University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland
Public-University

Overview

The University of Edinburgh (abbreviated as Edin. in post-nominals), founded in 1582, is the sixth oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland’s ancient universities. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city of Edinburgh, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university.

The University of Edinburgh is ranked 18th in the world by the 2019 QS World University Rankings. It is ranked as the 6th best university in Europe by the U.S. News’ Best Global Universities Ranking, and 7th best in Europe by the Times Higher Education Ranking. The Research Excellence Framework, a research ranking used by the UK government to determine future research funding, ranked Edinburgh 4th in the UK for research power, and 11th overall. It is ranked the 78th most employable university in the world by the 2017 Global Employability University Ranking. It is a member of both the Russell Group, and the League of European Research Universities, a consortium of 21 research universities in Europe. It has the third largest endowment of any university in the United Kingdom, after the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. The annual income of the institution for 2017–18 was £949.0 million of which £279.7 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £931.3 million.

The university played an important role in leading Edinburgh to its reputation as a chief intellectual centre during the Age of Enlightenment, and helped give the city the nickname of the Athens of the North. Alumni of the university include some of the major figures of modern history, including physicist James Clerk Maxwell, naturalist Charles Darwin, philosopher David Hume, mathematician Thomas Bayes, surgeon Joseph Lister, signatories of the American declaration of independence James Wilson, John Witherspoon and Benjamin Rush, inventor Alexander Graham Bell, first president of Tanzania Julius Nyerere, and a host of famous authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, J.M. Barrie and Sir Walter Scott. Associated people include 23 Nobel Prize winners, 2 Turing Award winners, 1 Abel Prize winner, 1 Fields Medal winner, 2 Pulitzer Prize winners, 3 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, 2 currently-sitting UK Supreme Court Justices, and several Olympic gold medallists. It continues to have links to the British Royal Family, having had the Duke of Edinburgh as its Chancellor from 1953 to 2010 and Princess Anne since 2011.

Edinburgh receives approximately 60,000 applications every year, making it the second most popular university in the UK by volume of applications. It has 4th highest average UCAS entry tariff in Scotland, and 14th overall in the UK.

23 in League Table Ranking of The Complete University Guide
Type University Public
Year Founded 1582
Size Large
36,491 Students
Location
Edinburgh
Scotland

Learning

2,4,5,6 years
Course Durations Available

TEF Rating

This institution did not take part in the TEF. Participation is voluntary.

Courses Available

  • Accounting, Business, Management and Marketing
  • Architecture, Building, Planning and Design
  • Biology and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer Science and Information Technology
  • Engineering
  • Foreign Studies (Language, Literature and Linguistics)
  • Health Professions
  • Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Law and Legal Studies
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Natural Sciences
  • Recreation, Sports and Fitness Studies
  • Theology
  • Veterinary, Agricultural and Food Sciences
  • Visual and Performing Arts

Applying

How to Apply?

Accepts UCAS

For International Students

-- Minimum IELTS Score
IELTS Requirement: Required
TOEFL iBT, PTE, CAE, CPE Other English Language Tests Accepted
(in lieu of IELTS)
Deadlines and Important Dates
Jan
15
Deadline of application via UCAS for majority of undergraduate courses

Cost and Scholarships

£ 19,800
Average Tuition Fee
(For International Students)

Types of Scholarships Available

Merit-based
Need-based
Regional (EU)
International
Departmental Scholarships

Scholarships

The University of Edinburgh Scholarship
Total Worth £520-£8,500
Eligibility and Requirements For students domiciled in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A family income of less than £42,600.
Available for International Students No
Application Deadline --
University of Edinburgh Coca-Cola Scholarships
Total Worth living costs of £9,500
Eligibility and Requirements national and resident of Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine who is accepted for admission on a full-time basis for an undergraduate programme of study
Available for International Students No
Application Deadline --
The Richard Davidson Undergraduate International Scholarship for Agricultural Science
Total Worth £7,000
Eligibility and Requirements nationals and residents of any country out with the UK and EU and be liable for the overseas rate of tuition fee. Applicants must have applied for any BSc Agricultural Sciences programme offered by the Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security
Available for International Students Yes
Application Deadline --