Are you planning an event for students or faculty?

Do you need to hire a trusted expert for a campus function, virtual meeting, conference, seminar, or school workshop?

Here is a list of professional University public speakers to consider for your event that can deliver a memorable speech and presentation that will inspire, educate, and entertain your audience.

These are the best college and campus speakers who can cover such topics as education trends, learning skills, motivation, productivity, career planning, finding your passion, developing good habits, hard work, leadership, and more.

On this page you can browse a list of speakers and topics.

Or, fill out this form and one of our agents will help you find the perfect speaker that fits your budget.

Jocko Willink

Jocko Willink is a retired Navy SEAL, author and leadership expert.

Over 20 years of experience as a Navy SEAL has taught Willink much in the way of working together to overcome obstacles and it is these insights and experiences that he shares with his audiences.

In a natural and engaging style, Willink teaches team management, leadership abilities, and more.

He also manages the Echelon Front, a consultancy and leadership training group that Willink co-founded.

As a speaker for college events, Jocko thrives on inspiring young adults who are entering the real world to step up and lead their own life with courage.

Shawn Achor

Bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor is a college motivational speaker and wellness expert who teaches students tools on how to create a fulfilling life.

His book follows the same theme as his work, studying the correlation between happiness and success.

Achor was a faculty at Harvard for over a decade. During his time, he was awarded with numerous recognition’s for teaching.

He currently works as a consultant and has worked with several Fortune 100 companies.

Jia Jiang

Jia Jiang is a motivational guru who has been a guest speaker at universities across the country. Through his work, he inspires people to face their fears and uncertainties in order to achieve success.

His TED Talk, 100 Days of Rejection, became the most viewed TED talk of the year. It follows his journey through 100 days and elaborates how he overcame his fears to become more productive. This is also explored in great detail in his bestselling book, Rejection Proof.

James Clear

James Clear is an author, campus speaker, and a personal development coach who is passionate about inspiring young adults to become the best version of themselves.

Through his work, he aims to educate readers and audiences on how small habits can create a significant impact.

His bestselling book, Atomic Habits, has been sold over 800,000 times around the world and was a New York Times bestseller consecutively for 9 months. The book follows Clear’s experiments of developing healthier habits in all aspects of one’s life.

As a speakers for universities, James visits many college campuses and shares his insights and best practices with students on how to create a meaningful life.

Rachel Simmons

An educator, leadership coach, and author, Rachel Simmons has helped several young women become leaders in various aspects of their lives.

Simmons’ work with young girls focuses on teaching them to stand up for themselves and become authentic, self-sufficient, and resilient individuals.

As an author and college keynote speaker, she has received much acclaim through her bestselling books, Enough as She Is and The Curse of the Good Girl.

Michelle Poler

Michelle Poler is a branding strategist, personal growth and development expert, and performance improvement consultant.

She has also been featured on television and in publications for her various projects.

The popular social movement she founded, Hello Fears, works to empower and motivate individuals to leave their comfort zone and realize their true potential.

As a college conference speaker, Michelle is highly enthusiastic with her powerful message of empowering young woman to never settle for anything less than they deserve.

Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss is a personal development expert who helps people lead a healthy lifestyle by finding “Life Hacks” that allows them to live their ideal life.

Owner of a nutritional supplement company, Ferriss found inspiration for his bestselling book The 4-Hour Work Week when he reassessed his priorities and simplified his workdays.

As a campus public speaker, he now teaches students the same philosophies and reiterates the importance of doing so in order to maximize personal well-being.

Tom Bilyeu

Tom Bilyeu is a personal growth expert well known for his success with nutritional supplements company, Quest Nutrition.

He started the company from his kitchen and turned it into an industry leader generating millions in revenue.

Bilyeu teaches from his success and failures and motivates others to take a risk on what they want to do, regardless of their current situation or lack of resources.

As a college event speaker, Tom is passionate about inspiring young adults with a message of hope and hard work.

Ben Nemtin

Star of MTV’s popular show The Buried Life, Ben Nemtin is an author, entrepreneur, and personal growth expert. Due to his ideas, Nemtin has become an icon for many young adults.

