The Institution of Edinburgh is a Scottish public research university based in Edinburgh. It was granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 and officially opened in 1583, making it one of Scotland's four ancient universities and the sixth-oldest university in continuous operation in the English-speaking world. During the Scottish Enlightenment, the institution was essential in Edinburgh's ascent to prominence as a major intellectual centre, earning the city the moniker "Athens of the North."
The institution belongs to numerous research-intensive university alliances, including the Coimbra Group, the League of European Research Universities, the Russell Group, Una Europa, and Universitas 21. It had a total income of £1,175.6 million in the fiscal year ending 31 July 2021, of which £324.0 million was from research grants and contracts, and the third-largest endowment in the UK, after only Cambridge and Oxford. The university includes five main campuses in Edinburgh, which include many historical and architecturally significant buildings, such as those in the Old Town.
The University of Edinburgh Ranking
According to different University of Edinburgh ranking agencies, the institution is among the top 50 in the world. The international rankings for the University of Edinburgh are as follows:
Ranking List |
Ranked By |
Rank |
Year |
QS World University Rankings |
Top universities |
16 |
2022 |
World University Rankings |
Times Higher Education |
30 |
2022 |
Best Global Universities in the UK |
US News & World Report |
05 |
2022 |
Best Global Universities in Europe |
US News & World Report |
06 |
2022 |
Best Global Universities in World |
US News & World Report |
32 |
2022 |
World Rank |
CWUR |
45 |
2022 |
National Rank |
CWUR |
06 |
2022 |
The University of Edinburgh History
Bishop Robert Reid of St Magnus Cathedral on Orkney made a will in 1557 that included an endowment of 8,000 merks for the construction of a college in Edinburgh. Reid's vision included the teaching of rhetoric and poetry, as well as more traditional topics like philosophy, which was unusual for his time. However, due to the religious revolution that led to the Reformation Parliament of 1560, the bequest was delayed by more than 25 years. The plans were renewed in the late 1570s thanks to the efforts of the Edinburgh Town Council, Edinburgh's first minister, James Lawson, and Lord Provost William Little. The town council petitioned King James VI and his Privy Council after Reid's successors refused to pay the money. On 14 April 1582, the King brokered a monetary settlement and awarded a royal charter, authorising the town council to establish a college of higher instruction. A secular college was unprecedented in newly Presbyterian Scotland, as all prior Scottish institutions had been created under papal bulls. Notably, Edinburgh was the fourth Scottish university at a time when England, which was wealthier and more populous, had just two.
The University of Edinburgh Acceptance Rate
- The University of Edinburgh's acceptance rate ranged from 40% to 50%, making admission to the university reasonably simple.
- The admission rate for postgraduate taught programmes at the University of Edinburgh is roughly 48 percent. This means that for every two students who apply for a programme, one of them has a good chance of getting in. This means that about 48 students out of a total of 100 students will be able to pursue their master's degree at the University of Edinburgh.
- The acceptance rate for undergraduate admissions at the University of Edinburgh is 46%, which indicates that 46 students out of a total of 100 get admitted.
The University of Edinburgh Campus
In Edinburgh, the University of Edinburgh comprises five campuses: Central Area (George Square), King's Buildings, Little France (BioQuarter), Western General Hospital, and Easter Bush.
- Administrative offices, classrooms, an Anatomical Museum, Arcadia Nursery, Labs, Theater, Lab, Research facilities, Equine Hospital, Arcadia Nursery, Labs, Theater, Lab, Fire station, Residence halls, Sports areas and facilities, and a cafeteria are among the facilities on the main campus at George Square.
- The King's building houses the majority of the science and engineering education on campus, as well as three libraries and numerous science labs and centres.
- Little France, also known as BioQuarter, is home to medical classes and a city hospital, whilst the Easter Bush is recognised for veterinary education. The Roslin Institute on this site is well-known for cloning the first sheep, Dolly.
- Western General Hospital is a research facility that includes a Genetics and Molecular Medicine Center as well as a Neuroscience Center.
