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Full List and Introduction: Top 10 UK Universities with Most Nobel Prizes

Wendy Zhong
University of Cambridge

The number of Nobel Prizes won by alumni or scholars of a university can reflect the level of scholarship and innovation in most cases. UK universities with the most Nobel Prizes are renowned for providing excellent education and fostering groundbreaking research.

We hope this post has given you valuable insights into UK universities, helping you make a more informed decision when choosing where to study!

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University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge holds the position of having most Nobel Prize winners among UK universities, with a remarkable total of 121 laureates. Additionally, it ranks as the second university with the most Nobel Prizes in the world, following closely behind Harvard University.

Cambridge’s strength lies notably in the field of Physiology or Medicine, with 31 Nobel Prize winners in this category. One particularly notable figure is Frederick Sanger, the only person in history to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry twice.

The university’s excellence extends to the realm of physics as well. Stephen Hawking, the renowned theoretical physicist, was among the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics. Hawking’s profound insights into black holes and the origins of the universe have revolutionized the field and inspired countless researchers.

In the realm of Chemistry, Cambridge boasts notable laureates, including Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, who became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Her pioneering work in X-ray crystallography has significantly advanced the understanding of molecular structure.

While the number of Nobel Prize winners in Literature from Cambridge is relatively modest, with only six laureates as of 2021, these individuals are exceptional talents in their own right. Esteemed authors such as Jane Austen and J. M. Coetzee have been counted among these literary luminaries, leaving an enduring impact on the world of literature.

Laureate Discipline Year
Lord Rayleigh Physics 1904
JJ Thomson Physics 1906
Ernest Rutherford Chemistry 1908
William Bragg Physics 1915
Lawrence Bragg Physics 1915
Charles Barkla Physics 1917
Fritz Haber Chemistry 1918
Niels Bohr Physics 1922
Francis Aston Chemistry 1922
Archibald Hill Physiology or Medicine 1922
Austen Chamberlain Peace 1925
Charles Wilson Physics 1927
Arthur Holly Compton Physics 1927
Owen Richardson Physics 1928
Frederick Hopkins Physiology or Medicine 1929
Lord Adrian Physiology or Medicine 1932
Charles Sherrington Physiology or Medicine 1932
Paul Dirac Physics 1933
James Chadwick Physics 1935
Henry Dale Physiology or Medicine 1936
George Thomson Physics 1937
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Physiology or Medicine 1937
Ernst Chain Physiology or Medicine 1945
Howard Florey Physiology or Medicine 1945
Edward Appleton Physics 1947
Patrick Blackett Physics 1948
Bertrand Russell Literature 1950
Cecil Powell Physics 1950
John Cockcroft Physics 1951
Ernest Walton Physics 1951
Richard Synge Chemistry 1952
Archer Martin Chemistry 1952
Hans Krebs Physiology or Medicine 1953
Max Born Physics 1954
Alexander Todd Chemistry 1957
Frederick Sanger Chemistry 1958
Philip Noel-Baker Peace 1959
John Kendrew Chemistry 1962
Max Perutz Chemistry 1962
Francis Crick Physiology or Medicine 1962
James Watson Physiology or Medicine 1962
Maurice Wilkins Physiology or Medicine 1962
Alan Hodgkin Physiology or Medicine 1963
Andrew Huxley Physiology or Medicine 1963
Dorothy Hodgkin Chemistry 1964
André Lwoff Physiology or Medicine 1965
Ronald Norrish Chemistry 1967
George Porter Chemistry 1967
George Wald Physiology or Medicine 1967
Har Gobind Khorana Physiology or Medicine 1968
Lars Onsager Chemistry 1968
Murray Gell-Mann Physics 1969
Luis Leloir Chemistry 1970
Stanford Moore Chemistry 1972
Rodney Porter Physiology or Medicine 1972
Kenneth J Arrow Economics 1972
John Hicks Economics 1972
Brian Josephson Physics 1973
Patrick White Literature 1973
Ivar Giaever Physics 1973
Martin Ryle Physics 1974
Antony Hewish Physics 1974
Milton Friedman Economics 1976
Nevill Mott Physics 1977
Philip Anderson Physics 1977
James Meade Economics 1977
Pyotr Kapitsa Physics 1978
Peter Mitchell Chemistry 1978
Abdus Salam Physics 1979
Allan Cormack Physiology or Medicine 1979
Walter Gilbert Chemistry 1980
Frederick Sanger Chemistry 1980
Aaron Klug Chemistry 1982
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Physics 1983
William Fowler Physics 1983
Gerard Debreu Economics 1983
Richard Stone Economics 1984
Cesar Milstein Physiology or Medicine 1984
Georges Kohler Physiology or Medicine 1984
Wole Soyinka Literature 1986
Joseph Brodsky Literature 1987
Jean-Marie Lehn Chemistry 1987
Norman Ramsey Physics 1989
Octavio Paz Literature 1990
Robert Fogel Economics 1993
Edward Lewis Physiology or Medicine 1995
James Mirrlees Economics 1996
John Walker Chemistry 1997
Amartya Sen Economics 1998
John Pople Chemistry 1998
Alan McDiarmid Chemistry 2000
Paul Greengard Physiology or Medicine 2000
Kim Dae-jung Peace 2000
Tim Hunt Physiology or Medicine 2001
Joseph Stiglitz Economics 2001
John Sulston Physiology or Medicine 2002
Sydney Brenner Physiology or Medicine 2002
Richard Schrock Chemistry 2005
Martin Evans Physiology or Medicine 2007
Eric Maskin Economics 2007
Roger Tsien Chemistry 2008
Elizabeth Blackburn Physiology or Medicine 2009
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Chemistry 2009
Robert Edwards Physiology or Medicine 2010
Peter Diamond Economics 2010
Mario Vargas Llosa Literature 2010
John Gurdon Physiology or Medicine 2012
Michael Levitt Chemistry 2013
Angus Deaton Economics 2015
William Campbell Physiology or Medicine 2015
Oliver Hart Economics 2016
David Thouless Physics 2016
Duncan Haldane Physics 2016
Michael Kosterlitz Physics 2016
Richard Henderson Chemistry 2017
Joachim Frank Chemistry 2017
William Nordhaus Economics 2018
Gregory Winter Chemistry 2018
Peter Ratcliffe Physiology or Medicine 2019
Didier Queloz Physics 2019
Roger Penrose Physics 2020

