Where it ranks in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, what it’s really like to study there, and what halls and living costs look like.
St Andrews is a small, old and very beautiful university in a seaside town on the Fife coast. University buildings are spread through the town, so you walk everywhere, and with around 11,600 students the place is dominated by uni life. Most first years live in catered halls, which act as your social base, and traditions run deep.
The trade-offs are real. The town is tiny, there's no railway station, and nightlife is mostly the Union, house parties and hall events. Accommodation is expensive: even the cheapest standard room costs about £184 a week, and private rooms in town are scarce. If you want a close-knit, traditional experience, it's special.
Known for
The University of St Andrews is 4th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 59.5, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | University of East Anglia | 61.2 |
| 3 | University of Exeter | 61.2 |
| 4 | University of St Andrews | 59.5 |
| 5 | University of Sussex | 59.4 |
| 6 | University of Bath | 58.7 |
Each award ranks all 124 universities on one part of student life. Click through for the full table.
1st of 124 · Freshers Score 83.7
2nd of 124 · Value Score 82.9
3rd of 124 · Balance Score 61.9
4th of 124 · Wellbeing Score 80.6
6th of 124 · Safety Score 68.1
8th of 122 · Careers Score 45.1
9th of 124 · Employability Score 46.1
9th of 123 · Happiness Score 67.4
10th of 124 · Affordability Score 70.5
23rd of 124 · Societies Score 62.6
27th of 124 · Inclusion Score 71.5
33rd of 124 · Innovation Score 61.8
54th of 124 · Social Score 51.3
90th of 124 · Nightlife Score 40.1
100th of 124 · Sustainability Score 37.8
St Andrews as a student city
Ranked 18th of 72 UK university cities in our Best University Cities 2027 ranking, with a score of 57.4.
The University of St Andrews appears in 21 of our subject league tables. Here’s where it places in each, best first.
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicine | 3rd | of 30 | 90 |
| Zoology | 4th | of 37 | 112 |
| Marine Biology | 2nd | of 17 | 66 |
| Computer Science | 13th | of 102 | 193 |
| Biochemistry | 9th | of 60 | 138 |
| Physics | 7th | of 45 | 119 |
| Philosophy | 9th | of 54 | 129 |
| Biology | 9th | of 51 | 129 |
| Chemistry | 8th | of 44 | 116 |
| Economics | 18th | of 85 | 153 |
| Subject | Rank | Table size | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Science | 10th | of 47 | 114 |
| Mathematics | 13th | of 61 | 130 |
| Geology | 5th | of 21 | 68 |
| Linguistics | 7th | of 27 | 70 |
| Psychology | 31st | of 108 | 164 |
| Business and Management | 36th | of 114 | 175 |
| Geography | 20th | of 63 | 128 |
| Neuroscience | 9th | of 26 | 74 |
| International Relations | 26th | of 71 | 123 |
| Theology and Religious Studies 2026 table | 4th | of 10 | – |
| Accounting and Finance | 19th | of 30 | 159 |
Subject tables compare universities on graduate earnings, student satisfaction, teaching quality and academic support. Scores aren’t comparable between subjects.
Life revolves around the Students' Association building in the town centre, halls and more than 140 societies. Every student is automatically a member of the Association. Saints Sport, based at the University Park sports centre near University Hall, runs the clubs and teams. Because halls are mostly catered, a lot of socialising happens over dinner and at hall events. Traditions are a big deal here, so expect academic families and town-wide events. For a bigger night out, Dundee is a short bus ride away.
University halls cost about £154–£341 per week (2026/27; 34- or 38-week contracts; catered prices include meals) (2026/27 prices).
First-year accommodation guarantee
St Andrews guarantees an offer of accommodation to first-year undergraduates who are coming alone, studying full time for the full academic year, and who apply by 30 June in their year of entry. You also need to meet the conditions of your offer.
