2012–2013) Imrana Alhaji Buba, Nigerian social entrepreneur and political activist Hae Phoofolo, interim prime minister of Lesotho Benjamin Quartey-Papafio, first Ghanaian doctor and member of the Gold Coast Legislative Council John K Randle, West African doctor and politician Richard Sezibera, Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs (2018–2019), 4th Secretary-General of the East African Community (2011–2016) Richard Akinwande Savage, Nigerian doctor, pan-African politician and newspaper editor Noah Wekesa, Kenyan Minister for Forestry and Wildlife (2008–2012), Minister for Education (2007), and Minister for Science (2005–2007)

Asia Harini Amarasuriya, Sri Lankan MP Chu Anping, Chinese journalist and political activist Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari, Indian nationalist, President of the Indian National Congress (1927–1928) Kōichirō Asakai, Japanese ambassador to the United States and ambassador to the Philippines who oversaw the signing of U.S.-Japan Security Treaty Lalith Athulathmudali, Sri Lankan Minister of Trade and Shipping (1977–1984) Fu Ssu-nien, linguist and historian, one of the leaders of the Chinese May Fourth Movement in 1919 Hsu Hsin-liang, Chairman of Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (1992-1993 and 1996–1998) and Magistrate of Taoyuan (1977–1979) Sir Reginald Johnston, Puyi's tutor and advisor, last Commissioner of British Weihaiwei Prakash Karat, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (2005–2015) M. C. M. Kaleel, Sri Lankan Minister of Home Affairs (1960) Arbab Alamgir Khan, Pakistan Federal Minister for Communications (2012–2013) Lim Chong Eu, 2nd Chief Minister of Penang (1969–1990) and founder of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Zhang Shizhao, Chinese journalist, educator and Minister of Justice (1924–1925) and Minister of Education (1925) Wu Zhihui, Chinese linguist and major political figure during the Republic of China (1912–1949) Hsiao Chia-chi, former Deputy Secretary-General of the Executive Yuan, former Deputy Mayor of Taichung

Canada

William Johnston Almon, former Canadian senator for Halifax Peter Boehm, Canadian senator for Ontario Edward Borron, former MP for Algoma Christy Clark, 35th Premier of British Columbia George Ralph Richardson Cockburn, former MP for Toronto Centre George Alexander Drummond, former Canadian senator for Quebec, 12th president of the Bank of Montreal Kirsty Duncan, MP for Etobicoke North, Deputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (2019-), Minister for Science (2015–2019) Adelbert Edward Hanna, former MP for Lanark South Robert James Manion, Canadian cabinet minister, Conservative Leader of the Opposition 1938–1940 Joseph Morrin, 7th and 9th mayor of Quebec Sir William MacGregor, 60th governor of Newfoundland Frederick Montizambert, first Director General of Public Health in Canada Andrew Ross McMaster, former MP for Brome and Provincial Treasurer of Quebec Clarence Primrose, former Canadian senator for Nova Scotia James Palmer Rankin, former Canadian senator for Ontario Alexander David Stewart, former mayor of Hamilton, Ontario Alexander Warburton, 7th Premier of Prince Edward Island Arthur Trefusis Heneage Williams, former MP and Chief Government Whip

Caribbean John Alcindor, Trinidadian doctor and politician Charles Duncan O'Neal, Barbados politician Edgar F. Gordon, doctor and trade union leader in Bermuda David Pitt, Baron Pitt of Hampstead, Grenadian politician, first person of African descent to stand as an MP (in Britain), second person of African descent to sit in the House of Lords

Europe

Mina Andreeva, Chief Spokesperson for the European Commission Gisela Babel, former member of the German Bundestag Elmar Brok, former MEP for Germany, Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (1999–2007; 2012–2017) and President of the Union of European Federalists (2013–2018) Rebecca Buttigieg, Maltese MP Benjamin Constant, French politician and eminent political theorist, Member of the Tribunat (1799–1802), Member of the Council of State (1815), Member of the Chamber of Députés (1819–1830) Muriel Casals i Couturier, member of the Parliament of Catalonia Katja Dörner, Mayoress of Bonn, Germany Tedi Dobi, Albanian Minister of Justice (2024-) Biljana Đorđević, member of the Serbian National Assembly