Universities Where Richest Grads Earned Degrees

The research firm Wealth-X identifies, each year, the universities with the highest number of “ultra high net worth” (UHNW) alumni.  To be included in that prestigious category, an individual must have a net worth greater than $30 million.

Of the twenty universities, worldwide, with the most UHNW alumni, 17 are in the United States.  The three complementing the list are University of Cambridge (ranked #7) and University of Oxford (#13), both in the United Kingdom, and INSEAD (#19), with locations in France, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and San Francisco.

To consider the information in context, it’s important to note that children from the world’s wealthiest families often enroll in the most prestigious universities. Also important to consider is that institutions are included on this list regardless of whether their alumni attended as undergraduate or graduate students.

According to Wealth-X, Harvard University far leads the pack with an estimated 13,650 UHNW alumni yielding an estimated $4.8 trillion in wealth. Stanford University is #2 with an estimated 5,580 UHNW alumni with $2.9 trillion. University of Pennsylvania is #3 with an estimated 5,575 UHNW alumni yielding $1.8 trillion.

Following, in consecutive order, are Columbia University, New York University (NYU), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Northwestern University, University of Southern California (USC), University of Chicago, Yale University, University of California – Berkeley, Cornell University, University of Texas – Austin, Princeton University, University of Notre Dame, University of Michigan, and University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA).

Even though Harvard University tops the list with the greatest number of extremely wealthy graduates, the story changes considerably if the criterion is the highest percentage of “self-made” UHNW alumni. In this category, University of Chicago stands out. Estimates are that 84% of University of Chicago alumni who are worth more than $30 million made their fortunes on their own.

Harvard’s numbers are aided by extremely wealthy graduates including former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (estimated worth of $45.4 billion), former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (estimated worth of $31.9 billion), and Jorge Paulo Lemann, Director of 3G Capital (estimated worth of $28.8 billion).  

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362