University of Aberdeen

The third oldest university in Scotland and the fifth oldest university in the UK, the University of Aberdeen welcomes a community of over 14,000 students from over 130 countries. It is a top 15 UK university according to the Guardian University Guide 2025 and Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 and ranks second for student satisfaction across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the National Student Survey 2024.

Aberdeen has been recognised as a premier research-led institution for its contributions in addressing real-world challenges, with five Nobel Laureates and has a vast community of alumni across the globe. The university has received the prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize - the highest honour in UK further and higher education - on two occasions. It was at Aberdeen that the first colour photography was developed and research into developing the world's first MRI scanner was carried out.

The Old Aberdeen and Foresterhill Medical campuses are the major centres of learning and research. Students can choose from a vast range of programmes available from across 12 schools. The university focuses on the professional development of every student. Its programmes are designed based on industry needs, and graduates are welcome to access the full range of appointments available through the Careers and Employability Service for as long as they need them.

Aberdeen is a city rich in culture and history, surrounded by beautiful countryside and coastlines, and has been named one of the safest university cities in the UK. The university offers outstanding sports facilities, including Aberdeen Sports Village and the Olympic standard aquatic centre. Students can also enjoy the many services and amenities available across campus and through AUSA, the students' association.

There are a wide range of scholarships available for those studying at the University of Aberdeen, designed to help students support themselves during their time at university.

The University of Aberdeen has a proud history of teaching and research excellence and attracts international academics and staff with impressive portfolios and professional backgrounds.

Research-led, interdisciplinary teaching gives students the vital skills to succeed after university. Many of Aberdeen's programmes come with professional accreditations and are co-designed by industry advisory boards to meet industry needs, both now and in the future.

The University of Aberdeen's teaching quality has been recognised with the following achievements and awards:

• Ranked 12^th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2025
• Ranked 15^th in the UK in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
• Ranked 2nd across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for student satisfaction in The National Student Survey 2024
• Ranked 10th in the UK and 37^th globally in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024 rankings

For international students, entry requirements are found on programme pages, or by looking up their country of origin in the international section to find country specific qualifications. For further support, students can contact the university's international team. Aberdeen offers English language support and courses before arrival and student volunteers support English language practice.

Aberdeen considers a wide range of entry criteria as part of its widening participation efforts to acknowledge students of all backgrounds. For students without the traditional entry requirements, there are other routes to study for a degree programme, including:

• Advanced entry from college
• Online Access courses
• Articulation routes
• International Foundation Programmes

Students can find specific entry requirements for their chosen course on the university's website.

There are a variety of scholarships and funding opportunities available at all levels for students studying at the University of Aberdeen.

The Aberdeen Global Scholarship is available for self-funded international postgraduate masters students studying on campus. Those who are eligible will receive GBP 8,000 as a tuition fee discount, to help with the cost of their studies.

There are a wide range of programme and country specific scholarships available which students can search for through the University's funding database.

The University of Aberdeen also offers an alumni discount scheme. This award offers a 20 percent discount on the full cost of postgraduate taught programmes for all students with a degree from the university.

There are predefined funded PHD Scholarships and projects to apply for throughout the academic year. These may be funded by industry professionals, charities, and government and academic research organisations. All self-funded PhD students are welcome to search for support on the funding database.

Aberdeen offers a careers and employability service to provide students and graduates with the advice and information they need to support their career planning. Students can explore careers fairs, internships and placements, find graduate opportunities, and gain and develop valuable skills through student societies, sports clubs committee memberships, volunteering, and ambassador roles. They can explore enterprise and start a business, volunteer or apply for work placements.

Aberdeen's alumni go on to make an impact in a huge range of sectors across the world.

Students can find out more on the ‘From Aberdeen to…' web pages.

By studying at the University of Aberdeen, students will be able to take advantage of the active alumni association. The alumni association holds reunions, overseas talks and has mentors and ambassadors internationally. Many alumni support the university with placements, lectures, mentoring and other support of graduates beyond graduation.

Science Teaching Hub

The University of Aberdeen's state-of-the-art Science Teaching Hub opened its doors in early 2022. The building has been designed around the provision of specialist teaching, training and learning for students across several disciplines such as chemistry, medical sciences, biological sciences and geosciences. Students learn in laboratory spaces equipped with digital screens on every workbench.

Open Days and Visits

The University of Aberdeen holds on-campus undergraduate open days in August and October every year and offers campus visits to students throughout the year. Students can enjoy a tour of the campus, meet academics, see facilities and ask current students about their experience of studying at Aberdeen.

Postgraduate Virtual Open Days are held three times a year and allow prospective students to speak live with academics about life at Aberdeen, chat with current students, find out about support networks and take virtual tours of the campuses. Information about the next virtual open day and how to register is available here.

The university is divided up into twelve schools:

• Business School
• Divinity, History, Philosophy and Art History
• Education
• Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture
• Law
• Social Science
• Biological Sciences
• Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
• Psychology
• Engineering
• Geosciences
• Natural and Computing Sciences

There are several research institutes and centres which cut across disciplines. Each school has its own research themes and groups which sit within the institutes and centres. Students can find more details about each school and the courses or research offered through each school's web page. There is also a postgraduate research college which provides advice and guidance on all aspects of a research degree.

Study Options

The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research degrees to PhD level, with an extensive range of online degrees and short courses also available which allow students to fit their learning into their life.