Which UK Universities Produce The Most Entrepreneurs?

The UK is home to some of the best universities in the world. From Oxford and Cambridge to UCL and Imperial, these institutions have been the birthplace of some of humanity’s biggest and most important breakthroughs.

But aside from the best brains in literature, history and science, UK universities have also become a training ground for the next generation of startup founders.

According to new research from small business insurer Markel Direct, universities like Cambridge, LSE and Oxford are leading the way when it comes to producing the highest number of alumni who go on to launch their own businesses.

The research shows just how important university networks and mentorship are when it comes to shaping entrepreneurship.

Which Universities Lead The Charge?

By analysing Linkedin data, Markel Direct found the UK universities with the highest number of alumni listed as ‘founders’.

Unsurprisingly, the University of Cambridge topped the list, with 31,575 founders among its 411,000 alumni, a figure that confirms its status as a world-leading hub of innovation. Cambridge is home to a number of accelerators, such as Cambridge Enterprise and the Judge Business School’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, which have helped propel many of its students into the business world.

Just behind Cambridge, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the University of Oxford ranked second and third, with  28,627 and 25,758 founders respectively.

Creative Universities Come Up Tops

One of the most interesting findings of the research is that a lot of creative and business-focused universities are within the top 10.

University of the Arts London (UAL), known for its students that study design, media and fashion, produced 13,394 founders, while London Business School (LBS) ranked ninth with 13,144 founders, despite being home to a much smaller student population.

Both ranked higher than many Russell Group universities in terms of the percentage of alumni who go on to launch a business, proving that startup potential isn’t solely tied to academia, it’s also about creativity and fostering the right environment.

Total Founders vs Percentage Of Alumni Founders

But the research actually tells two different stories. The first is which universities are producing the highest amount of founders. For this, the top 5 include:

1. University of Cambridge: 31,575 founders
2. London School of Economics: 28,627 founders
3. University of Oxford: 25,758 founders
4. UCL: 18,417 founders
5. University of Manchester: 15,231 founders

However, when looking at the percentage of alumni that are founders, a slightly different top 5 emerges, these include:

1. London Business School: 12%
2. University of the Arts London: 11%
3. London School of Economics: 9%
4. University of Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial: all 8%
5. UCL: 7%

Other universities mentioned include the University of Manchester (5%), King’s College London (6%) and the University of Edinburgh (6%).

How Many UK Universities Have Accelerators and Incubators?

According to the Centre for Entrepreneurs, there are 269 university-affiliated incubators and accelerators across the UK.

Traditionally, incubators have provided long-term guidance to companies throughout their early-stages, whereas accelerators have been designed to provide a ‘bootcamp’ of sorts, with bursts of learning.

And these programmes are definitely working. According to Universities UK, the number of student and staff start-ups increased by 70% between 2014-15 and 2022-23.

According to HESA, 4,738 new student start-ups were registered across UK higher education institutions during the 2023/24 academic year – a huge boost to the UK’s startup economy.

What this means is that universities are no longer just a place of academia. They are institutions that are at the centre of the UK’s startup world, proving themselves as real launchpads for the next generation of UK business leaders.

UK Universities As Innovation Hubs

For both entrepreneurs and investors, the findings show that universities are institutions to take seriously when it comes to looking for the next generation of talent and innovation.

Whether it’s a fashion startup from UAL, a fintech from the London Business School or a new biotech product from Cambridge, UK universities are solidifying themselves as some of the country’s best startup launchpads.