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.
, of the fifty-five prime ministers to date, twenty-eight were educated at the University of Oxford, and fourteen at the University of Cambridge. 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 the last of the eight prime ministers who did not attend university after leaving secondary education.
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. Seven were educated at Harrow School and six at Westminster School. Nine prime ministers to date have been educated at non-fee-paying schools; these include all five who held office between 1964 and 1997.
Fifteen prime ministers trained as barristers at the Inns of Court, including twelve at Lincoln's Inn. Two completed officer training at military academies.
Although William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath and James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave 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 |
| Robert Walpole | 3 4 1721–11 2 1742 | Eton College | Cambridge | 1696–98, did not graduate | |
| Spencer Compton Earl of Wilmington | 16 2 1742–2 7 1743 | St Paul's School | Oxford | 1690–?, did not graduate | Inns of Court: Middle Temple |
| Henry Pelham | 27 8 1743–6 3 1754 | Westminster School | Cambridge | 1709–10 | |
| Henry Pelham | 27 8 1743–6 3 1754 | Westminster School | Oxford | 1710–?, did not graduate | |
| Thomas Pelham-Holles Duke of Newcastle | 16 3 1754–11.11.1756 29 6 1757–26 5 1762 | Westminster School | Cambridge | 1710–?, did not graduate | |
| William Cavendish Duke of Devonshire | 16.11.1756–29 6 1757 | — | — | — | |
| John Stuart Earl of Bute | 26 5 1762–8 4 1763 | Eton College | Groningen University | Civil law 1730–32 | |
| John Stuart Earl of Bute | 26 5 1762–8 4 1763 | Eton College | Leiden University | Civil law 1732–34, graduated 1734 | |
| George Grenville | 16 4 1763–10 7 1765 | Eton College | Oxford | 1730–?, did not graduate | Inns of Court: Inner Temple |
| Charles Watson-Wentworth Marquess of Rockingham | 13 7 1765–30 7 1766 27 3 1782 1 7 1782 | Westminster School | — | — | |
| William Pitt the Elder Earl of Chatham | 30 7 1766–14.10.1768 | Eton College | Oxford | 1727–28, did not graduate | |
| William Pitt the Elder Earl of Chatham | 30 7 1766–14.10.1768 | Eton College | Utrecht University | 1728 | |
| Augustus FitzRoy Duke of Grafton | 14.10.1768–28 1 1770 | Westminster School | Cambridge | 1751–53, M.A. 1753 | |
| Frederick North | 28 1 1770–27 3 1782 | Eton College | Oxford | 1749–50, M.A. 1750 | |
| Frederick North | 28 1 1770–27 3 1782 | Eton College | Leipzig University | 1751–52 | |
| William Petty Earl of Shelburne | 4 7 1782–26 3 1783 | — | Oxford | 1755–57, did not graduate | |
| William Cavendish-Bentinck Duke of Portland | 2 4 1783 18.12.1783 31 3 1807–4 10 1809 | Westminster School | Oxford | 1755–57, M.A. 1757 | |
| William Pitt the Younger | 19.12.1783–14 3 1801 10 5 1804–23 1 1806 | — | Cambridge | 1773–76, M.A. 1776 MP for Cambridge Univ. 1784–1806 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| Henry Addington | 17 3 1801–10 5 1804 | Winchester College | Oxford | 1774–78, B.A. 1778 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| William Grenville Lord Grenville | 11 2 1806–25 3 1807 | Eton College | Oxford | 1776–80, B.A. 1780 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| Spencer Perceval | 4 10 1809–11 5 1812 | Harrow School | Cambridge | 1780–82, M.A. 1782 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| Robert Jenkinson Earl of Liverpool | 8 6 1812–9 4 1827 | Charterhouse School | Oxford | 1787–90, M.A. 1790 | |
| George Canning | 12 4 1827 8 8 1827 | Eton College | Oxford | 1787–91, B.A. 1791 | |
| Frederick J. Robinson Viscount Goderich | 31 8 1827–8 1 1828 | Harrow School | Cambridge | 1799–1802, M.A. 1802 | |
| Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington | 22 1 1828–16.11.1830 17.11.1834 9 12 1834 | Eton College | — | — | French Royal Academy of Equitation, Angers |
| Charles Grey Earl Grey | 22.11.1830–16 7 1834 | Eton College | Cambridge | 1781–83, did not graduate | |
| William Lamb Viscount Melbourne | 16 7 1834 14.11.1834 18 4 1835–30 8 1841 | Eton College | Cambridge | 1796–99, M.A. 1799 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| William Lamb Viscount Melbourne | 16 7 1834 14.11.1834 18 4 1835–30 8 1841 | Eton College | Glasgow University | Resident pupil of Prof. John Millar 1799–1801 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| Robert Peel | 10.12.1834–8 4 1835 30 8 1841–29 6 1846 | Harrow School | Oxford | Classics and Mathematics 1805–08, B.A. 1808 MP for Oxford Univ. 1817–29 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| John Russell Earl Russell | 30 6 1846–23 2 1852 29.10.1865–28 6 1866 | Westminster School | Edinburgh University | Resident pupil of Prof. John Playfair 1809–12 | |
