Financial News has analysed university data for its rising stars lists from 2022 and 2023 to find out which alma maters are the most popular among young professionals going into financial and professional services.

The analysis comes as FN invites nominations for its new Rising Stars of European Finance, which is open to those working across financial and professional services in Europe.

We looked at five lists in total — two for fund management and banking alongside 2023's legal sector list — featuring 125 people under the age of 40 working in Europe.

Using LinkedIn and information provided through nomination forms, FN was able to identify where 111 of those people studied for their undergraduate degrees.

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Fourteen of the rising stars went to Oxford, making it the most popular university, while 11 went to Durham. University College London was the third most attended location with seven graduates, then the University of Bristol and the London School of Economics. All five are part of the Russell Group of leading UK universities.

The University of Cambridge fell just outside the top five, tied with several other institutions.

The data suggests that despite efforts to broaden graduate intakes, those going to top universities still make up the majority of young people working in banking, fund management and law. However, FN’s rising stars are usually a few years into their careers, so things may have changed for the most recent juniors.

The list also shows that UK universities are by far the most attended among the rising stars, with 65% from institutions in the country — again, suggesting hiring efforts are focused.

Bocconi University in Italy was the most popular European location, but a number of the young stars studied elsewhere in the region, mostly in France and Germany, while a handful got their degrees in the US and further afield before moving to start their careers.

To contact the author of this story with feedback or news, email Clare Dickinson