Top 10 Notable Alumni of McGill University

Justin Trudeau, John Abbott, Wilfrid Laurier, and Peyush Bansal are some of the notable alumni of McGill University, making contributions to politics, business, and leadership. According to the QS World University Rankings 2026, McGill ranks 27th globally. It reflects its strong academic reputation and excellence as a leading institution.

McGill University was founded in the year 1821. It is the second best university in Canada located in Montreal, Quebec. Many politicians, actors, CEOs, and Nobel laureates are members of McGill University Alumni Network. They once sat in the same classrooms where you could be, if you want to study in Canada.

There is no doubt that McGill University has shaped great minds who have made a big impact in many fields, from politics to business. In this article, we are listing top 10 notable alumni of McGill University, including some Indian names.

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List of McGill University Alumni

McGill University's alumni network includes over 300,000 members from 185 countries, showing its diverse community. We have selected 10 notable alumni from different fields to highlight their achievements.

Let us know about them in detail.

Justin Trudeau

Justin Trudeau is the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He started in 2015. He did his BA from McGill University in 1994. Before politics, he worked as teacher and also helped with youth and environmental issues. Recently, he announced changes in Canadian Student visa rules, like ending the SDS visa scheme.

John Abbott

John Abbott, the 3rd Prime Minister of Canada, once studied at McGill University. He got his Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree in 1854. Before becoming PM, he was professor and dean at McGill’s Faculty of Law. His time as Prime Minister was short, but he helped railway growth and economic policies a lot.

Wilfrid Laurier

Wilfrid Laurier studied law at McGill University and finished in 1864. He later became the 7th Prime Minister of Canada from 1896 to 1911. Laurier worked to connect English and French Canadians and supported national unity.

Peyush Bansal

Peyush Bansal, famous Indian entrepreneur, Founder and CEO of Lenskart, studied at McGill University. He did BTech in Electrical Engineering (BEE) in 2006. Later, he went to IIM Bangalore. Before entrepreneurship, he was Program Manager at Microsoft and then started multiple startups.

M. R. Srinivasan

M. R. Srinivasan is a famous Indian nuclear scientist. He did Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University. He helped develop India’s nuclear power plants and was Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India. He received Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

Ahmed Nazif

Ahmed Nazif, ex-Prime Minister of Egypt from 2004 to 2011, studied PhD in Computer Engineering at McGill University in 1983. He helped modernise Egypt’s economy and had many minister jobs before becoming Prime Minister.

John O'Keefe

John O’Keefe, a neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner, studied at McGill University. He got Bachelor’s in Psychology in 1963. Later, he did PhD. He won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering place cells in the brain.

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Thomas Chang

Thomas Chang is a famous Canadian doctor, scientist and inventor. He went to McGill University for his undergrad. While still studying there, he made the first artificial blood cell in 1957. This shows how McGill University gives lots of help and chances for research when you study there.

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen, the Canadian singer songwriter, also went to McGill University. He studied English literature and finished in 1955. While at McGill, he got very interested in writing and poetry. Later, this love for words shaped his music. He sang many famous songs like Bird on the Wire and Suzanne.

Alain Bellemare

Alain Bellemare now works as President at International at Delta Airlines. He did BE in Aerospace Engineering and then a Master’s in Engineering at McGill University. He also was CEO of Bombardier Inc. before Delta. He has had big leadership jobs in many major companies.

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