University of Edinburgh (E56) - Which? University

Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities. We are globally recognised for our research and innovation and we've provided our students with world-class teaching for more than 425 years. Edinburgh itself has something for everyone - pubs, clubs, theatres, museums, galleries and parks. And, of course, the world famous Edinburgh Festival.
Source:University of Edinburgh website

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University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh University Students' Association

What students say about this university

1347 comments (354 students)

- The upside
  
  Nightlife and university run bars and clubs
  
  2013, 1st year, Spanish Studies Not Elsewhere Classified
  
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- The upside
  
  Choice of courses. There is a massive range of outside courses to choose from (provided your course allows you to take outsides)
  
  2013, 1st year, Electromechanical Engineering
  
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- The upside
  
  Quality of lectures The city of Edinburgh is beautiful
  
  2013, 1st year, Computational Science Foundations
  
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- The upside
  
  The student union is wonderful. The building, Teviot, looks like Hogwarts for a start, it's beautiful; and there are a lot of...
  
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  2013, 1st year, Chemistry Not Elsewhere Classified
  
  The upside
  
  The student union is wonderful. The building, Teviot, looks like Hogwarts for a start, it's beautiful; and there are a lot of individual bars and seating areas inside. My favourite's the Library Bar, which is a bar with a balcony over the top, and all of the walls are covered in really old books. Teviot's brilliant on an ordinary day, and when the student union put events on in there it's even better. Fresher's Ball for example, was gorgeous, and each room had different music, different 'activities' (chocolate fountain, photo booth, etc.), and also this year there's been a Halloween party, a Summer-style party, and several others if I remember correctly. And then there are the societies, there must be hundreds of them, and they host big events too as well as little meetups and more (the Harry Potter society helped host the Snow Ball, a Wrock concert that was really good fun with a cake-Hogwarts; the Film Society has three films on a week, from old classics to new releases; the chocolate society holds chocolate tasting night; the murder mystery society hosts fantastic murder mystery events with back stories for each character and extraordinary twists; and gosh there are too many for me to describe here). My course is fantastic too, they settled you in slowly so you could get used to the new way of learning and studying. The lecturers are great, happy to help out in both problems with the work or with uni life if necessary. The library is beautiful and there are areas to work quietly and pods to work in a big group of friends. There's a good mix between coursework and exam too in most subjects, and a lot of online resources accessible from library computers or your own laptop, plus free wifi in all University buildings and accommodation. And loads more, but I've rambled on for too long already.
  
  2013, 1st year, Chemistry Not Elsewhere Classified
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- The upside
  
  Societies, facilities and accommodation.
  
  2013, 1st year, Moral Philosophy
  
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- The upside
  
  Student support (helpful staff, many guides)
  
  2013, 1st year, Scottish Law
  
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How students describe this university

Source: Which? student survey

We asked more than 11,000 undergraduates to say how far they would describe their uni as having the following characteristics. We carry out this analysis where we have scores from at least 30 students. You can also see whether these ratings are high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Diverse local nightlife

72%

MED

Creative

68%

HIGH

Political

70%

HIGH

Varied union activities

78%

HIGH

Sporty

72%

MED

Vital stats

Sources: NSS, DLHE & HESA

% of graduates in work or further study 95% MED

Average graduate salary £22k HIGH

Student score 76% MED

Overall student satisfaction

83%

of students are very or quite satisfied with this university

Number of students

30,355

students attended last year

Undergraduate / Postgraduate

69%

of students are undergrads

Full-time / Part-time

10%

of students are part-time

Male / Female

60%

of students are female

Young / Mature

12%

of students aged over 21

UK / Non-UK

36%

of students here are from outside the UK

Student union satisfaction

59%

of students are very or quite satisfied with the student union

University images

Old college quad
Students play sport
Students relaxing on campus
McEwan hall
Students outside Edinburgh Castle
Student Accommodation
Students socialising
Laboratory
Art student

League table rankings

Here's where this university ranks in the three main league tables (where available), which are calculated using a combination of stats that they each weight in different ways. They’re a handy guide but don’t offer the full picture – just because a university is top (or bottom) of the league tables doesn’t mean it is (or isn’t) the right choice for you.

More on what university league tables really tell you.

Complete University Guide rank

Out of 129

Guardian University Guide rank

Out of 119

Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide rankings

Out of 128

Where it's located

We’ve pinpointed the key sites where teaching takes place. Check in the smallprint of the course you’re interested in to see where exactly you’d be based, especially if there are multiple locations spread across a wide area.