| Hall | Area | Rooms | From | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Russell Apartments | West of town | en-suite and studios, self-catered or catered | £154/wk | A shared-occupancy studio is the cheapest option per person (£5,847 for 38 weeks). En-suite singles cost £9,286, and a catered option with 14 meals a week is available. |
| Fife Park | West of town | standard or en-suite single, self-catered | £177/wk | Self-catered flats on a 38-week contract: standard single £6,709, en-suite single £9,286 (about £244 a week). |
| Gannochy House | Town centre | standard single (shared bathroom), self-catered | £184/wk | The cheapest single room: £6,246 for 34 weeks. Gannochy also offers catered standard rooms. |
| Whitehorn Hall | West of town | standard or en-suite single | £191/wk | Self-catered standard singles cost £7,256 for 38 weeks. The catered en-suite single (£12,976) is the most expensive undergraduate room, at about £341 a week. |
| Agnes Blackadder Hall Catered | North Haugh | en-suite single or shared, catered or self-catered | £211/wk | Modern en-suite hall. Self-catered shared rooms cost £8,001 for 38 weeks; the catered single is £12,611 with 19 meals a week. |
| St Salvator's Hall Catered | Town centre | standard single or shared, catered | £256/wk | Historic catered hall. Standard shared rooms cost £8,709 for 34 weeks, including £3,324 for 19 meals a week; singles cost £9,570. |
| University Hall Catered | West of town, near the North Haugh | standard and en-suite, single or shared, catered | £256/wk | Next to the sports centre, about 15 minutes' walk to the town centre. Mostly single standard rooms (236). En-suite singles cost £11,509 for 34 weeks. |
| Andrew Melville Hall Catered | North Haugh | standard single or shared, catered | £256/wk | Catered standard rooms at the standard rate (£8,709 shared or £9,570 single for 34 weeks, meals included). |
Prices are the university’s published weekly starting prices and can change. Always check the official accommodation site before applying.
Right in the middle of everything, close to the Union and lectures. Flats here are in very high demand.
Quieter residential streets west of the centre, close to the North Haugh and the science buildings.
Villages a few miles out on the bus route. More space, but you'll rely on the 99 bus.
Some students commute from the city for cheaper rents and a bigger scene, at the cost of a daily bus journey.
Top tip
Applications for new undergraduates open on 28 January. Wait 48 hours after accepting your offer of a place, then apply as soon as you can, even with a conditional or insurance offer. You rank four residence types (catered standard, catered en-suite, self-catered standard, self-catered en-suite) rather than individual halls. Apply by 30 June to keep the guarantee.
St Andrews is one of the pricier places to be a student in Scotland. Hall fees for 2026/27 run from £5,847 to £12,976 a year. Catered halls include 19 meals a week, which helps you budget. The university's cost-of-attendance estimate allows £12,208 for accommodation and food and £3,800 for personal costs over 38 weeks. Private rooms in town are scarce and expensive.
Getting around
St Andrews is small enough to walk everywhere: University Hall is about 15 minutes' walk from the town centre. There's no railway station in town. The nearest is Leuchars, about 15 minutes away on the frequent Stagecoach 99 bus. If you live in Scotland and are under 22, you can travel free on buses with the Young Persons' Free Bus Travel scheme.
Weighing up your options? Here’s how nearby universities compare in the Unifresher Rankings 2027.
The University of St Andrews is 4th out of 124 UK universities in the Unifresher Rankings 2027, with an overall score of 59.5. Its strongest results are for freshers experience (1st), value for money (2nd), work-life balance (3rd).
In our 2027 subject rankings, the University of St Andrews places highest for Medicine (3rd of 30), Marine Biology (2nd of 17). Across our awards, it also stands out for freshers experience.
Yes, if you meet the conditions. First-year undergraduates who are coming alone, studying full time for the whole year and apply by 30 June in their year of entry are guaranteed an offer. You also need to meet your offer conditions.
For 2026/27, rooms range from about £154 a week (a shared studio at David Russell Apartments) to about £341 a week (a catered en-suite single at Whitehorn Hall). Catered standard rooms cost £8,709 (shared) or £9,570 (single) for 34 weeks, including 19 meals a week.
Many are. The traditional halls, such as St Salvator's, University Hall, Andrew Melville and McIntosh, offer catered rooms with 19 meals a week. If you'd rather cook, Gannochy House, Fife Park, David Russell Apartments and Whitehorn Hall have self-catered options.
There's no station in St Andrews itself. Get the train to Leuchars, then take the Stagecoach 99 bus, which takes about 15 minutes and runs frequently.
HESA data for 2024/25 puts it at 11,645 students, including 9,180 undergraduates. Close to half come from outside the UK, which gives the small town a very international feel.
Honestly, it depends what you mean by nightlife. There are no big clubs. Nights out centre on the Students' Association, hall events, balls and pubs. Dundee is the nearest city for clubbing. Most students say the social life is great, but it's a very different style from a big city.
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.
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