Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
Edinburgh is a big, international university woven through one of Europe's most beautiful cities. Most teaching happens around George Square and the Old Town, with sciences and engineering at King's Buildings to the south. Most first years live in university halls, including Pollock Halls right next to Arthur's Seat.
The catch is cost. Edinburgh is one of the UK's priciest cities outside London: the university estimates £13,914 for a 39-week year, and private rents are high. Halls aren't cheap either. If you can make the budget work, it's a brilliant place to spend four years.
Known for
The University of Edinburgh is 49th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 51, above the UK median of 48.5. Our rankings are built around the student experience, combining employability, freshers experience, happiness, nightlife, sustainability, inclusion, innovation and societies. That means big research names don’t automatically top the table. See how we score universities.
Marker shows the UK median across all ranked universities.
| Rank | University | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | London School of Economics and Political Science | 51.1 |
| 48 | Royal Agricultural University | 51.1 |
| 49 | University of Edinburgh | 51 |
| 50 | University of Brighton | 51 |
| 51 | Bishop Grosseteste University | 50.9 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
18th of 124 · Societies Score 64.6
20th of 124 · Inclusion Score 73.5
22nd of 124 · Nightlife Score 62
28th of 124 · Balance Score 50.3
29th of 124 · Social Score 60.9
29th of 124 · Value Score 57.2
32nd of 124 · Safety Score 53.4
40th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 54.9
49th of 124 · Innovation Score 58.5
66th of 124 · Employability Score 30.5
71st of 122 · Careers Score 29.1
74th of 124 · Freshers Score 52.8
75th of 123 · Happiness Score 44.3
89th of 124 · Sustainability Score 43.4
91st of 124 · Affordability Score 47.2
Edinburgh as a student city
Ranked 37th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 52.5.
The University of Edinburgh appears in 41 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bioinformatics 2026 table | 1st | of 10 | – |
| Chemical Engineering | 4th | of 30 | 96 |
| Fashion Design | 8th | of 49 | 123 |
| Interior Design | 8th | of 36 | 86 |
| Nursing | 26th | of 85 | 151 |
| Animation (2D/3D) | 16th | of 52 | 115 |
| Sports Science | 24th | of 78 | 140 |
| Architecture | 17th | of 55 | 114 |
| Social Work | 21st | of 67 | 145 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 25th | of 77 | 143 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Art | 19th | of 58 | 129 |
| Biomedical Science | 35th | of 93 | 138 |
| Neuroscience | 10th | of 26 | 71 |
| Biology | 20th | of 51 | 102 |
| Software Engineering | 23rd | of 58 | 117 |
| Geography | 25th | of 63 | 121 |
| Costume Design | 4th | of 10 | 44 |
| Law | 39th | of 97 | 135 |
| Zoology | 15th | of 37 | 90 |
| Artificial Intelligence | 27th | of 66 | 93 |
| Biochemistry | 25th | of 60 | 109 |
| Pharmacology | 16th | of 37 | 69 |
| Psychology | 48th | of 108 | 136 |
| Environmental Science | 21st | of 47 | 93 |
| Civil Engineering | 26th | of 58 | 102 |
| Graphic Design | 31st | of 68 | 119 |
| Music | 27th | of 56 | 100 |
| Electrical Engineering | 33rd | of 67 | 106 |
| Theology and Religious Studies 2026 table | 5th | of 10 | – |
| Medicine | 15th | of 30 | 61 |
| Computer Science | 52nd | of 102 | 138 |
| Geology | 11th | of 21 | 48 |
| Mathematics | 34th | of 61 | 92 |
| Chemistry | 25th | of 44 | 81 |
| Statistics | 16th | of 27 | 56 |
| Biotechnology | 6th | of 10 | 32 |
| Veterinary Science | 6th | of 10 | 34 |
| Product Design | 26th | of 43 | 74 |
| Film Production | 56th | of 87 | 112 |
| Physics | 30th | of 45 | 83 |
| Finance 2026 table | 9th | of 10 | – |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Edinburgh University Students' Association runs student-led societies, sports clubs, advice services and venues, and student life spills out across the Old Town, the Meadows and Southside. Pollock Halls has its own bar, Arthur's, and the JMCC restaurant for catered students. The city itself is the big draw: comedy, theatre and music year-round, the Fringe every August, and hills to climb right in the middle of town.
