Ancient universities of Scotland facts for kids

Ancient universities of Scotland. Clockwise from upper left: St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh.

The ancient universities of Scotland are four very old universities in Scotland. They were founded a long time ago, during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. These four universities are the St Andrews, the Glasgow, the Aberdeen, and the Edinburgh.

They are some of the oldest universities that are still open today. In fact, they are the oldest in the English-speaking world, after only Oxford and Cambridge in England. These Scottish universities have some special rules and traditions. They are known for being very good and are often ranked highly.

Scotland's Oldest Universities: A Look Back

Scotland is home to many of the oldest universities in the British Isles. These special schools have a long history. They are also governed by specific laws called the Universities (Scotland) Acts. These laws help them run differently from newer universities.

The ancient universities are also part of a group of important institutions in the United Kingdom. The British monarchy recognizes them as having special status.

When Were They Founded?

Here are the ancient universities of Scotland, listed by when they were first created:

• 1413: University of St Andrews
  • Location: St Andrews, Scotland
  • How it started: It grew from earlier groups of scholars. A special paper from the Pope, called a papal bull, made it an official university.

• 1451: University of Glasgow
  • Location: Glasgow, Scotland
  • How it started: It was founded with a papal bull from Pope Nicholas V.

• 1495: University of Aberdeen
  • Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
  • How it started: King's College was founded first in 1495. Later, Marischal College was founded in 1593. The two colleges joined together in 1860 to form the modern University of Aberdeen.

• 1582: University of Edinburgh
  • Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
  • How it started: The city council started this university. It was given permission by a royal charter from James VI, the King of Scotland.

Meet the Ancient Universities

Each of Scotland's ancient universities has its own unique story. They have grown and changed over hundreds of years.

University of St Andrews

St Salvator's Chapel, St Andrews

The University of St Andrews began around 1410. Important scholars like Laurence of Lindores helped start it. In 1413, Pope Benedict XIII officially recognized it as a university. He sent six special papers, called bulls, to confirm its status.

St Andrews was set up with different colleges within the university. Today, it has two main colleges: United College and St Mary's College. St Mary's College is for students studying theology (religious studies).

Over the years, other colleges joined and then separated from St Andrews. For example, University College Dundee was part of St Andrews for a while. It later became the independent University of Dundee in 1978.

University of Glasgow

The Gilmorehill campus of the University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451. Pope Nicholas V gave permission for it to be built. This happened after King James II suggested it. Bishop William Turnbull helped to add the university next to the city's Cathedral.

Glasgow is the second-oldest university in Scotland. It is also the fourth-oldest in the English-speaking world. Like other ancient universities, Glasgow can award special undergraduate master's degrees in some subjects.

University of Aberdeen

Elphinstone Hall, Aberdeen

The "University of Aberdeen" was officially created in 1495. It was founded by William Elphinstone, the Bishop of Aberdeen. He asked Pope Alexander VI for permission, which was granted by a papal bull. This first part of the university was called King's College. It was named after King James IV.

Later, another university called Marischal College was founded in Aberdeen in 1593. In 1860, King's College and Marischal College joined together. They formed the single University of Aberdeen we know today. Even though they merged later, the university's official founding date is still 1495, from the older King's College.

It was very unusual for a city to have two universities back then. Aberdeen had as many universities as all of England at the time (Oxford and Cambridge).

University of Edinburgh

Old College, University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh was started by the city council of Edinburgh. It began as a law college in 1582. King James VI gave it a royal charter to become a university. Teaching started in 1583.

Edinburgh was the first Scottish university to be founded by a royal charter. The other three ancient universities were started with special papers from the Pope. Even with this difference, Edinburgh is still considered one of the ancient universities of Britain and Ireland.

Special Cases and History

Sometimes, other universities have connections to the ancient ones. Or they have unique histories that make them stand out.

University of Dundee

The University of Dundee became an independent university in 1967. Before that, it was a college that belonged to the University of St Andrews. Even though it's newer, Dundee has some features similar to the ancient universities. For example, it also has a Rector elected by students.

Some people sometimes include Dundee with the ancient universities because of these similarities. However, official reports from the Scottish Government usually list it as a "Chartered" university, not an "Ancient" one.

University of Aberdeen's Two Beginnings

The modern University of Aberdeen was formed in 1860. It was created by joining two older universities that already existed in Aberdeen:

• University and King's College of Aberdeen (founded 1495)
• Marischal College and University of Aberdeen (founded 1593)

The law that brought them together said that the new university's founding date would be 1495. This is why Aberdeen is considered an ancient university, even though its current form started in 1860.

Undergraduate Master of Arts Degree

The ancient universities in Scotland offer a special type of degree. It's called the Magister Artium or Master of Arts (M.A.). But here's the interesting part: it's an undergraduate degree. This means students earn it as their first degree, not after finishing a bachelor's degree. It's sometimes called the Scottish MA.

How They Are Governed

The Universities (Scotland) Acts are a series of laws that set up a special way for the ancient universities to be run. These laws were passed between 1858 and 1966.

Each of these universities has three main groups that help run it:

• The General Council
• The University Court
• The Academic Senate

The main leader of each university is called the University Principal. They are also known as the Vice-Chancellor. There is also a Chancellor, who is a ceremonial head. Students also have a voice through a students' representative council (SRC).

Who Studies There?

The ancient universities are very popular. In the 2021–22 school year, over 112,000 students were enrolled at these four schools. About 40% were from Scotland, 20% from other parts of the UK, and 40% were from other countries.

Getting In

It can be quite competitive to get into these universities. This is because the Scottish Government limits how many students from Scotland can attend. Students usually need very good grades in their exams to get a place.

In 2021, all four ancient universities were among the top ten British universities for entry standards. St Andrews was first, Glasgow was joint third, Edinburgh was seventh, and Aberdeen was joint tenth.

These universities also have a higher number of students who went to private schools. This is especially true for St Andrews and Edinburgh. Many of these students come from wealthy families in other parts of the UK.

Money and Rankings

The ancient universities have large incomes. This money comes from government grants, research projects, and student tuition fees. They also have endowments, which are funds of money given to the university.

How They Rank

The ancient universities are highly regarded in national and global rankings. In 2024, all four were in the top twenty in national university guides. Globally, three of them were in the top 200 universities in the world.

Later Universities

After the ancient universities were founded by the end of the 1500s, no new universities were created in Scotland for a long time. The next "new university" was the University of Strathclyde, which received its royal charter in 1964. It actually started much earlier, in 1796, as the Andersonian Institute.

See Also

• List of oldest universities in continuous operation
• Ancient universities, oldest universities in Great Britain and Ireland
• Colonial colleges, oldest universities in the United States of America
• Imperial Universities, oldest universities founded during the Empire of Japan
• Sandstone universities, oldest universities in Australia
• Red Brick universities
• Plate glass universities
• List of universities in Scotland
• Ancient university governance in Scotland

Images for kids

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  Marischal College, a former ancient university now part of the University of Aberdeen.