The University of Edinburgh Accommodation
The institution makes an attempt to make newcomers feel welcome and provides guaranteed campus housing if confirmation is completed by the timeframes specified. The residence halls are fully equipped and provide all utilities, including laundry and internet access. The same is true for postgraduates.
- If room is available, the university will provide lodging to international students visiting the UK.
- Residents can participate in a variety of activities such as dance lessons, baking, drawing, mindfulness workshops, and teatime storey telling, to name a few.
- The institution also assists in obtaining private housing in the immediate proximity of the campus.
The University of Edinburgh Research
The University is one of the world's top research-intensive universities, ranking fourth in the United Kingdom for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 83 percent of their research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.
Chloroform anaesthesia, the Higgs boson particle, and in-vitro fertilisation were all discovered as a result of research undertaken here. Their academics, students, and alumni discovered carbon dioxide, spearheaded the Scottish Enlightenment, which laid the groundwork for modern thought, created a genetically engineered vaccine against Hepatitis B, and created Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be genetically cloned from an adult somatic cell.
The University of Edinburgh Top Programs
Program |
Fees per annum |
M.B.A |
$44,118 |
M.Sc Computer Science |
$40,442 |
M.Sc Data Science |
$34,200 |
M.Sc Statistics with Data Science |
$32,379 |
M.Sc Business Analytics |
$37,400 |
M.Sc Electrical Power Engineering |
$36,314 |
M.Sc Management |
$32,121 |
M.Sc Banking and Risk |
$36,636 |
M.Sc Accounting and Finance |
$41,925 |
M.A Economics |
$28,380 |
M.Sc Marketing |
$32,379 |
M.A Architecture |
$37,346 |
B.Sc Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science |
$37,346 |
B.Sc Applied Mathematics |
$28,380 |
B.A. Architecture |
$37,346 |
The University of Edinburgh Fee Structure
Applicants can get an idea of how much it will cost to attend college by looking at the chart below:
Course |
Yearly Fees (in GBP) |
Tuition fee |
33,700-49,000 |
Health Insurance |
1,100 |
Room and Board |
12,740 |
Books and supplies |
780 |
Personal and Other expenses |
1,500 |
The University of Edinburgh Scholarships
Scholarships and bursaries are available at the University of Edinburgh based on merit and financial need.
- 30 On a merit basis, the Edinburgh Global Research Scholarship is offered to Ph.D. students to pay the difference between domestic and overseas expenses.
- Chevening Scholarships are offered to international students in the fields of politics, business, the media, civil society, religion, and academia, and each requires a unique application.
- Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme and Commonwealth Fellowship Program are for Commonwealth students. The applicants must meet the qualifying requirements and submit an application.
Indian students can also apply for scholarships such as the Charles Wallace India Trust awards, the UK-India Education and Research Initiative grants, and the Ravi Sankaran Foundation prizes for doctorate students.
The University of Edinburgh Placements
approximately 93 percent. Its career centre assists students in developing their skills, networking with employers, and discovering suitable positions. Graduates from the Business and Management streams get the highest pay of any subject. The University of Edinburgh Business School deserves credit for this.
The following are the average salaries offered by a few University of Edinburgh courses:
Degree |
Average Salary (in GBP) |
MBA |
116,000 |
Bachelor (Other) |
92,000 |
Executive MBA |
88,000 |
PhD |
70,000 |
Masters in Management |
67,000 |
Admissions at the University of Edinburgh are handled by the colleges. Only applicants who meet or are expected to meet the admission requirements are considered for the selection process. For a given programme, one may be required to attend an admission interview, an admission test, or to submit a portfolio or proof of work experience.
The University of Edinburgh Alumni
There are several well-known alumni from the University of Edinburgh. Alumni members stay in touch through social media platforms and by organising get-togethers. Among the prominent alumni of the University of Edinburgh are:
- Charles Darwin- English naturalist, geologist, and biologist
- Arthur Conan Doyle- Writer
- David Hume- Philosopher
- Benjamin Rush – Singer
- J K Rowling- Writer of the Harry Potter series
- Robert Stevenson- Novelist, poet
- Gordon Brown – Former PM of United Kingdom
- Alexander Graham Bell- Scientist, Inventor