The University of Aberdeen is Scotland’s third oldest university, and the UK’s fifth. It was formed by the merging of two colleges, the oldest of which dated back to 1495.
Aberdeen was the Times and Sunday Times’ Scottish University of the Year in 2019 and was one of five universities shortlisted for UK University of the Year. Aberdeen is recognised in particular for its pioneering research which is transforming healthcare across the globe, and its expertise in oil and gas and environmental sustainability.
The University of Aberdeen acknowledges the Kings' Advanced Level Foundation as equivalent to A-levels, providing students with an alternative pathway to higher education. Students who meet the specified foundation grades are offered a place at the university, giving them the opportunity to pursue their academic goals and excel in their chosen field.
Key Facts
- #19 in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
- #35 in the Complete University Guide 2024
- #12 in the Guardian Good University Guide 2024
- #1 for Anatomy & Physiology, #7 for Medicine and Sports Science (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024)
Latest undergraduate enrolment
Latest postgraduate enrolment
abdn.ac.uk
- Undergraduates can choose from almost 400 different degree programmes.
- Aberdeen has educated five Nobel Prize winners, and notable alumni include Game of Thrones actor Iain Glen, and the UK’s former chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling.
- New developments include the £57m Sir Duncan Rice Library, which opened in 2012, and an aquatic centre with an Olympic-standard swimming pool that opened in 2014. The university also opened a £35m state-of-the-art science teaching hub in 2022, which was designed around the provision of specialist teaching, training and learning for students across a number of disciplines including chemistry, medical sciences, biological sciences and geosciences.
- A global leader in oil and gas research, the university, in partnership with the Oil & Gas Technology Centre, is also due to open a pioneering decommissioning centre of excellence in the coming year.