His teachings of radical possibility and change have been recognized by some of the most distinguished personalities in the country.

These include former US president Barack Obama, who called him a source of inspiration for the new generation.

Les Brown

les brown

Les Brown is a motivator and one of the most sought-after consultants in the world. His expertise has been requested by numerous Fortune 500 companies.

With over 30 years of experience, Brown is perfectly equipped to help both large and small organizations as well as individuals translate their motivations into accomplishments.

As a college guest speaker, he energizes and motivates his audience through a blend of personal experience and humor.

Jason Womack

Consultant to many Fortune 500 companies, Jason Womack is an author, a speaker, and a performance expert. He specializes in productivity enhancement and change management.

Womack has more than two decades of experience in leadership programs as well as employee engagement initiatives.

As a recognition of his ability to think ahead and develop appropriate strategy, he has been named among America’s top productivity thinkers.

Robert Waldinger

Currently serving as the Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, Robert Waldinger is an accomplished psychoanalyst, psychiatrist, and life balance coach.

At the Harvard Medical School, Waldinger serves as a clinical professor of psychiatry.

His research on adult development is one of its kind. It tracks the lives of two groups of men over 7 decades to reveal intricate insights into their motivations and impacts.

Mel Robbins

Mel Robbins is a legal analyst for CNN, a wellness expert, and one of the most distinguished female motivational speakers in the world. She influences millions through her social media platforms.

In addition, her media company, The Confidence Project, designs online personal development courses for a global audience of individuals and corporate bodies.

Scott Harrison

Scott Harrison is an activist and a welfare worker. After spending a decade as a nightclub promoter, Harrison had an epiphany that led him to volunteering on a hospital ship in West Africa.

Upon his return, he founded the welfare organization charity:water, which targets the unavailability of clean water in the developing world.

His charity has raised funds for over 24000 projects in over twenty countries.

Malala Yousafzai

The youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, Malala Yousafzai is a human rights advocate and an activist for gender equality and female education.

Yousafzai rose to international prominence after an assassination attempt by the Taliban in retaliation to her activism, which left her battling for life.

Upon recovering, she used her international recognition to speak up for the rights of underrepresented women across the globe.

Eduardo Briceno

Eduardo Briceno is an improvement expert and one of the leading instructors of growth mindset development. His company, Mindset Works, was the first to develop programs in this regard.

Since its inception in 2007, Mindset Works has consulted for and assisted thousands of companies develop healthier systems and corporate cultures that are learning oriented.

An influential college keynote speaker, his TED talks on the growth mindset have reached millions.

Ben Rattray

If there is one man who single-handedly reshaped social activism for the 21st century, it is Ben Rattray. He is the founder of the leading online social action platform Change.org.

In 2012, Rattray was awarded with two prominent recognitions. The first was his inclusion in Time’s Hundred Most Influential People in the World list. The second was Fortune recognizing him as one of 40 Under 40 Rising Young Business Leaders.

Barbara Walters

Co-host of The Today Show on NBC for many years, Barbara Walters is a journalist and television personality. Her work serves as motivation for many aspiring young woman.

Having worked for over three decades in broadcast news, Walters has earned numerous accolades and awards.

Her memoir talks about the importance of emanating confidence to achieve success.

Amy Adams

Academy Award-winning actress Amy Adams has achieved great success through her dedication and hard work.

Her commitment to the art has led to most of her portrayals being nominated for awards.

Achieving international fame through her critically acclaimed role as a princess in Disney’s Enchanted, Adams has been on rollercoaster to fame ever since.

She has also been featured in several entertainment and fashion magazines such as Elle, Vanity Fair, and The Hollywood Reporter.

Need help booking a speaker?

If you are interested in booking any of the speakers on this page or want some more suggestions, use the form below to contact an agent.

We have access to over 5000 experts and thought leaders, many of whom are not listed on this site.

Let one of our agents help you find the perfect speaker that fits your budget, needs, and date.

Speaker Request

Step 1 – Fill out the form below.

Step 2 – Our agent will respond within one business day.

Need more speaker ideas?

Recommended reading: