Influencing the world since 1583

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and ranked 18th in the QS World University Rankings 2019. Our entrepreneurial and cross-disciplinary culture attracts not only students, but also staff from some 137 countries, 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 winning laureates to future explorers, pioneers and inventors.

Study with us

As host to more than 39,000 students, the University of Edinburgh continues to attract the world’s greatest minds. We offer a range of ways to study, from on-campus taught programmes to online part-time study. We are the largest provider of online distance learning in the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities, and offer more than 60 online programmes.

Teaching and research excellence

The latest report from the Quality Assurance Agency awarded us the highest rating possible for the quality of the student learning experience. At postgraduate level, we offer more than 300 taught masters courses and 135 research areas.

Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The REF rates 83% of our research activity as world-leading or internationally excellent, ranking us fourth in the UK based on the quality and breadth of our research.

Our dynamic research culture has led to the discovery of chloroform anaesthesia, the Higgs boson particle, and has produced innovations such as Dolly the sheep – the first mammal to be genetically cloned from an adult somatic cell.