Colleges and universities that produced the most millionaires and billionaires
Where the super-rich went to school
Wonder where the mega-rich of the world went to school? Wealth intelligence firm Wealth-X has compiled a list of the universities and colleges around the globe which have produced the most Ultra-High Net Worth individuals (UHNWs) – people who own at least $30 million (£23m) in assets – and listed the total combined wealth of those UHNWs. Click or scroll through to see the 25 places that have produced the richest graduates. All net worth figures are correct at the time of writing (8 October). All dollar amounts in US dollars.
25) London School of Economics and Political Science, UK: 1,495 UHNWs
One of the world's premier social sciences universities, the LSE counts at least three billionaires among its alumni, the most notable of whom is George Soros. The investor and philanthropist, who is currently worth $8.6 billion (£6.7bn), studied philosophy at the institution. With a total combined wealth of $342 billion (£266bn), the LSE has 1,495 UHNW graduates.
24) Boston University, USA: 1,640
23) University of Virginia, USA: 1,650
Founded by United States Declaration of Independence author Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University of Virginia's 1,650 UHNW alumni are worth a combined $246 billion (£191.3bn). The university has a significant economic impact on the state of Virginia, either directly or indirectly supporting one in 76 jobs in the state.
22) University of Miami, USA: 1,700
One of the newer colleges on the rankings, the University of Miami was established in 1925 during Florida's real estate boom. A little under a century later, the institution's most popular majors include business management, biological and biomedical sciences, engineering, and health professions. Its 1,700 alumni who are considered UHNWs are collectively worth $309 billion (£240.3bn).
21) National University of Singapore, Singapore: 1,890
The only Asian university to make it onto the rankings, the National University of Singapore places 21st, with its estimated 1,890 UHNW alumni possessing a combined wealth of $88 billion (£68.4bn). Among its famous graduates are businesswoman Ho Ching, who appeared on Forbes' Power Women 2019 list, former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad and former Singaporean prime minister Goh Chok Tong.
20) University of California, Los Angeles, USA: 1,945
19) Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires (INSEAD), France: 1,965
The Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires, also known as INSEAD, is an international business school with campuses in France, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and the US. INSEAD Europe, located just outside the Forest of Fontainebleau, southeast of Paris, has produced an estimated 1,965 super-rich alumni who have a combined wealth of $356 billion (£276.9bn). Wealthy graduates include Ivorian banker and former Credit Suisse CEO Tidjane Thiam, Indian banker and politician Meera Sanyal and former Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla.
18) University of Michigan, USA: 1,970
A school with international prestige, the University of Michigan is the alma mater of 1,970 UHNWs with a total wealth of $691 billion (£537.4bn) and is reported to have 26 billionaire alumni. The most famous? Larry Page, the CEO of Google's parent company Alphabet, who has a net worth of $64.4 billion (£50bn).
17) University of Notre Dame, USA: 2,085
Located in South Bend, Indiana, the University of Notre Dame was founded as a Catholic university in 1842. Today, it's the 40th best university in the US according to the QS global university rankings, so it might come as a surprise that it's produced so many UHNWs – 2,085 to be precise. With a combined wealth of $179 billion (£139.2bn), notable graduates include novelist and screenwriter Nicholas Sparks, who wrote The Notebook and Dear John, and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
16) Princeton University, USA: 2,180
The Ivy League college has some seriously notable alumni, including 69 Noble Laureates, three US presidents and an estimated 2,180 UHNW individuals whose combined wealth is a staggering $1.1 trillion (£856bn). Its wealthiest alumnus is the richest man in the world, Jeff Bezos, who is currently worth a mind-boggling $185.6 billion (£144.3bn).
15) University of Texas at Austin, USA: 2,195
The University of Texas at Austin is widely thought of as one of the most prestigious in the southern states of the US. The college has produced five billionaires, including personal computer tycoon Michael Dell, who is worth $38.5 billion (£30bn) according to Forbes. Its 2,195 UHNW alumni each have a combined wealth of $463 billion (£360bn).
14) Cornell University, USA: 2,245
Yet another Ivy League college to score highly in terms of super-rich graduates, Cornell has 2,245 UHNW alumni with a combined wealth of $483 billion (£375.6bn). The university is the alma mater of several heirs to the SC Johnson fortune, including H. Fisk Johnson, who is worth $3.9 billion (£3bn).
