University of St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland. It has a student population of around 10,000 and offers a smaller and tighter-knit academic community. Admissions are extremely selective,accepted at the rate of 65%. Six-year graduation and retention rates are among the country's best in the UK. Graduates achieve excellent career prospects, with average earnings of around INR 57,00,000 (equivalent to £54,000) after ten years, and the university enjoys a strong international reputation for both academic quality and student satisfaction.
University of Edinburgh (UoE) in Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh. It is the UK's largest university, with more than 40,000 students. Admission is competitive, with a general acceptance rate of 10%, though much lower for high-demand courses such as Medicine and Law. . Edinburgh is a research-intensive institution, international in outlook, with a cosmopolitan city-centre campus life. Alumni usually earn mean incomes of around INR 52,00,000 (converted from £49,000) in a decade.
| University of Edinburgh | University of St Andrews | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 6.9 Out of 10 | 5.7 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 13 The Guardian 2026 # 29 Times Higher Education 2026 # 34 QS World University 2026 | # 2 The Guardian 2026 # 113 QS World University 2026 # 162 Times Higher Education 2026 |
| Subject Strength | # 58 for Engineering by QS World University 2025 # 24 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025 # 20 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 | # 401 for Engineering by QS World University 2023 # 351 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 201 for Law by QS World University 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -41 PG Programs -73 Doctorate Programs -8 | UG Programs -66 PG Programs -113 |
| Acceptance Rate | 10.0 % | 0.0 % |
| Exam Score | IELTS-7 PTE-73 TOEFL-100 | IELTS-7 PTE-76 TOEFL-91 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 34713 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 28380 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 5200 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 35642 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 28925 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 26727 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | The University of Edinburgh is one of the top public universities in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. It is ranked #15 in QS World University Rankings 2023.Graduate Employability Ranking #49;Top recruiters: Tesco Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, Avaloq Evolution AG, Scottish Government; Average Salaries by the degree:
| 95.2% St Andrews students are employed; Graduate Employability Rankings #201-250; Highest paid degrees- Masters (112,000 USD); Master of Arts (93,000 USD); Masters in Finance (73,000 USD); Masters in Management (60,000 USD); Masters in Science (57,000 USD); Bachelor of Arts (50,000 USD) |
| application requirements | Transcripts; Proof of English Language Proficiency; Portfolio; Work experience; LORs; Resume; Standardized scores (Optional); Research papers. | Academic transcripts; Personal Statement; Referee’s Report; Supplementary Application Form; Resume; 2 LORs; Evidence of English Language Proficiency; Additional Documents (Research Proposal, portfolio, etc.) |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 21 for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning by QS World University 2024 | # 201 for Sciences by Academy Ranking of World Universities 2022 |
| application | - | - |
| exam scores | IELTS - 7/9PTE - 73/90TOEFL - 100/120 | IELTS - 7/9PTE - 65/75TOEFL - 94/120 |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) - | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -34421 |
| application dates | Mar 31, 2026 (Application Deadline For 2026 Intake) May 31, 2026 (Application Decision Deadline For 2026 Intake) | Aug 8, 2024 (Application Deadline) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | University of Edinburgh | University of St Andrews |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1583 | 1413 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | :1 | 12:1 |
| Male:Female | 62% Male, 0% Female | 42% Male, 58% Female |
| Location Facts | 5 campuses in Edinburgh- Central, King's Buildings, BioQuarter, Western General, Easter Bush; Comprises of 135 acres of land. | located in the town of St Andrews on the east coast of Fife, Scotland; Teaching facilities split into- United College (16 academic buildings), St Mary's (11 academic buildings) and the North Haugh (9 academic buildings). |
| Library | Over 3.5 million books; 60 km of Special Collections; Museum and Art Collections; 85,000+ e-journals; 600,000 e-books. | most extensive research libraries in UK; over 1 million volumes; 210,000 printed books in special collections; manuscript and 300,000+ images in photographic collections |
| Campus Life | Over 290 clubs & societies; Exhibitions; Festivals; Open Days; Gifford Lectures; 10 gyms including- spin studio, Velo-city, Katherine Grainger Rowing Gym, 102-station cardiovascular gym, etc.; 60 Sports clubs; 25-metre, six-lane swimming pool; Multi-activity sports halls; Peffermill Playing Fields. | 180 student societies; 50 sports clubs; 100 sports teams; 2 University Theatres- Barron Theatre & Byre Theatre; 3 University Museums- Wardlaw Museum, Bell Pettigrew Museum, & Collections Centre; Cafes; Music Centre; Sports Centre; University shop; St Salvator's Chapel; St Leonard's Chapel |
| Hostel | - | #Self-catered en suite - $12137 #Self-catered en suite studio apartments - $14590 |
| Famous Alumni | 3 UK PM’s; 19 Nobel laureates; 3 Turing Award laureates; 1 Fields Medalist; 1 Abel Prize winner; 2 Pulitzer Prize winners; 2 currently sitting UK Supreme Court Justices; several Olympic gold medallists; Robert Edwards (pioneer of in-vitro fertilization); Daniel Rutherford; Alexander Graham Bell; William Wordsworth; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; Charles Darwin; Ian Charleson (Actor); J.K. Rowling; Gordon Brown (Former PM of UK) | 50,000+ alumni; several mathematicians, philosophers, politicians, scientists; 6 Nobel Laureates; Prince Williams (Duke of Cambridge); Kate Middleton (Duchess of Cambridge); Chris Hoy (Commonwealth cycling medallist); Alex Younger (Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service); Alex Salmond (First minister of Scotland); George Mathewson (CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland) |
| Weather |
University of St Andrews vs University of Edinburgh
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
Both the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh are two of Scotland's greatest universities, .St Andrews: In the QS World Rankings 2026, St Andrews normally features in the range 113 ranked. It is especially good in arts & humanities, international relations, philosophy, history, and marine sciences.Edinburgh: The University of Edinburgh is much higher ranking internationally, at 34 in QS 2026 and in the top 29 globally in Times Higher Education. It is internationally renowned in medicine, informatics (computer science & AI), business, law, and social sciences, one of the UK's leading research-intensive universities.
General Information
St Andrews: Established in 1413, Scotland's oldest university, with a student body of approximately 10,500, providing a small, close academic community in an historic coastal town.
Edinburgh: Established in 1583, with a student population of over 45,000, it is a large, urban research university, situated in Scotland's capital city, providing an international, diverse setting.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
St Andrews: Highly selective, acceptance rate of 65%, highly competitive in international relations, medicine, and arts.
Edinburgh: Very competitive, acceptance rate of 10%, highly selective in medicine, law, and computer science.
Research Impact & Facilities
St Andrews: Highly specialized research areas (marine biology, chemistry, arts & humanities), emphasis on intense faculty-student mentorship.
Edinburgh: A Russell Group and world-leader research university, ranked R1-equivalent, with state-of-the-art facilities in fields such as medicine, AI, climate science, and social sciences.
Cost & Financial Aid
Both are government universities with the same tuition models. UK students' tuition is financed by the government; international students pay £20,000–£35,000 annually, depending on program. Both offer scholarships, although Edinburgh has more extensive funding possibilities owing to its larger size.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
St Andrews: Politicians, academics, artists, and diplomats are successful graduates with a powerful worldwide alumni network despite their limited numbers.
Edinburgh: Places leaders in business, science, law, technology, and government, with a huge alumni base of more than 300,000 across the globe.
