The UK’s fifth-oldest university (and in our top 20 for the fourth consecutive year), Aberdeen’s learning experience began at the 15th-century King’s College building with 36 staff and students who studied the arts, divinity and law. Today, the curriculum covers 12 teaching schools offering almost 400 degrees, all structured to maximise flexibility: undergraduates have the opportunity to switch and mix subjects as their interests broaden. This has contributed to rising rates of student satisfaction: Aberdeen jumps two places to rank 7th for the wider student experience, according to our latest National Student Survey analysis, which also puts it at 17th for teaching quality.
What is the University of Aberdeen’s reputation?
The university’s research pedigree is bolstered by its association with five Nobel laureates in the fields of chemistry, medicine, physics and peace. But it was theology and religious studies that gained some of the university's best results in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), with Earth systems and environmental sciences, and public health also strong performers. However, it didn’t save Aberdeen from slipping 20 places to joint 63rd in our research quality ranking, compared with its performance based on REF 2014.
Longstanding links with Aberdeen’s offshore oil and gas industries include a partnership with the National Decommissioning Centre in Newburgh — a research centre with engineering laboratories and hangar space for designing and developing oil and gas decommissioning technology — while engineering experts test subsea equipment at the Oceanlab research centre north of the city.
Further afield, AFG College is the first campus to open in Qatar in partnership with a UK institution. It offers degrees in accounting and finance and business management, and master’s degrees in business, human resources management and law. Aberdeen runs a pre-medical course in Sri Lanka and an international exchange programme with Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
Aberdeen has discontinued some courses in genetics; human embryology and developmental biology, immunology and microbiology. Its single-honours modern languages degree finished in 2023, though students may still take modern languages as part of a joint-honours programme. Environmental chemistry is new for 2025.
What are the University of Aberdeen’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
Medicine demands Aberdeen’s highest entry requirements of AAA at A-level, followed by AAB for biomedical science and for law. All other degrees ask for BBB. The university’s contextual offer scheme may reduce this to CCC for eligible applicants under a broad range of widening participation criteria, including those from deprived areas or who have served in the armed forces, those who were eligible for free school meals and those with caring responsibilities or who are estranged from their families. Aberdeen may also accept CCC at confirmation and clearing if offer holders do not achieve BBB. The university attracted around 16,500 applications in 2023, a decrease of 10 per cent compared with the year before.
What are the graduate prospects?
Leaping 19 places year-on-year in our analysis of the Graduate Outcomes survey, Aberdeen now occupies 28th place for graduate prospects with 82.2 per cent of leavers in highly skilled jobs or further study within 15 months. The university connects students with industry partners via curricular and co-curricular opportunities such as internships, work placements and in graduate jobs.
What is the University of Aberdeen’s campus like?
The Old Aberdeen campus houses the imposing King’s buildings as well as modern facilities such as the Sir Duncan Rice Library and the £35 million science teaching hub. Opened in 2022, it has digitised teaching spaces alongside flexible laboratory areas for cross-disciplinary projects. Life sciences and medical students share Europe’s largest health campus, at Foresterhill, run by the university and NHS Grampian.
Everything you need to know about the University of Aberdeen’s student life and wellbeing support
There are over 180 societies and more than 55 sports clubs, many based at the Aberdeen Sports Village that features Olympic-standard sports and exercise facilities, from a diving pool to indoor and outdoor athletics arenas. There is a boathouse on the River Dee, a climbing bothy in Royal Deeside, and at the King’s Pavilion there are playing fields, tennis courts and an artificial cricket wicket. The university has the oldest shinty club in the world, established in 1861, and students play the Scottish game – similar to field hockey — at Balgownie.
Activities in the great outdoors abound: the region has 150 miles of coastline and the university is within striking distance of the Cairngorms National Park and the Glenshee Ski Centre. Aberdeen’s northerly latitude makes for long summer days that stretch beyond 11pm, and in winter there’s a good chance of seeing the northern lights.
Students have access to a free counselling service, therapy pets and free mindfulness sessions.
What do the students say?
“The old campus is great, the city is walkable, and there are so many societies to join as well as good sports facilities. The atmosphere is friendly, international and welcoming. The flexibility in degree changes and optional courses enables you to refine your course choices as you discover what you want to learn more about.”
Margaux Philibert, sports and exercise science student
What about student accommodation at the University of Aberdeen?
All first-years are guaranteed a room if they apply by the deadline. Accommodation starts at a budget-friendly £99 a week and no rooms cost more than £168 a week. A small number are catered. The Hillhead Student Village includes a refreshed social area with decking and a canopy for performances and get-togethers. There is also an outdoor gym and a community garden with plants from the university’s Cruickshank Botanic Garden — an 11-acre oasis of greenery on the King’s College campus.
How diverse and inclusive is the University of Aberdeen?
Aberdeen is fourth among Scottish universities for the proportion of black and ethnic minority students it recruits (13.8 per cent) but its achievement gap between such groups and their white counterparts is tenth in Scotland overall.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at the University of Aberdeen
Different bursaries and scholarships — from means-tested access payments to merit-based awards for those entering with top grades — are offered according to whether applicants are from Scotland, the rest of the UK or abroad.