| Edward Smith-Stanley Earl of Derby | 23 2 1852 19.12.1852 20 2 1858–12 6 1859 28 6 1866–27 2 1868 | Eton College | Oxford | Classics 1817–20, did not graduate | |
| George Hamilton-Gordon Earl of Aberdeen | 19.12.1852–30 1 1855 | Harrow School | Cambridge | 1800–04, M.A. 1804 | |
| Henry John Temple Viscount Palmerston | 6 2 1855–19 2 1858 12 6 1859–18.10.1865 | Harrow School | Edinburgh University | Resident pupil of Prof. Dugald Stewart 1800–03 | |
| Henry John Temple Viscount Palmerston | 6 2 1855–19 2 1858 12 6 1859–18.10.1865 | Harrow School | Cambridge | 1803–06, M.A. 1806 MP for Cambridge Univ. 1811–31 | |
| Benjamin Disraeli Earl of Beaconsfield | 27 2 1868 1 12 1868 20 2 1874–21 4 1880 | Dr Cogan's School, Walthamstow | — | — | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| William Ewart Gladstone | 3 12 1868– 23 4 1880–9 6 1885 1 2 1886 20 7 1886 15 8 1892–2 3 1894 | Eton College | Oxford | Classics and Mathematics 1828–32: B.A. 1832 MP for Oxford Univ. 1847–65 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| Robert Gascoyne-Cecil Marquess of Salisbury | 23 6 1885–28 1 1886 25 7 1886–11 8 1892 25 6 1895–11 7 1902 | Eton College | Oxford | Mathematics 1847–50, B.A. 1850, Fellow of All Souls Coll. 1853 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| Archibald Primrose Earl of Rosebery | 5 3 1894–22 6 1895 | Eton College | Oxford | 1866–68, did not graduate | |
| Arthur Balfour | 12 7 1902–4 12 1905 | Eton College | Cambridge | Moral Sciences 1866–70, B.A. 1870 | |
| Henry Campbell-Bannerman | 5 12 1905–5 4 1908 | High School of Glasgow | Glasgow University | Greek and Logic 1851–53 | |
| Henry Campbell-Bannerman | 5 12 1905–5 4 1908 | High School of Glasgow | Cambridge | Classics 1854–58, B.A. 1858 | |
| H. H. Asquith | 5 4 1908–5 12 1916 | City of London School | Oxford | Classics 1870–74, B.A. 1874, Fellow 1874–82 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| David Lloyd George | 6 12 1916–19.10.1922 | Llanystumdwy National School | — | — | Solicitor |
| Bonar Law | 23.10.1922–22 5 1923 | High School of Glasgow | Glasgow University | Extramural student 1879–80 | |
| Stanley Baldwin | 22 5 1923–22 1 1924 4 11 1924–4 6 1929 7 6 1935–28 5 1937 | Harrow School | Cambridge | History 1885–88, B.A. 1888 | |
| Stanley Baldwin | 22 5 1923–22 1 1924 4 11 1924–4 6 1929 7 6 1935–28 5 1937 | Harrow School | Mason College | Metallurgy | |
| Ramsay MacDonald | 22 1 1924 4 11 1924 5 6 1929–7 6 1935 | Drainie Parish School | Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution | Extramural student 1886–87 | |
| Neville Chamberlain | 28 5 1937–10 5 1940 | Rugby School | Mason College | Metallurgy 1887–89 | |
| Winston Churchill | 10 5 1940–26 7 1945 26.10.1951–5 4 1955 | Harrow School | — | — | RMC Sandhurst |
| Clement Attlee | 26 7 1945–26.10.1951 | Haileybury College | Oxford | Modern History 1901–04, B.A. 1904 Lecturer at LSE 1912–14, 1919–23 | Inns of Court: Inner Temple |
| Anthony Eden | 6 4 1955–9 1 1957 | Eton College | Oxford | Persian and Arabic 1919–22, B.A. 1922 | |
| Harold Macmillan | 10 1 1957–18.10.1963 | Eton College | Oxford | Classics 1912–14, did not graduate | |
| Alec Douglas-Home Earl of Home | 19.10.1963–16.10.1964 | Eton College | Oxford | Modern History 1922–25, B.A. 1925 | |
| Harold Wilson | 16.10.1964–19 6 1970 4 3 1974–5 4 1976 | Royds Hall Grammar School; Wirral Grammar School for Boys | Oxford | PPE 1934–37, B.A. 1937 Fellow of University Coll. 1938–45 | |
| Edward Heath | 19 6 1970–4 3 1974 | Chatham House Grammar School | Oxford | PPE 1935–39, B.A. 1939 | |
| James Callaghan | 5 4 1976–4 5 1979 | Northern Secondary School, Portsmouth | — | — | Civil Service: Inland Revenue |
| Margaret Thatcher | 4 5 1979–28.11.1990 | Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School | Oxford | Chemistry 1943–47, B.Sc. 1947 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| John Major | 28.11.1990–2 5 1997 | Rutlish School | — | — | Correspondence course in banking |
| Tony Blair | 2 5 1997–27 6 2007 | Fettes College | Oxford | Law 1972–75, B.A. 1975 | Inns of Court: Lincoln's Inn |
| Gordon Brown | 27 6 2007–11 5 2010 | Kirkcaldy High School | Edinburgh University | History 1967–82, M.A. 1972, Ph.D. 1982, University Rector 1972–75 | |
| David Cameron | 11 5 2010–13 7 2016 | Eton College | Oxford | PPE 1985–88, B.A. 1988 | |
| Theresa May | 13 7 2016–24 7 2019 | Holton Park Girls' Grammar School | Oxford | Geography 1974–77, B.A. 1977 | |
| Boris Johnson | 24 7 2019– | Eton College | Oxford | Classics 1983–87, B.A. 1987 | |
| Prime Minister | Term of office | School | University | Degree | Professional training |