University halls cost about £96–£350 per week (2026/27 undergraduate rooms, 39-week leases; Edinburgh publishes annual prices of £3,726–£13,660) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
Edinburgh guarantees an offer of university accommodation to new single undergraduates whose online application is received by 31 July in their year of entry, who are Unconditional Firm (UF) on UCAS by 31 August, and who are studying for the whole academic year from September. The guarantee is for shared catered accommodation; other options may be offered depending on availability. If another university is your first choice, you're only guaranteed shared catered accommodation.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolson Street and South College Street | Central (near George Square) | twin room or single, shared bathroom | £96 (£3,726 a year, twin room)/wk | The cheapest bed in university halls is a twin room here. Singles are £6,056 a year (about £155 a week). |
| College Wynd | Central | single, shared bathroom | £155 (£6,056 a year)/wk | One of the cheapest single rooms, in a central location. |
| Mylnes Court | Old Town (by Edinburgh Castle) | single, shared bathroom | £179 (£6,987 a year)/wk | Historic building two minutes from Edinburgh Castle. |
| West Mains Road | King's Buildings campus | single, shared bathroom | £191 (£7,454 a year)/wk | On the King's Buildings science and engineering campus. |
| Chancellor's Court Catered | Pollock Halls | twin or single en-suite | £194 (£7,573 a year, twin)/wk | Catered, next to Arthur's Seat. Single en-suites are £12,215 a year (about £313 a week). Catered halls include two meals a day. |
| John Burnett House Catered | Pollock Halls | twin or single, shared or en-suite | £194 (£7,573 a year, twin)/wk | Catered Pollock hall with a mix of room types, up to £13,605 a year. |
| Morgan Court | Near Moray House (Holyrood) | en-suite | £209 (£8,153 a year)/wk | Self-catered en-suites, a minute from a supermarket. |
| Turner House Catered | Pollock Halls | single, shared bathroom | £267 (£10,399 a year)/wk | Typical single catered room at Pollock, with meals at the JMCC restaurant. |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
The classic student area: tenement flats beside the Meadows, a short walk to George Square.
South of the centre, close to Pollock Halls and the central campus, with lots of shops.
Leafy and a bit pricier, with independent cafés along the edge of the Meadows.
Down by the shore, with a strong food and bar scene and good tram links into town.
Top tip
Apply online by 31 July and be Unconditional Firm by 31 August to secure the guarantee; applications stay open after that, but rooms then depend on availability. The guarantee is only for shared catered rooms, so if you want cheaper self-catered options, apply early. All university leases run for 39 weeks. From second year, most students rent privately, so start looking early.
Edinburgh is expensive for Scotland. The university estimates £1,546 a month (£13,914 for a 39-week year) for a single undergraduate in 2026/27, with accommodation the biggest cost. University self-catered rent averages £925 a month and catered £1,169, including bills. Private rooms average about £688 a month before bills. Under-22s get free bus travel, which helps.
Getting around
Central Edinburgh is very walkable, and many students walk between Pollock Halls, George Square and the Old Town. King's Buildings is a bus ride south. If you're 21 or under and live in Scotland, buses are free with a Young Scot National Entitlement Card. Otherwise, a Lothian Buses adult single is £2.40 and a day ticket £6.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of Edinburgh is 49th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 51. Its strongest results are for student societies (18th), inclusion (20th), nightlife (22nd).
In our 2027 subject rankings, the University of Edinburgh places highest for Bioinformatics (1st of 10). Across our awards, it also stands out for student societies.
Yes. Edinburgh is one of the 24 Russell Group universities.
Yes, if you apply by 31 July, are Unconditional Firm on UCAS by 31 August, and are studying for the full year. The guarantee is for a shared catered room, and other options depend on availability.
The university estimates £1,546 a month for 2026/27, or £13,914 for a 39-week academic year, including rent, food, phone, socialising and bus travel. Accommodation is the biggest chunk, at around £980 a month on average.
Pollock Halls is Edinburgh's main first-year halls campus, next to Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park. Most of its halls are catered, with two meals a day at the JMCC restaurant, and it has its own bar, Arthur's.
If you're 21 or under and live in Scotland, yes: you can travel free with a Young Scot National Entitlement Card. Over-22s pay £2.40 for a Lothian Buses single, and the university budgets £58 a month for bus travel.
University accommodation is only available on 39-week leases. Prices are published as annual totals: from £3,726 for a twin room to £13,660 for the most expensive catered rooms in 2026/27.
About this guide. Rankings data comes from the Unifresher Rankings 2027 (methodology). Facts, hall prices and costs come from the university and official sources listed below. Last updated 23 October 2026.
