University of Edinburgh

Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is an international centre of excellence in research, teaching and innovation. Located in Scotland’s historic capital city, the University is consistently ranked as one of the world’s top universities (20th in the world, QS World University Rankings 2021).

Our entrepreneurial and cross-disciplinary culture, and international outlook attracts students from all corners of the globe. There are currently over 44,000 students and over 21,000 international students from more than 156 different nationalities which creates a unique Edinburgh experience. We provide a stimulating working, learning and teaching environment with access to excellent facilities and attract the world's best, from Nobel Prize laureates to future explorers, pioneers and inventors.

A total of 21 Nobel laureates are affiliated with the University of Edinburgh. These include winners of Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Peace, Literature and the Memorial Prize in Economic Science. Alumni include Charles Darwin, David Hume, Alexander Graham Bell and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, among many others.

Edinburgh’s position as one of the UK’s leading research universities is reaffirmed by the results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, with 83% of our research classed as ‘internationally excellent’. This is echoed by over 1,000 international research collaborations currently in place. Based on the quality and breadth of research, Edinburgh has been rated 4th in the UK and the most successful university in Scotland.

The University is made up of three colleges: Arts, Humanities and Social Science, Science and Engineering, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, and 21 academic schools, offering 400 undergraduate degree programmes, more than 300 postgraduate taught masters courses and 130 research areas covering a wide range of academic disciplines.