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford ranks second among UK Universities with most Nobel Prizes, boasting a total of 72 laureates. It also holds the tenth position globally in terms of Nobel Prize winners.

Oxford University has produced Nobel Prize winners across diverse fields such as Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace.

In the field of biology, Oxford has garnered 13 Nobel Prizes, including Sir Howard Florey, an alumnus, who played a crucial role in the development of penicillin. Moreover, notable biologists like Professor David Phillips and Professor Roger Gass have made significant advancements in understanding cell biology and DNA replication.

Furthermore, Oxford University has demonstrated its prowess in the realm of Literature, producing Nobel Prize winners such as the esteemed author T.S. Eliot. Additionally, the university takes pride in the recognition of Malala Yousafzai, a prominent figure, who fearlessly advocated for girls’ education rights and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

Laureate Discipline Year
Frederick Soddy Chemistry 1921
Sir Robert Robinson Chemistry 1947
Linus Pauling Chemistry 1954
Sir Cyril Hinshelwood Chemistry 1956
Sir Alexander Todd Chemistry 1957
Dorothy Hodgkin Chemistry 1964
Robert Mulliken Chemistry 1966
Sir John Cornforth Chemistry 1975
Sir John Walker Chemistry 1997
Ahmed Zewail Chemistry 1999
Professor Robert H Grubbs Chemistry 2005
John B Goodenough Chemistry 2019
M Stanley Whittingham Chemistry 2019
Sir John Hicks Economics 1972
Gunnar Myrdal Economics 1974
James E Meade Economics 1977
Lawrence Klein Economics 1980
Robert Solow Economics 1987
Sir James Mirrlees Economics 1996
Amartya Sen Economics 1998
A Michael Spence Economics 2001
Joseph E Stiglitz Economics 2001
Sir Charles Sherrington Physiology or Medicine 1932
Sir Ernest Chain Physiology or Medicine 1945
Lord (Howard) Florey Physiology or Medicine 1945
George Wells Beadle Physiology or Medicine 1958
Severo Ochoa Physiology or Medicine 1959
Sir Peter Medawar Physiology or Medicine 1960
Sir John Eccles Physiology or Medicine 1963
Ragnar Granit Physiology or Medicine 1967
Rodney Porter Physiology or Medicine 1972
Nikolas Tinbergen Physiology or Medicine 1973
Baruch S Blumberg Physiology or Medicine 1976
Sir John Vane Physiology or Medicine 1982
Sir Paul Nurse Physiology or Medicine 2001
Sydney Brenner Physiology or Medicine 2002
Oliver Smithies Physiology or Medicine 2007
Sir John Gurdon Physiology or Medicine 2012
Sir Peter J Ratcliffe Physiology or Medicine 2019
Viscount Cecil of Chelwood Peace 1937
Lester B Pearson Peace 1957
Linus Pauling Peace 1962
Aung San Suu Kyi Peace 1991
José Ramos-Horta Peace 1996
Erwin Schrödinger Physics 1933
Sir Martin Ryle Physics 1974
John H Van Vleck Physics 1977
Norman Ramsey Physics 1989
Anthony J Leggett Physics 2003
J Michael Kosterlitz Physics 2016
Prof Sir R Penrose FRS Physics 2020

University College London (UCL)

University College London (UCL) is widely recognized as a leading institution in the UK and it is a member of the G5 universities. With an impressive record, UCL has produced 30 Nobel Prize winners to date. 

