Our history
With our rich history, noted alumni and distinguished scholars, we have much to be proud of in our many centuries as a world-renowned university.
From Nobel laureates and Olympic champions to space explorers and prime ministers, the University of Edinburgh has been influencing history since it opened the gates to its first students in 1583.
Ground-breaking thinkers
Following the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, the University was positioned at the forefront of academia and critical thinking.
Due to the determination and perseverance of a group of Edinburgh intellectuals, established facts about the world were being boldly and consistently challenged.
Amid this group was David Hume, philosopher, economist and essayist known for his philosophical skepticism and empiricism; Joseph Black, the chemist behind the discovery of latent heat and carbon dioxide; and James Hutton, the ‘Father of Modern Geology’.
Shaping the past, the present and the future
We are the home of Britain’s oldest literary awards, the James Tait Black Prizes and Dolly the sheep, the first animal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell.
It was also here at the University of Edinburgh that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired to create his notorious character, Sherlock Holmes and James Young Simpson pioneered anaesthetics through his discovery of the properties of chloroform.
More recently, theoretical physicist and Professor Emeritus Peter Higgs was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his 1964 prediction of the Higgs Boson.
Through the many achievements of its staff and students, the University has continued to present cutting-edge research, inspirational teaching and innovative thinking as its central ethos, attracting some of the greatest minds from around the globe.
Why choose Edinburgh?
We are globally recognized for our research, development, and innovation and we’ve provided our students with world-class teaching for more than 425 years.
An Edinburgh degree works for you
The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top universities, consistently ranked in the world's top 50 and placed 20th in the 2021 QS World University Rankings.
We are ranked in the UK top 10 and in the world top 100 universities for the employability of our graduates1.
Excellence in research
The results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) showed that 83% of our research activity is in the highest categories (4* and 3*), which are classified as ‘world-leading or ‘internationally excellent. We have an international reputation for innovative research across a wide range of disciplines.
Innovation in teaching
The latest report from the Quality Assurance Agency awarded us the highest rating possible for the quality of the student learning experience. We are always working to develop innovative approaches to teaching in order to discover the methods that work best for students, including e-learning techniques and peer-assisted learning.
Experts in online learning
We offer the largest portfolio of postgraduate online degrees in the UK2, welcoming more than 8,000 online students since 2005. Our flexible and supportive programs are well-established and an increasingly popular choice for students looking to balance further study with professional or family commitments.
Beautiful capital city
Ranked in the world’s top 20 student cities3, Edinburgh is a compact city with excellent transport links, which makes it easy to get around and to travel to other parts of Scotland.
Rankings and reputation
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 results for both Education and Sport-related research place us as Scotland’s top-ranked institution for research breadth and quality (Times Higher Education).
We consistently rank in the top tiers of global education and sport-related studies.
Moray House ranks in the top 10 in the UK in a number of rankings for education and sport-related studies
- 1st in the UK, 2023 THE World University Ranking for universities offering Sport Science
- 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for Education in the 2024 Complete University Guide?????
- 1st in Scotland and 12th in the world in the 2024 QS World University Ranking by subject: Education and Training
- 2nd in Scotland and 8th in the UK for Sport Science in the 2024 Complete University Guide
- 3rd in Education and 7th in Sport Science in the UK in the 2022 Times Good University Guide
- 4th in the UK, 2023 THE World University Ranking for Education
- 1st in Scotland and 16th in the world in the 2024 QS World University Ranking by subject: Sport-related subjects
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, we ranked first in Scotland in both Education and Sport-related research (Times Higher Education). We are ranked 3rd in the UK in terms of the breadth and quality of our research in Education, with nearly 80 per cent classified as ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ (Times Higher Education). Nearly 90 per cent of our Sport-related research activity is classified as ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’, a growth of 22 per cent since the previous REF in 2014.
Athena SWAN Bronze Award
In recognition of the positive work Moray House School of Education and Sport has done to promote diversity and equality among staff and students, Athena SWAN granted the School a Bronze Award in 2018. The honour endorses the School's continued efforts to create an open environment which supports equal career advancement for everyone.
Sustainability Awards
Moray House is pleased to have earned a SILVER Sustainability Award in 2018. Office Sustainability Awards recipients fulfil a range of social responsibility and sustainability criteria focusing on communications & engagement, energy savings, sustainable travel, resource efficiency, responsible purchasing and staff wellbeing.
