Check upcoming open days and book your place arrow
Research and Prep

Student guide to Scotland

Scotland is a vast and ancient land. Its famous highlands sit atop a landscape of forests, moorland, untouched wilderness and hundreds of miles of freshwater lochs and rugged coastline, making it a picturesque place to study.

Eleanor Foulds
by Eleanor Foulds
Last Updated:
05 Jan 2024

The northernmost country of the UK, Scotland has been a major educational centre for centuries, being at the forefront of modern philosophy, poetry, art, and science. There are 14 unis in the region, including some of the best in the world, with the oldest dating back an impressive 600 years. Scotland’s university towns and cities offer a diverse range of experiences, each with their own unique characteristics and atmosphere. Our guide gives you an introduction to the many fantastic opportunities here which you might be considering when you apply to uni.

Read our 26 reasons to study in Scotland.

Student activities in Scotland


As a student in Scotland, you’ll soon see that there’s an almost endless supply of things to do. Wherever you study, your university will be a central hub of activity where, in addition to studying, you can meet people, try new things, find top entertainment and year-round activities to get involved with.

Your university’s students’ union organises a range of clubs and societies, which are usually quite cheap to join and can include sports teams, special interest societies, language and cultural groups and so much more. There will likely be a freshers' fair at the start of the year where you can meet will the current organisers of these societies and see which ones capture your interest. Most unis have a student bar, where you’ll also find reasonably priced drinks and weekly activities such as quiz nights and live music.

Speaking of live music, Scotland has produced some of the UK’s best bands, solo artists and DJs, and in larger cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh there are venues of every size and shape, hosting both local and international artists all year round, so keep an eye out for student-priced tickets.

The country is big on comedy too, and there are top quality performers playing regular slots in most university towns. The world-famous Edinburgh Fringe festival takes over the city for a whole month during the summer, and is a fantastic place to spot new talent and classic acts.

There are world-class sports fixtures on throughout the year. Scotland is a keen rugby playing nation, and there are regular international events in football, athletics and golf a sport which was first played here in the 15th century.

Check out our top 10 student things to do in Scotland.

Nightlife in Scotland


Scotland delivers a great night out, whether you’re looking to eat, drink, dance, laugh or just be inspired, there’s a huge range of things to do.

Larger cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh have a superb choice of evening entertainment, from high cultural offerings such as theatre, opera and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, all the way to underground raves and late-night comedy gigs.

St. Andrews is very much a uni town, and has the pub and bar culture to match. In fact, it's said that the town has the highest number of pubs per capital in all of Scotland, with more than 30 establishments in a town of less than 20,000 people. It's also the most inexpensive uni town in the region for eating out, at around £12 average for a basic meal, or £53 on average for a dinner-for-two at a mid-range restaurant.

A pint of beer in St. Andrews costs an average of £3.75, and the cheapest is to be found is in Aberdeen, at an average of just £3.20 for a local pint or £3 for a bottle of imported beer. Late-night food is plentiful too, and grabbing a snack on the way home in Aberdeen will cost you £5.39 on average.

Student accommodation in Scotland


Scotland’s major unis each offer convenient student accommodation in halls of residence buildings located within a short distance of campus. These are a great solution for first-year students due to their relatively low cost, obvious social atmosphere and many perks such as the availability of term-time contracts, inclusive utilities bills and range of room types and package options.

Scotland’s 14 universities are based in a wide variety of locations, each with different population sizes, characteristics, and rental costs. During your first year, you’ll have the option to stay in university-owned halls of residences which are a convenient and highly social way to introduce yourself to the area. Halls of residence are usually located close to campus and you’ll be sharing them with hundreds of other first-years, making it easy to find friends and meet people from outside your course. Rooms are usually organised in shared flats of between three and eight students and come with a variety of choices including communal bathroom, ensuite, catered and self-catered options.

Typically, you’ll pay between £100 £180 per week, and this includes includes all utilities, internet and insurance bills as well as having on-site laundry facilities and a security team or concierge for your personal safety.

Rental prices in Scotland vary considerably, and in this guide we’ll be looking at Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Stirling, St. Andrews, and Dundee. As you may expect, Edinburgh has a higher rent than most of the country, however the priciest housing is to be found in St. Andrews where a studio apartment in the town centre costs £1,300 per month on average. In contrast, Stirling has the lowest rental prices, with an equivalent studio flat costing £435 per month, which is three times less! Generally in Scotland, a three-bedroom city centre apartment is priced between £1,100 - £1,500 per month with the exceptions of Edinburgh and St. Andrews which are a little higher. For the most part, if you’re planning to house share for second and third year, you can expect to pay around £350 £500 per person, per month.

Student costs in Scotland


The biggest expenses you’ll encounter while studying will most likely be for tuition fees and accommodation. Your weekly food shop and eating out will probably be a close third, although you’ll be pleased to learn that in general Scotland has a lower cost-of-living index than most places in the UK. Buying groceries is one place where this can be seen, and of the locations we looked at, the lowest prices were found in Glasgow.

Across the UK, the average monthly food budget for self-catered students comes in at £101. This can be improved upon by buying in bulk, or visiting low-cost supermarkets. Our top tip is to pick up a loyalty card from your favourite supermarket. You’ll probably make hundreds of visits throughout your time studying, and the points which you build up can eventually be worth a lot!

Depending on whereabouts in Scotland you're living, transport can be another daily expense. You’ll mostly be commuting via bus or overground rail, unless you study in Glasgow where you might even be taking their underground Metro line to uni. Throughout the country, a one-way ticket will usually cost between £2 £3, however if you’re travelling daily then it’s worth getting a monthly pass to save cash. Dundee has the best price for this, starting at just £50 per month for unlimited travel, and you can drop this price by a further 1/3 by using your student discount.

Read our guide to student costs in Scotland.

What Scotland is known for


When you look beyond the town and cities, Scotland’s huge expanse of wilderness and natural landscape beckons. One place which is definitely worth a trip for those who like a sip of whisky, is the Isle of Islay, where you will find arguably the finest single malt whisky distilleries in the world nine of them to be precise. It’s a great place to pour yourself a dram or two, and if you’re lucky you might even see the northern lights.

Universities in Scotland


There are 14 major universities in Scotland. Some of them date back several centuries, and form the region’s long and illustrious education heritage. The University of Glasgow, University of St Andrews, and the University of Edinburgh were all founded as far back as the 15th century, although have been renovated and remodelled at several occasions in their lifetimes. Today, they can be considered thoroughly modernised and cutting-edge institutions, built in a variety of architectural styles including gothic-revivalist, north Italian renaissance and brutalism.

It can be really useful to attend an open day and have a look around campus, even if you're pretty sure where you want to study. Take the chance to speak with current student and staff members, and check out their facilities and halls of residence choices before you apply.

Read our guide to the top universities in Scotland.

NEXT:

 

Similar articles