Among the illustrious UCL Nobel laureates, Sir William Ramsay stands as one of the most renowned. In 1904, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking discovery of noble gases, which uncovered a new group of elements and expanded our understanding of the periodic table.

UCL has also made remarkable contributions to the field of Physiology or Medicine. Notably, Sir Peter Mansfield received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003 for his seminal work on the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. His pioneering efforts revolutionized medical diagnostics and greatly advanced the field of medical imaging.

The University College London’s impact extends to the realm of Physics as well. Notable Nobel Prize winners from UCL include Sir Charles Kao, who was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009. His research and contributions in the field of fiber optics laid the foundation for modern optical communication systems.

Laureate Discipline Year
Sir William Ramsay Chemistry 1904
Rabindranath Tagore Literature 1913
Sir William Henry Bragg Physics 1915
Frederick Soddy Chemistry 1921
Archibald Vivian Hill Physiology or Medicine 1922
Owen Willans Richardson Physics 1928
Sir Frederick Hopkins Physiology or Medicine 1929
Sir Henry Hallett Dale Physiology or Medicine 1936
Otto Loewi Physiology or Medicine 1936
Corneille Jean Francois Heymans Physiology or Medicine 1939
Otto Hahn Chemistry 1944
Sir Robert Robinson Chemistry 1947
Vincent du Vigneaud Chemistry 1955
Jaroslav Heyrovsky Chemistry 1959
Peter Brian Medawar Physiology or Medicine 1960
Francis Harry Compton Crick Physiology or Medicine 1962
Andrew Fielding Huxley Physiology or Medicine 1963
George Porter (Baron Porter of Luddenham) Chemistry 1967
Sir Bernard Katz Physiology or Medicine 1970
Ulf Svante von Euler Physiology or Medicine 1970
Sir James Black Physiology or Medicine 1988
Bert Sakmann Physiology or Medicine 1991
James Heckman Economics 2000
Sir Paul Nurse Physiology or Medicine 2001
Sir Martin Evans Physiology or Medicine 2007
Charles Kao Physics 2009
Peter Higgs Physics 2013
James E. Rothman Physiology or Medicine 2013
John O’Keefe Physiology or Medicine 2014
Sir Roger Penrose Physics 2020

University of Manchester

The University of Manchester has a rich academic history that is underscored by its 25 Nobel Prize winners. These laureates have made significant contributions in various fields, including Physics, Chemistry, and Peace.

One notable Nobel laureate associated with the university is Niels Bohr, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922 for his groundbreaking investigations into the structure of atoms and the radiation they emit.

Another prominent Nobel Prize winner from the University of Manchester is Sir Andre Geim, who, along with Sir Konstantin Novoselov, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010 for their pioneering work on graphene. This two-dimensional material with exceptional properties has opened up new frontiers in materials science and holds great promise for various applications.

Moreover, the University of Manchester has played a vital role in promoting peace and international cooperation through Nobel Prize-winning efforts such as Sir Martin Ryle’s contributions to the development of radio astronomy, which received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974. These achievements highlight the University of Manchester’s enduring commitment to pioneering research and scientific excellence.

Laureate Discipline Year
Joseph John Thomson Physics 1906
Ernest Rutherford Chemistry 1908
William Lawrence Bragg Physics 1915
Niels Bohr Physics 1922
Archibald Vivian Hill Physiology or Medicine 1922
CTR Wilson Physics 1927
Arthur Harden Chemistry 1929
James Chadwick Physics 1935
Walter Norman Haworth Chemistry 1937
George de Hevesy Chemistry 1943
Robert Robinson Chemistry 1947
Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett Physics 1948
John Douglas Cockcroft Physics 1951
Alexander Todd Chemistry 1957
Melvin Calvin Chemistry 1961
Hans Albrecht Bethe Physics 1967
John Richard Hicks Economic Sciences 1972
Nevill Francis Mott Physics 1977
Arthur Lewis Economic Sciences 1979
John Charles Polanyi Chemistry 1986
Michael Smith Chemistry 1993
Joseph E Stiglitz Economic Sciences 2001
John Sulston Physiology or Medicine 2002
Andre Geim Physics 2010
Konstantin Novoselov Physics 2010

University of Edinburgh

Founded in 1582, the University of Edinburgh is Scotland’s highest institution of learning and has won a total of 19 Nobel Prizes. The University of Edinburgh’s Nobel Prize journey began in 1917 when Charles Glover Barkla, a professor at the university, received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of X-rays.

