Which school did J.K. Rowling attend for her degree in French and Classics?

J.K. Rowling attended the University of Exeter for her degree in French and Classics.

She studied French and Classics at Exeter and graduated in 1987. Her course included a year in Paris, an experience that gave her direct contact with French language and culture. Her academic background later contributed to the broad European and classical references found throughout her writing.

Rowling did not study at Oxford, Cambridge, or the University of Edinburgh, although those institutions can be associated with different parts of her life and career. After university, she worked in several roles, including positions connected with research and administration, before developing the Harry Potter idea.

Her time at Exeter is one example of how biographical details can be separated from fictional associations. Hogwarts is an imaginary school, while Exeter is a real university in southwest England and the institution named in biographies of Rowling’s education.