St Andrews is a unique and captivating place, and the University is a key part of its charm. Seven centuries of history link the students with the town, leading to the ancient and yet modern institution apparent today.
- #96 Ranking
- 87 Bachelors
- 779 Academic Staff
- 9,500 Students
- 4,465 Students (int'l)
- 5,510 Students (female)
- Public Institution Type
Bachelor's programmes
Natural Sciences & Mathematics (33)
- B.Sc. Animal Behaviour
- MMath Applied Mathematics
- MPhys Astrophysics
- B.Sc. Astrophysics (Hons)
- MBiochem Biochemistry
- B.Sc. Biochemistry (Hons)
- MBiol Biology
- B.Sc. Biology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Cell Biology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Chemical Sciences (Hons)
- MChem Chemistry
- B.Sc. Chemistry (Hons)
- MChem Materials Chemistry
- MMath Mathematics
- B.Sc. Mathematics (Hons)
- B.A. Mathematics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Molecular Biology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Neuroscience (Hons)
- B.Sc. Physics (Hons)
- B.A. Physics (Hons)
- Bachelor Pure Mathematics
- MMath Statistics
- B.Sc. Statistics (Hons)
- B.A. Statistics (Hons)
- MPhys Theoretical Physics
- B.Sc. Zoology (Hons)
Humanities (31)
- MA Arabic
- B.Sc. Geography (Hons)
- MA Greek (Hons)
- B.A. History (Hons)
- B.A. Italian (Hons)
- B.A. Latin (Hons)
- B.A. Philosophy (Hons)
- B.A. Russian (Hons)
- B.A. Scottish History
- B.A. Spanish (Hons)
- MTheol Theology
Social Sciences (27)
- MA Arabic
- B.Sc. Astrophysics (Hons)
- MGeol Earth Sciences (Hons)
- B.Sc. Economics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Geography (Hons)
- B.Sc. Geology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Neuroscience (Hons)
- B.A. Psychology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Psychology (Hons)
- B.A. Scottish History
- B.A. Statistics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Statistics (Hons)
Environmental Studies & Earth Sciences (11)
- B.Sc. Animal Behaviour
- MGeol Earth Sciences (Hons)
- B.Sc. Economics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Geography (Hons)
- B.Sc. Geology (Hons)
Business & Management (9)
- MA Management
- B.Sc. Management (Hons)
- B.Sc. Mathematics (Hons)
- B.A. Mathematics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Statistics (Hons)
- B.A. Statistics (Hons)
Medicine & Health (6)
- B.Sc. Medicine (Hons)
- B.Sc. Neuroscience (Hons)
- B.Sc. Psychology (Hons)
- B.A. Psychology (Hons)
Agriculture & Forestry (4)
- B.Sc. Animal Behaviour
- B.Sc. Marine Biology (Hons)
- MMarBiol Marine Biology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Zoology (Hons)
Computer Science & IT (4)
- MSci Computer Science
- B.Sc. Computer Science (Hons)
- B.Sc. Geology (Hons)
Engineering & Technology (4)
- B.Sc. Chemical Sciences (Hons)
- MChem Chemistry
- MChem Materials Chemistry
Arts, Design & Architecture (3)
Journalism & Media (3)
Education & Training (2)
- B.Sc. Psychology (Hons)
- B.A. Psychology (Hons)
About
History
Founded in the fifteenth century, St Andrews is Scotland's first university and the third oldest in the English speaking world. Teaching began in the community of St Andrews in 1410 and the University was formally constituted by the issue of a papal bull in 1413.
Education
- All of our undergraduate degrees are designed to be academically stimulating from the first class, allowing you to immerse yourself in the subjects that you are most passionate about.
- With a commitment to supporting cutting-edge research projects, the University is the perfect place to further your knowledge in the company of world-renowned lecturers, professors and researchers.
- The University of St Andrews offers a range of courses, classes and projects if you wish to learn a new skill or expand on your existing qualifications without committing to full-time study.