One notable Nobel laureate from the University of Edinburgh is Sir Alexander Fleming, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 for discovering penicillin, a crucial antibiotic in medical history.

The University of Edinburgh’s contributions to the field of Chemistry have also been significant, with notable Nobel Prize winners such as Lord Todd. In 1957, Lord Todd was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the understanding of the structure and synthesis of nucleotides and nucleotide coenzymes.

Furthermore, the University of Edinburgh has also been recognized in Literature, with Sir Walter Scott receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1909. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Scottish writers.

Laureate Discipline Year
Professor Peter Higgs Physics 2013
Professor Igor Tamm Physics 1958
Max Born Physics 1954
Charles Glover Barkla Physics 1917
Dr Richard Henderson Chemistry 2017
Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart Chemistry 2016
Professor Kurt Wüthrich Chemistry 2002
Professor Peter Mitchell Chemistry 1978
Lord Alexander Todd Chemistry 1957
Professor Vincent du Vigneaud Chemistry 1955
Professor Michael Rosbash Physiology or Medicine 2017
Professor Edvard Moser Physiology or Medicine 2014
Professor May-Britt Moser Physiology or Medicine 2014
Sir Robert Edwards Physiology or Medicine 2010
Sir Paul Nurse Physiology or Medicine 2001
Professor Peter Doherty Physiology or Medicine 1996
Professor Hermann Muller Physiology or Medicine 1946
Sir Joseph Rotblat Peace 1995
Sir James Mirrlees Economics 1996

London School of Economics and Political Science

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) has many alumni and faculty members who have made significant contributions across a wide range of disciplines. From academic research in the social sciences to politics, law, business, finance, literature, music, and the performing arts, LSE’s impact has been far-reaching. Notably, 18 LSE-affiliated individuals have been awarded Nobel Prizes, including in the fields of Economics, Peace, and Literature.

The realm of Literature has been enriched by LSE-associated Nobel laureates. George Bernard Shaw and Bertrand Russell are among the notable names associated with the Nobel Prize in Literature. Their literary contributions have left an indelible mark on the literary world.

Furthermore, the field of Economics has been greatly influenced by LSE, with Friedrich Hayek and 13 other LSE-affiliated scholars receiving the Nobel Prize in Economics. This impressive track record highlights the university’s exceptional contributions to economic theory and research. Recent winners include Christopher Pissarides, who shared the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economics for his research on labor markets, and Oliver Hart, who was co-awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on contract theory.

Additionally, Juan Manuel Santos, a former LSE student, received the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in ending the long-standing conflict in Colombia.

Laureate Discipline Year
Juan Manuel Santos Calderón Peace 2016
Oliver Hart Economics 2016
Christopher Pissarides Economics 2010
Paul Krugman Economics 2008
Leonid Hurwicz Economics 2007
George Akerlof Economics 2001
Robert Mundell Economics 1999
Amartya Sen Economics 1998
Ronald Coase Economics 1991
Merton Miller Economics 1990
Sir Arthur Lewis Economics 1979
James Meade Economics 1977
Friedrich Hayek Economics 1974
Sir John Hicks Economics 1972
Lord Noel-Baker Peace 1959
Ralph Bunche Peace 1950
Bertrand Russell Literature 1950
George Bernard Shaw Literature 1925

Imperial College London

Imperial College London, a leading UK university, gained independence in 2007 after being a constituent college of the University of London. 14 alumni from Imperial College London have been awarded Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, and Physics.

The university has particularly excelled in Physics, with notable Nobel laureates including Sir John Gurdon, Sir Martin Ryle, and Abdus Salam. Sir John Gurdon, an alumnus, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2012 for his pioneering work in stem cells and cloning. Sir Martin Ryle, associated with Imperial College London, revolutionized radio astronomy and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974. Abdus Salam, an influential physicist and alumnus, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1979 for his contributions to the electroweak unification theory.

Imperial College London’s contributions to Chemistry have also been significant, with Nobel laureates such as Sir Derek Barton and Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson associated with the university. Sir Derek Barton was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1969 for his work on conformational analysis and the development of new organic chemistry methods. Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson, another Nobel laureate from Imperial College London, received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1973 for his pioneering research on organometallic compounds and their catalytic roles.

