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The overall ranking is decided by students from this institution rating them in a 2026 Whatuni review. This forms the basis of the Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs for short).
4.04.14.4167 Student reviews
Sort:Latest reviews18-24 years
First gen student
Good city, easy access to everything.
Amazing funding and facilities for my course but the range of student diversity and student support is a bit lacking
I love the city. Edinburgh is big enough have the cosmopolitan element of a city, but small enough that it is not as overwhelming as most cities. It's beautiful and full of history. The university itself is great, all my teachers are supportive and available to help with any questions immediately. I think that mental health services could be better.
its great uni
Edinburgh is an open minded and welcoming city. Most people you encounter at the University of Edinburgh will be willing to help you out and get settled. Its a very prestigious and academically rigorous institution, however the university provides student support throughout the whole academic experience.
18-24 years
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I would give minus five stars to this University. I was warned about classism, professional neglect, and lack of support, but I didn't listen. How could this University be improved? A complete overhaul of its teaching method, autonomous learning is another phrase for professional neglect. I am going elsewhere for post-grad, and I wish I never came to this University. Edinburgh does not provide what it says it does. The city of Edinburgh is not that great (sorry to spoil the illusion), and come to think about it, if a University advertises the city as its main attraction, what does that say about the University? Stay well clear of this University.
Union very expensive
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No student support
18-24 years
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18-24 years
There is not enough on campus study space. The Principal is paid too much.
Absolutely atrocious, awful university that is a complete waste of money unless you are a Scottish student spending nothing to attend. If you are an international student thinking of overpaying to attend this school I implore you to reconsider. The school is undeniably awful, completely hands off with a guise of involvement when, in reality, a school with 30,000 students cannot provide the amount that they propose. The Students' Union is irrelevant and the university realizes it, faux advocates who will achieve nothing from their endeavors. Random pointless "industrial action" that is just a nuisance to students trying to get to class, changing nothing in reality. I have not found any student support here and the student life is abysmal. I have really awful dormmates and the university provides me no solace, I am just suffering daily hearing obnoxious drunkards speaking poorly behind my back. I thought I was going to attend a scholarly institution, not a party school. I complain and get ghosted! Campus located in the most egregiously abhorrent trench slums of the worst part of Edinburgh, surrounded by homelessness, heroin addicts, and littered with glass bottle shards and cigarette buds. Feels dreadful even going outside. Tutorials are disconnected and unhelpful, nobody talks and the teacher gets mad Overall, awful school
Given the circumstances, I would say I have had a great experience in my first year. I lived in halls which meant I was able to meet some people and be involved in the Edinburgh community. I think the university’s ability to teach online also increased throughout the year. In semester 1 it was quite disappointing and there were a lot of problems across all 3 of my courses, but by semester 2 this has massively improved and I felt I was benefiting from good quality teaching
Without being able to use facilities in person, and with technical hikups and poor planning especially at the start of the year (the first few weeks of semester one, tutors seemed to be making it up as they whent along, with projects being incredibly poorly planned) - although tutor support improved towards the end of semester one, it boils down to this. Should a student be relatively self motivated - their was nothing that UoE or ECA provided that the student could not have done themselves (on the fine art course). Art History was much better, with pre-recorded lectures and tutorials being easily accessible and effective as learning tools. A mixed experience.
Due to the limitations of covid being the only experience of university, I don’t doubt that my answers are effected drastically. In all honesty, I’ve managed to scrape passes and do the bare minimum. The support systems from the university , or lack thereof, have been few and far between. The course content has been good and I’ve enjoyed the writing. Practical bits and bobs have obviously been almost impossible
I am still glad I started studying this year regardless of it being online. I have still met some great people through staying at university accomodation and would not trade tha.
4.2
Cool libraries, lots of societies. Bad support for mental health. A lot of posh folk, but they live in cliques so you don't really have to interact with them if you don't want to.
Don't study Celtic at Edinburgh for Gaelic! I think it might be okay for fluent speakers, and the courses on medieval studies are good, but Edinburgh really doesn't seem to have the resources to run a good undergraduate Celtic course. It's one woman teaching the language, and as lovely as she is, I've been learning for almost three years and can hardly say anything. Even the non-language modern courses are pretty poor all things considered, and the offering is minimal, like I didn't get a choice in my courses this year (at honours), which means you get stuck with the tutours you don't like. I don't know anybody on the degree that wouldn't rather be at Glasgow or Sabhal Mor. I'm considering taking a year out to go do a course at SMO simply to make up for it. The research that goes on in the department is interesting, but as an undergraduate that just isn't relevant to me in any meaningful way. I picked Edinburgh for linguistics, and for that reason I don't regret it per say, but I wish I'd gone to SMO for a year before starting.