Which university did J.K. Rowling attend before becoming a published author?

J.K. Rowling attended the University of Exeter before becoming a published author.

She studied French and Classics at Exeter and graduated in 1987. Her French degree later connected with her work as a bilingual secretary and teacher, while her study of ancient languages and mythology contributed to her broad knowledge of classical names and stories.

Rowling did not attend Oxford, Cambridge, or the University of Edinburgh, although Edinburgh became closely associated with her writing career after she lived there and wrote parts of the Harry Potter series in the city.

After university, she worked for Amnesty International in London and later taught English in Portugal. The Harry Potter idea developed during the early 1990s, and the first novel was published in 1997. Her university education was therefore one stage in a varied pre-publication career rather than the direct setting for the series.