These achievements highlight Imperial College London’s reputation for scientific excellence and innovation in science, engineering, and medicine.

Laureate Discipline Year
Sir George Paget Thomson Physics 1937
Lord Patrick Maynard Stuart Blackett Physics 1948
Dennis Gabor Physics 1971
Abdus Salam Physics 1979
Sir Walter Norman Haworth Chemistry 1937
Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood Chemistry 1956
Sir George Porter Chemistry 1967
Sir Derek Barton Chemistry 1969
Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Chemistry 1973
Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins Physiology or Medicine 1929
Sir Alexander Fleming Physiology or Medicine 1945
Sir Ernst Boris Chain Physiology or Medicine 1945
Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley Physiology or Medicine 1963
Rodney Robert Porter Physiology or Medicine 1972

King’s College London

King’s College London (KCL), one of the founding colleges of the University of London, holds a distinguished position as the fourth oldest university in England. Over the years, its alumni and faculty members have made remarkable contributions to various fields, resulting in a total of 14 Nobel Prize winners associated with the institution. These laureates have significantly impacted the fields of Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, Physics, and Literature.

In the field of Physics, King’s College London takes pride in producing seven Nobel Prize winners. One of the most recent laureates is Roger Penrose, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2020. Penrose’s groundbreaking work on the formation of black holes as a conclusive prediction of general relativity has revolutionized our understanding of the universe.

Additionally, King’s College London has also made notable contributions to the field of Literature. Mario Vargas Llosa, an esteemed writer and alumnus of the university, received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010. Llosa’s literary achievements, characterized by his profound storytelling and socio-political commentary, have garnered international acclaim and recognition.

Laureate Discipline Year
Charles Barkla Physics 1917
Owen Willans Richardson Physics 1928
Frederick Gowland Hopkins Physiology or Medicine 1929
Charles Scott Sherrington Physiology or Medicine 1932
Edward Appleton Physics 1947
Max Theiler Physiology or Medicine 1951
Maurice Wilkins Physiology or Medicine 1962
Desmond Tutu Peace 1984
James Black Physiology or Medicine 1988
Mario Vargas Llosa Literature 2010
Michael Levitt Chemistry 2013
Peter Higgs Physics 2013
Roger Penrose Physics 2020
Michael Houghton Physiology or Medicine 2020

University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham, founded in 1900, is a renowned British university. It was one of the first Red Brick universities in the UK and has been a member of the Russell Group. The University of Birmingham boasts 10 Nobel Prize winners, who have made significant contributions primarily in the fields of medicine, physics, and chemistry.

The University of Birmingham has produced exceptional Nobel laureates in physics. Francis Aston’s invention of the mass spectrograph revolutionized our understanding of atomic structure. David Thouless’s pioneering work on topological phase transitions earned him a Nobel Prize. Similarly, Mike Kosterlitz’s contributions have greatly advanced our knowledge of exotic states of matter, such as superfluidity and superconductivity.

The University of Birmingham has produced notable Nobel Prize winners in medicine and chemistry. Maurice Wilkins, James Watson, and Francis Crick were recognized for their work in unraveling the structure of DNA, while Sir Paul Nurse was awarded for his contributions to understanding the cell cycle and division. In the field of chemistry, Sir Norman Haworth’s research on carbohydrates and vitamin C earned him a Nobel Prize, and Professor Sir J. Fraser Stoddart was honored for his pioneering work in designing molecular machines and nanoscale structures.

In addition to its scientific achievements, the university takes pride in Lord Robert Cecil, a distinguished diplomat and statesman who played a significant role in the establishment of the League of Nations. His contributions to international diplomacy were recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1937.

Laureate Discipline Year
Francis William Aston Chemistry 1922
Sir Norman Haworth Chemistry 1937
Lord Robert Cecil Peace 1937
Sir Peter Medawar Physiology or Medicine 1960
Maurice Wilkins Physiology or Medicine 1962
Sir John Vane Physiology or Medicine 1982
Sir Paul Nurse Physiology or Medicine 2001
David Thouless Physics 2016
Mike Kosterlitz Physics 2016
Sir J. Fraser Stoddart Chemistry 2016

UK Universities with Most Nobel Prizes FAQ

UK universities have won a significant number of Nobel Prizes. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, UK universities have produced over 400 Nobel laureates across various disciplines.

The University of Cambridge has the highest number of Nobel Prizes among UK universities. It has produced more than 120 Nobel laureates.

UK universities have received Nobel Prizes in a wide range of fields, including Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences. However, the most significant number of Nobel Prizes has been awarded in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine.

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