University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh
Latin: Universitas Academica Edinburgensis[1]
Former names
Tounis College
King James' College
TypePublic research university
Ancient university
Established1583; 441 years ago (1583)[2]
Academic affiliation
Endowment£559.8 million (2023)[3]
Budget£1.341 billion (2022/23)[3]
ChancellorAnne, Princess Royal
RectorSimon Fanshawe
PrincipalSir Peter Mathieson
Academic staff
4,952 FTE (2022)[4]
Administrative staff
6,215 FTE (2022)[4]
Students39,110 (2022/23)[5][a]
Undergraduates25,610 (2022/23)[5]
Postgraduates13,500 (2022/23)[5]
Location
Edinburgh
,
Scotland, UK

55°57′N 3°11′W / 55.950°N 3.183°W / 55.950; -3.183
CampusUrban, suburban
ColoursRed Blue[7]
Websitewww.ed.ac.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Interior dome of the McEwan Hall after restoration in 2017

The University of Edinburgh (Scots: University o Edinburgh, Scottish Gaelic: Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as Edin. in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and officially opened in 1583, it is one of Scotland's four ancient universities and the sixth-oldest university in continuous operation in the English-speaking world.[2] The university played a crucial role in Edinburgh becoming a leading intellectual centre during the Scottish Enlightenment and contributed to the city being nicknamed the "Athens of the North".[8][9]

The three main global university rankings (ARWU, THE, and QS) place the University of Edinburgh within their respective top 40.[10][11][12] It is a member of several associations of research-intensive universities, including the Coimbra Group, League of European Research Universities, Russell Group, Una Europa, and Universitas 21.[13] In the fiscal year ending 31 July 2023, the university had a total income of £1.341 billion, with £339.5 million from research grants and contracts. It has the third-largest endowment in the UK, behind only Cambridge and Oxford.[3] The university occupies five main campuses in the city of Edinburgh, which include many buildings of historical and architectural significance, such as those in the Old Town.[14]

Edinburgh is the eighth-largest university in the UK by enrolment and receives over 69,000 undergraduate applications per year, making it the third-most popular university in the UK by application volume.[15] In 2021, Edinburgh had the seventh-highest average UCAS points among British universities for new entrants. The university maintains strong links to the royal family, with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, serving as its chancellor from 1953 to 2010, and Anne, Princess Royal, holding the position since March 2011.[16]

Notable alumni of the University of Edinburgh include inventor Alexander Graham Bell, naturalist Charles Darwin, philosopher David Hume, physicist James Clerk Maxwell, and writers such as Sir J. M. Barrie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson.[17][18] The university has produced several heads of state and government, including three British prime ministers. Additionally, three UK Supreme Court justices were educated at Edinburgh. As of October 2024, the university has been affiliated with 20 Nobel Prize laureates, four Pulitzer Prize winners, three Turing Award winners, an Abel Prize laureate, and a Fields Medalist. Edinburgh alumni have also won a total of ten Olympic gold medals.

  1. ^ "Search". Internet Archive.
  2. ^ a b "Opening of Edinburgh University, 1583". The University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Annual Report and Accounts for the Year to 31 July 2023" (PDF). The University of Edinburgh. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Staff Headcount & Full Time Equivalent Statistics (FTE) as at Oct-22". Human Resources, The University of Edinburgh. October 2022. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Where do HE students study?". Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) www.hesa.ac.uk. 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Student Figures 2020/21 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Edinburgh's core colours". The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  8. ^ Moss, Michael S. (June 2004). "Reviewed Work: The University of Edinburgh: An Illustrated History by Robert D. Anderson, Michael Lynch, Nicholas Phillipson". The English Historical Review. 119 (482): 810–811. doi:10.1093/ehr/119.482.810. JSTOR 3489575. Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  9. ^ Lowrey, John (June 2001). "From Caesarea to Athens: Greek Revival Edinburgh and the Question of Scottish Identity within the Unionist State". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 60 (2): 136–157. doi:10.2307/991701. JSTOR 991701. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Shanghai Ranking - The University of Edinburgh". www.shanghairanking.com. Archived from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  11. ^ "World University Rankings – University of Edinburgh". Times Higher Education. 27 September 2023. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  12. ^ "The University of Edinburgh". Top Universities. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Affiliations". The University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  14. ^ "University Heritage". Edinburgh World Heritage. 24 November 2017. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Undergraduate admissions statistics". The University of Edinburgh. 9 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  16. ^ "New Chancellor elected". The University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  17. ^ "Alumni in history". The University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Commemorative plaques". The University of Edinburgh. 14 May 2019. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2021.


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