The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583, and is the 4th oldest university in Scotland, and 6th oldest in the UK. It is ranked 4th in the UK and 1st in Scotland for research power, based on the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions).
It is also the home of the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA).
Courses and students
There are almost 400 degree programmes across more than 60 subjects, taught through 25 academic schools in three colleges:
The university had 8,800 academic staff teaching 49,640 students in 2024/25, including 32,000 undergraduate students. 14,400 of the undergraduate students were from Scotland.
There are multiple opportunities to study abroad with programs such as Study Abroad and International Exchange. There are over 400 student exchange partners across Europe and over 200 exchange places from partner universities outside Europe.
Facilities and services
The university is home to a wide range of facilities including: one of the UK’s Wellcome Trust research facilities; The Institute of Astronomy at the Historic Royal Observatory in Edinburgh; and The Hospital for Small Animals at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
The university is one of the UK’s leading sports universities. They have excellent facilities managed by the university’s Centre for Sport and Exercise. It includes extensive state-of-the-art gyms, a residential centre for outdoor activities, a swimming pool, games hall, widespread playing fields and a leading sports injuries clinic.
There are 71 sports clubs and over 200 teams to choose from, and clubs cater for all ability levels. Students also have access to the Edinburgh University Students' Association which includes the opportunity to join over 300 student-led societies and volunteer groups.
Ranking
In the Complete University Guide 2026, the university is ranked the 2nd top university in Scotland.
The university is ranked 34th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
In the Complete University Guide 2026, Edinburgh University has 26 subjects in the top ten; it is ranked 2nd in UK for Nursing and Midwifery, 1st in Scotland for Architecture and 2nd in Scotland for Veterinary Medicine.
Ranked 1st in Scotland, 5th in the UK and 17th in the world for Law (Times Higher Education World University Rankings: Law 2026).
Ranked 2nd in UK and 3rd in Europe in the QS Sustainability Ranking 2025.
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Courtesy of University of Edinburgh
