Ancient universities of Scotland facts for kids
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The ancient universities of Scotland are very old universities that are still open today. They are some of the oldest universities in the world that are still running, right after Oxford and Cambridge in England. Most of the oldest universities in the British Isles are in Scotland.
These four universities are run in a special way, set out by laws called the Universities (Scotland) Acts. The laws from 1966 specifically call them 'older universities'. These four schools are known for being some of the best and hardest to get into in Scotland. They are also part of a group of 27 special organizations recognized by the British King or Queen.
Contents
How These Universities Started
The ancient universities in Scotland were founded a long time ago. Here they are, listed from oldest to newest:
| Year | Name | Location | How it Started |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1413 |  University of St Andrews |
St Andrews, Scotland | Started with a special paper from the Pope. |
| 1451 |  University of Glasgow |
Glasgow, Scotland | Started with a special paper from Pope Nicholas V. |
| 1495 |  University of Aberdeen |
Aberdeen, Scotland | King's College started in 1495, and Marischal College in 1593. They joined together in 1860. |
| 1582 |  University of Edinburgh |
Edinburgh, Scotland | Started by the city council with permission from King James VI. |
Meet the Universities
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews began in 1410. A bishop named Henry Wardlaw helped it grow, bringing in many smart teachers. In 1413, a Pope officially recognized it as a university.
Unlike some other old universities, St Andrews was set up with different colleges. Today, it has two main colleges: United College and St Mary's College, which is for students studying religion.
In 1897, another college, University College Dundee, joined St Andrews. It later became Queen's College. But in 1978, Queen's College became its own separate university, the University of Dundee. St Andrews also has a college for postgraduate students called St Leonard's College.
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451. Pope Nicholas V gave permission for it to be built, after King James II suggested it. It is the second oldest university in Scotland, after St Andrews. It is also the fourth oldest in the English-speaking world.
St Andrews, Glasgow, and Aberdeen were started by the church. Edinburgh, however, was started by the city. Glasgow is one of the few old universities that offers special undergraduate master's degrees in some subjects.
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen was officially started in 1495. It was founded by William Elphinstone, a bishop, with permission from Pope Alexander VI and King James IV. This first part was called King's College.
Later, in 1593, another university called Marischal College was founded in the same city. In 1860, King's College and Marischal College joined together to form the modern University of Aberdeen. Even though they merged, the university still uses the founding date of the older King's College, which is 1495.
It was very unusual for a city to have two universities back then. For a while, Aberdeen had as many universities as all of England (Oxford and Cambridge). There was even a short-lived university in Fraserburgh nearby from 1595 to 1605.
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh was founded by the city council. It started as a law college, using money left by a graduate of St Andrews. James VI gave permission for the university to be built in 1582, and teaching began in 1583.
Edinburgh was the first Scottish university to be started by a royal permission from the king and city council, rather than by the Pope. Even with this difference, it is still considered one of the seven ancient universities of Britain and Ireland. It is even ten years older than Trinity College Dublin, another ancient university.
Special Cases
University of Dundee
The University of Dundee became its own university in 1967. Before that, it was a college of the University of St Andrews. Even though it's newer, Dundee has some of the same features as the ancient universities, like having a Rector and offering a special undergraduate MA degree.
Because of these similarities, some people group the University of Dundee with the ancient universities. The university itself has sometimes used this idea. However, a Scottish Government report in 2019 called Dundee a 'Chartered' university, different from the 'Ancient' ones.
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen was created in 1860 when two older universities in Aberdeen joined together. These were:
- University and King's College of Aberdeen, founded in 1495.
- Marischal College and University of Aberdeen, founded in 1593.
The law that brought them together said that the new university's founding date would be 1495, the date of the older King's College.
Today, the names of these old colleges often refer to specific buildings at the universities. For example, there are King's College and Marischal College buildings in Aberdeen, and Old College and New College at Edinburgh.
Special Degrees
Undergraduate Master of Arts Degree
The ancient universities are unique because they offer a Magister Artium (Master of Arts or MA) as a first degree for students. This is sometimes called the Scottish MA. It's different from a master's degree you get after finishing a bachelor's degree.
How They Are Run
Universities (Scotland) Acts
The Universities (Scotland) Acts are a series of laws that created a special way for the ancient universities in Scotland to be run. This system started with a law in 1858 and finished with one in 1966. Even though the University of Dundee was founded later, it also follows many of these rules.
Because of these laws, each of these universities is managed by three main groups: the General Council, the University Court, and the Academic Senate.
The main leader and academic head of each university is called the University Principal. They also have the title of Vice-Chancellor. The Chancellor is a special, honorary head of the university. They are chosen for life by the General Council.
Each university also has a students' representative council (SRC), which is required by law. This group helps represent the students.
University Status and Students
Student Body
In the 2023–24 school year, over 106,000 students were studying at these four universities. About 43% of them were from Scotland, 20% were from other parts of the United Kingdom, and nearly 37% were from other countries.
The Scottish Government limits how many students from Scotland can get into these universities. This means it can be quite competitive to get in. Students usually need very good grades in their exams. In 2021, all four ancient universities were among the top ten British universities for entry standards. St Andrews was first, Glasgow was tied for second, Edinburgh was seventh, and Aberdeen was eighth.
More students from private schools attend these ancient universities compared to other Scottish universities. This is partly because St Andrews and Edinburgh attract many students from wealthy families in other parts of the UK who went to private schools.
Money and Funding
Funding and Finances
In the 2023–24 school year, the ancient universities had a total income of about £2.9 billion. A large part of this, about £683.5 million, came from money for research projects. They also earned about £1.165 billion from tuition fees and education contracts. Most of this tuition money, £861.5 million, came from students from other countries.
The universities also have special funds called endowments, which are worth over £1 billion in total.
Rankings and Reputation
Rankings and Reputation
The ancient universities of Scotland are highly respected. In 2025, they were all ranked among the top twenty universities in the UK by The Guardian University Guide and The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide.
Globally, these universities also do very well. In 2025, they were all in the world's top 250 universities in both the QS World University Rankings and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
| University | Guardian 2025 (UK Rank) | THE 2025 (Global Rank) |
|---|---|---|
| University of Aberdeen | 12 | 201–250 |
| University of Edinburgh | 15 | 29 |
| University of Glasgow | 14 | 87= |
| University of St Andrews | 2 | 185= |
Newer Universities
After the ancient universities were founded by the end of the 1500s, no other universities were created in Scotland until the 1900s. The first 'new university' was the University of Strathclyde, which officially became a university in 1964. However, 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
- List of universities in Scotland