Research
The majority of research at the University of St Andrews takes place within academic schools. However, the University also supports a large number of world-class, often cross-discipline or cross-institutional, research centres or institutes:
- Centre: a group concerned, generally, with research collaboration
- Institute: a group concerned with research collaboration as well a providing undergraduate or postgraduate teaching
Career
- The Careers Centre exists to enable current students and graduates of St Andrews to make and successfully implement decisions about what they will do next in their lives.
- The Centre strives to communicate the entire range of available options and to encourage and enable individuals to identify the options which would suit them best.
- The Careers Centre is strongly committed to offering equality of opportunity to all its users and is committed to offering impartial and objective advice and guidance and to respecting the confidentiality of any personal information we may receive.
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2021
GSSA 2021
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2021. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 8 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
University Ranking
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2023
96 -5
2022
91 5
2021
96
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2023
201
2022
201
2021
201
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2022
301
2021
301
2020
301
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2023
352 -10
2022
342 -50
2021
292
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Services
Student services
The University offers extensive support to all students connected with the University, through Student Services and the Chaplaincy.
Acting as the first port of call for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, Student Services is tasked with helping students at St Andrews achieve what they deserve: the best university experience possible. Student Services also manages communication with anyone who is concerned about a student at the University, from parents and guardians to those in the local community and external agencies.
Student Services coordinates four main functions, each committed to monitoring and enhancing the student experience.
- Student experience
- Advice and support
- Discipline
- Wardennial service
Housing services
Our residences range from beautiful stone-built listed buildings full of original period features, to stylish new apartments, built to high environmental and sustainability standards. Importantly, all of our accommodation adheres to government licensing requirements so you can be certain that we always meet a rigorous standard of accommodation maintenance and health and safety criteria.
A range of catered and self-catered accommodation is available, with a choice of standard rooms with shared bathroom facilities or ensuite. Ensuite rooms include a toilet, sink and shower attached to the room for the sole use of the occupants.
Library services
- Those living in the local community are welcome to use the Main University Library. You can become a member of the Library and borrow books, or just visit to consult material. Within the Library, there is the option to study in silent areas or enjoy the bustling social spaces.
- The library houses a cafe and help is available from the Library Helpdesk and IT Service Desk.
Medical services
- Taking care of your health and wellbeing during your studies is important. The University of St Andrews highly recommends that you register with a doctor in St Andrews at the start of your studies.
- Students with pre-existing health conditions must contact the primary care practice of their choice before arriving in St Andrews.
Student Life
Campus life
For those lucky enough to live in St Andrews, the town offers a wealth of services and facilities. The University works hard to maintain a good relationship between all residents — from members of staff and their families, to students and the rest of the local community. St Andrews residents can benefit from a number of University facilities available to them — even if they do not have a direct connection to the University.
- The Music Centre offers the opportunity to perform, listen to or learn about music.
- There are a number of productions each year at the University’s two theatres.
Sports facilities
- The University Sports Centre offers fitness services, classes and personal training to students, staff and the local community of St Andrews. Situated towards the west of the town and near the golf courses, the Sports Centre can also provide additional services including equipment for hire, professional advice on fitness training, and help with organising training camps.
- The Sports Centre has a range of indoor and outdoor facilities available all year round, including dedicated fitness suites, gymnasium, studio and free weights room. Outside spaces include synthetic turf pitches, tennis courts, athletics track, football, rugby, cricket and shinty pitches.
Student clubs
- Charities Campaign
- Design Team
- Ents Crew
- Lifers
- Mermaids
- On the Rocks
- Postgraduate Society
- Saints LGBT+
Student Reviews
Haven't started my program due to financial issues
Anonymous rated 5 out of 5 stars
I have been admitted but not started due to financial issues
💛
Anonymous rated 5 out of 5 stars
It's been a weird year in this pandemic and I've spent hardly any time there, but I've felt supported overall.
Uni of St Andrews
Anonymous rated 4 out of 5 stars
So far, I haven’t had a fulfilled experience because of pandemic restrictions and online learning. Other than that, it’s a great university with a great academic level and lots of student support. I am very satisfied with how well the university cares for its students
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