13) University of Oxford, UK: 2,290
Oxford and its rival Cambridge are the UK's most prestigious educational institutions. Oxford has educated 28 British prime ministers, including current incumbent Boris Johnson, at least 30 international leaders and 50 Nobel Laureates. The combined wealth of its 2,290 UHNW graduates is $349 billion (£271.4bn), while its wealthiest graduates include Guy and George Weston, who joint own Wittington Investments, and Nicky Oppenheimer, heir to DeBeers, who is worth $7.6 billion (£5.9bn).
12) University of California, Berkeley, USA: 2,385
11) Yale University, USA: 2,400
The world-famous Ivy League college was founded way back in 1701 and remains one of America's top universities. A total of 2,400 UHNW individuals were educated at Yale while the college has an estimated 74 billionaire alumni. They include confectionery heir John Mars, who has a fortune of $28.9 billion (£22.5bn), and Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, who is worth $19 billion (£14.8bn). The university's super-rich graduates have a combined wealth totalling $777 million (£604.3m).
10) University of Chicago, USA: 2,405
9) University of Southern California, USA: 2,645
One of the world's foremost research institutions, the University of Southern California has a distinguished reputation. Its MBA programme has produced several billionaires including mining tycoon Ivan Glasenberg, who is worth $3.3 billion (£2.6bn), while it counts 2,645 UHNW individuals among its alumni, who have a combined wealth of $548 billion (£426.2bn).
8) Northwestern University, USA: 2,725
7) University of Cambridge, UK: 2,760
Beating rival British university Oxford by six places as well as being the highest ranking non-American institution on the list, the University of Cambridge's 2,760 UHNW graduates have a total wealth of $390 billion (£303.3bn). The university, which was founded in 1209, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. Its richest alumnus is thought to be Canada's David Thomson, 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet, who controls the Thomson Reuters publishing empire and has a current net worth of $39.5 billion (£30.7bn) according to Forbes.
6) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA: 2,785
One of the world's finest universities, MIT is renowned for its excellence in teaching and research. The New England college's alumni includes the late billionaire David Koch, who was worth $48 billion (£37.3bn) before he passed away last year, and his brother Charles Koch, who is worth $44.9 billion (£34.9bn) and is currently CEO of the family business, Koch Industries. MIT has 2,785 UHNW alumni who are worth a combined $990 billion (£763bn).
5) New York University, USA: 3,380
The Big Apple college boasts 3,380 super-rich alumni, who have a combined wealth of $712 billion (£549bn). Among them are several billionaires, including hedge fund manager Israel Englander, who is worth $7.2 billion (£5.6bn), and John Malone, the chairman of Liberty Media, who has a fortune of $6.5 billion (£5.1bn).
4) Columbia University, USA: 3,925
3) University of Pennsylvania, USA: 5,575
The University of Pennsylvania's 5,575 UHNW alumni own a combined $1.8 trillion (£1.4tn). The institution boasts one of America's leading business schools, the Wharton School of Business, which is a magnet for 10-figure heirs and potential billionaires. Its alumni includes Tesla's Elon Musk, who is the seventh richest person on the planet with a net worth of $87.9 billion (£68.4bn), and President Trump, who has a fortune of $2.5 billion (£1.9bn).
2) Stanford University, USA: 5,580
As well as having the second highest number of UHNW graduates, Stanford graduates have the second highest combined wealth at a whopping $2.89 trillion (£2.23tn). The high-ranking Silicon Valley school has educated a number of dot.com billionaires, from Alphabet's Larry Page, who completed a master's degree and PhD in computer science at the college, to Yahoo co-founder David Filo, who has a fortune of $3.3 billion (£2.6bn).
1) Harvard University, USA: 13,650
The leader when it comes to producing ultra-high net worth individuals is Harvard University, which is frequently ranked as the world's best university. It has an estimated 188 billionaire alumni, some of whom are dropouts such as Mark Zuckerberg, who is worth $92.9 billion (£72.3bn), and Bill Gates, whose fortune stands at $114.7 billion (£89.2bn). The institution counts a whopping 13,650 UHNW individuals among its alumni, who own total combined wealth of $4.7 trillion (£3.7tn).
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