University of Edinburgh grabs top ten spot with 6,193 chief executives among alumni

Edinburgh has been placed seventh in the survey by small business credit card experts at Capital on Tap, who analysed LinkedIn alumni data to reveal the UK universities producing the most business founders and leaders.

The University of Edinburgh can boast 6,193 chief executives, 12,321 business founders and 5,687 managing directors - equating to about 12.3 per cent of its 197,164 alumni, according to the study.

Topping the list is the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), with 19.3 per cent of its 326,403 alumni currently holding business leadership roles. Taking second place is the University of Cambridge, where 17.6 per cent of its 414,923 alumni are called as business leaders.

In third place is Imperial College London, with 17.2 per cent of its 163,076 alumni going on to become business leaders.

Edinburgh was the only Scottish university to be listed in the top ten.

Alex Miles, chief operating officer at Capital on Tap, said: “Our research shows that universities can act as pipelines for entrepreneurial talent. Whether graduates go on to become CEOs, freelancers, or start-up founders, the common thread is confidence, resilience and the ability to take risks.

“While a degree isn’t essential for success, university can provide aspiring business leaders with valuable skills, networks, and financial know-how. By getting involved early in enterprise hubs or pitch competitions, building connections with mentors and peers, experimenting with ideas, developing financial literacy, such as managing budgets or using tools like a business credit card, students can gain more than just a qualification. They graduate with the mindset to turn ambition into action.”

Meanwhile, the University of Edinburgh was ranked fifth in the UK when it comes to producing the most freelancers, with just over 3.9 per cent of its alumni working in this field.

The University of St Andrews grabbed tenth spot with a percentage rating of 3.4 per cent while the University of Westminster was found to have produced the most freelancers, with almost 5.3 per cent of its alumni working in that capacity.

Capital on Tap noted that Westminster’s long-standing strengths in media, design, fashion and the arts continued to drive its success, as these disciplines often lend themselves to independent and flexible career paths.

The University of Sussex took second place, with 4.7 per cent of its alumni (5,464 graduates) going freelance.

To identify the UK universities producing the most business leaders in 2025, the researchers analysed LinkedIn alumni data across a seed list of major institutions using the total count collected from each university’s LinkedIn alumni section, covering all graduates from 1900 to the present.

The percentage of entrepreneurial alumni was calculated by searching alumni for leadership titles, including CEO, founder and managing director, and comparing the total against each university’s alumni base.

The number of freelancers was determined by searching for alumni listing “freelance” in their job titles.

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