A new outdoor discovery trail meanders by a pond and hedgerows through a meadow and patch of woodland at Queen Margaret University (QMU). The trail and the Outdoor Learning Hub — opened by Graeme Day, Scotland’s minister for higher and further education, in March 2024 — is especially useful for trainee teachers but all students are welcome to come and connect with the natural world here. 

QMU’s primary education degree is a relatively new introduction to the institution, which was founded in 1875 as a cookery school and named after St Margaret, the 11th-century wife of King Malcolm III of Scotland. Food and hospitality teaching remains a strength and an entrepreneurial culture prevails. QMU’s Innovation Hub, a joint project with East Lothian council, is due to open in 2025, offering space for small and medium-size enterprises and laboratories for research and knowledge exchange. The venture, backed by the UK and Scottish governments as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, will create opportunities for student placements. Another entrepreneurial programme is Thrive, a collaboration with Scotland’s Rural College to equip students with top skills for the food and drink industries. 

QMU’s ambitions are big but the university remains relatively small, with fewer than 5,000 full-time students at the campus in the seaside town of Musselburgh, ten minutes by train from the centre of Edinburgh. 

What is Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh’s reputation? 

Dame Prue Leith, the restaurateur and Great British Bake Off judge, has announced she will step down as chancellor at the end of 2024 after seven years at the institution, which gained full university status in 2007.  

Students are also able to work towards QMU qualifications at partner institutions in Kathmandu in Nepal, Tashkent in Uzbekistan and Colombo in Sri Lanka. The university’s strong international links mean that its students can take the opportunity to study abroad as part of their course. 

QMU has recorded one of the biggest declines in our main academic table year-on-year, tumbling 42 places to rank 105=. Despite QMU’s popular peer-assisted learning scheme and free hot meals on campus in a cost of living rescue package called Thank Goodness It’s Thursday, feedback from the latest National Student Survey (NSS) has turned chilly. In our new NSS analysis, the university has crashed to 101st place for satisfaction with teaching quality (down 64 places year-on-year) and 120= for the wider student experience (down 72 places). 

In our research rankings, QMU slipped to 97th on the basis of the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) compared with the previous exercise in 2014. Some world-leading or internationally excellent work was identified in seven research areas. The best results were found in communications, cultural and media studies; speech and language science; and nursing and allied health professions.  

What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?

Two degree courses — public health; and food science and innovation — have been withdrawn from 2024, as well as a graduate apprenticeship in business management. New degrees have begun in digital marketing and public relations; and cultural and creative industries.  

What are Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh’s entry requirements – and my chances of getting in?

Nearly all UK entrants are from Scotland and apply with Highers. Entry requirements for those sitting A-levels range from BB to AAB. Contextual offers are typically two grades lower than standard. 

What are the graduate prospects?

With only two thirds (67 per cent) of graduates in highly skilled work or further study 15 months after leaving, QMU has fallen 42 places to 112th in our analysis of the Graduate Outcomes Survey. Initiatives to boost graduate skills include an employer mentoring scheme which matches third and fourth-year students with professionals in the relevant field.

What is Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh’s campus like?

QMU moved to its purpose-built campus in 2007 on the southeastern side of Edinburgh, beside Musselburgh station. Its landscaped grounds and modern buildings are within easy reach of the city centre, a six-minute train ride away. Library upgrades are among the recent improvements on campus. As a specialist institution for the creative industries, QMU has performance and rehearsal space used for a busy calendar of student productions.  

Everything you need to know about Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh’s student life and wellbeing support

QMU’s campus “bubble” so close to the buzz of Edinburgh’s rich culture and nightlife is a persuasive combination. As well as the drama facilities on campus, QMU has everything students need to play sport and keep active — a large sports hall, fitness suite and studio, and floodlit all-weather outdoor pitch. The campus also features an outdoor gym in the university gardens, near the pond. 

QMU promises a “student-centred approach” with a culture of personalised support, although the falling rates of student satisfaction suggest there is more the university could do. Among the initiatives to boost contentment on campus, QMU has a paid part-time team of “student champions” who work with their peers and university staff. Students struggling with their mental health can self-refer to the counselling and wellbeing service, which offers blocks of therapy up to six sessions at a time.

What do the students say?

“QMU is an ideal place for students looking to be part of a strong university community. Being a smaller campus, there's a sense of belonging and individuality and an all-around inclusive approach to learning and teaching.”  
Jay Brown, president of the Queen Margaret students’ union

What about student accommodation at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

With 800 spaces, the university does not guarantee accommodation, but it prioritises disabled and care-experienced students as well as those from outside the EH postcode.

How diverse and inclusive is Queen Margaret University Edinburgh?

The university ranks fifth in our social exclusion index for Scotland. It has the second-highest proportion of disabled students (7.6 per cent) and third-biggest intake of students who are the first in their family to go to university (47.4 per cent).

Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

Almost half of QMU's 35 undergraduates from the rest of the UK (not including Scotland, which has its own funding system) qualified for university bursaries of up to £2,000 a year in 2023. A small number of bursaries are available for student carers, those who have served in the armed forces and students who are estranged from their families.