University of Edinburgh
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University of Edinburgh

🇬🇧 United Kingdom / Scotland / Edinburgh
Public Russell Group Est. 1582

About

The University of Edinburgh is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and officially opened in 1583, it is one of Scotland's four ancient universities and the sixth-oldest university in continuous operation in the English-speaking world. The university played a crucial role in Edinburg...

The University of Edinburgh is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and officially opened in 1583, it is one of Scotland's four ancient universities and the sixth-oldest university in continuous operation in the English-speaking world. The university played a crucial role in Edinburgh becoming a leading intellectual centre during the Scottish Enlightenment and contributed to the city being nicknamed the "Athens of the North".

Ranking Overview

Ranking Snapshot

Ranked Top 50 worldwide across 4 major ranking systems

THE #29 (2026)
QS #35 (2027)

Ranked in 125 subject rankings

QS QS World University Rankings
# 35
1
85.9
2027
THE Times Higher Education World University Rankings
# 29
82.5
2026
ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities
# 38
1
36.0
2026
US News U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings
# 41
2
76.9
2027

Key Facts

Students
35,350
Student-Staff Ratio
11.3 : 1
Int'l Students
49%
Female : Male
62 : 38

Historical Trend

Longitudinal View
QS QS
THE THE
ARWU ARWU
US News US News
1 26 51 76 100 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 Rank
:
Score:

Top Subjects

Best-performing areas
6
English Language & Literature
Top 10
=6
Veterinary Science
Top 10
9
Arts & Humanities
Top 10
9
Education & Training
Top 10
10
Social Policy & Administration
Top 10
10
Arts and Humanities
Top 10
11
Linguistics
Top 50
12
Modern Languages
Top 50
15
Public Administration
Top 50
15
Law & Legal Studies
Top 50
=16
Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies
Top 50
=17
Anthropology
Top 50
19
Biotechnology
Top 50
19
Biological Sciences
Top 50
19
Geography
Top 50

Subject Rankings

Detailed breakdown

QS

52 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
English Language & Literature 6 89.0 2026
Veterinary Science =6 89.4 2026
Arts & Humanities 9 90.4 2026
Education & Training 9 85.5 2026
Social Policy & Administration 10 88.2 2026
Linguistics 11 82.4 2026
Modern Languages 12 86.1 2026
Law & Legal Studies 15 83.8 2026
Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies =16 79.9 2026
Anthropology =17 86.1 2026
Biological Sciences 19 82.1 2026
Geography 19 84.3 2026
Life Sciences & Medicine 20 84.7 2026
Sports-Related Subjects 20 81.0 2026
Anatomy & Physiology =21 87.7 2026
History 22 82.8 2026
Computer Science =22 78.5 2026
Medicine 22 80.7 2026
Psychology 23 80.9 2026
Philosophy 24 78.1 2026
Classics & Ancient History 26 78.5 2026
Art History 26-75 - 2026
Natural Sciences =27 84.0 2026
Earth & Marine Sciences 27 80.9 2026
Geology =27 80.9 2026
Politics 27 77.0 2026
Mathematics =29 78.3 2026
Data Science 30 80.7 2026
Geophysics 30 79.9 2026
Development Studies 30 72.4 2026
Statistics & Operational Research =33 80.0 2026
Communication & Media Studies 36 79.9 2026
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 39 76.8 2026
Archaeology 40 76.4 2026
Social Sciences & Management =41 79.4 2026
Physics & Astronomy 42 78.9 2026
Accounting & Finance 42 76.3 2026
Environmental Sciences =43 81.0 2026
Nursing 44 80.5 2026
Architecture 51-100 - 2026
Civil & Structural Engineering 51-100 - 2026
Chemistry =58 75.4 2026
Engineering & Technology =60 78.4 2026
Electrical & Electronic Engineering =61 74.7 2026
Chemical Engineering =65 74.7 2026
Agriculture & Forestry 69 65.6 2026
Economics & Econometrics =80 73.1 2026
Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering =87 72.4 2026
Art & Design =89 61.2 2026
Performing Arts 101-150 - 2026
Business & Management Studies =109 68.9 2026
Materials Science =148 69.8 2026

US News

45 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Arts and Humanities 10 83.4 2027
Public, Environmental and Occupational Health 24 76.8 2027
Endocrinology and Metabolism =29 65.7 2027
Neuroscience and Behavior 30 64.9 2027
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Medical Imaging =35 72.0 2027
Molecular Biology and Genetics 37 61.6 2027
Microbiology 39 56.2 2027
Space Science 40 68.2 2027
Cell Biology 40 58.5 2027
Education and Educational Research 40 49.6 2027
Pharmacology and Toxicology =41 70.3 2027
Social Sciences and Public Health 42 71.8 2027
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences 45 68.0 2027
Infectious Diseases 46 66.6 2027
Plant and Animal Science 47 72.1 2027
Mathematics 49 72.1 2027
Clinical Medicine 50 72.7 2027
Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology 51 53.6 2027
Gastroenterology and Hepatology 52 64.4 2027
Ecology =54 67.8 2027
Psychiatry/Psychology 55 65.5 2027
Immunology =56 50.9 2027
Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems 57 63.2 2027
Oncology =61 63.1 2027
Surgery =63 60.6 2027
Physics & Astronomy 65 69.5 2027
Biology and Biochemistry 66 55.9 2027
Geosciences =68 64.2 2027
Green and Sustainable Science and Technology 69 61.1 2027
Computer Science 71 62.3 2027
Energy and Fuels =102 63.0 2027
Chemical Engineering 103 63.6 2027
Artificial Intelligence 105 52.1 2027
Environment/Ecology =112 62.2 2027
Engineering 147 60.4 2027
Economics & Econometrics =148 48.8 2027
Agricultural Sciences =159 46.6 2027
Civil Engineering =169 31.8 2027
Optics 198 40.1 2027
Environmental Engineering 203 36.3 2026
Chemistry =232 54.5 2027
Electrical and Electronic Engineering =255 49.3 2027
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology =272 34.7 2027
Materials Science 312 42.0 2027
Physical Chemistry =351 48.4 2027

THE

11 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Arts & Humanities 11 84.3 2026
Law & Legal Studies 17 77.0 2026
Clinical & Health =20 82.9 2026
Education & Training 21 74.1 2026
Psychology 23 75.5 2026
Social Sciences 30 73.5 2026
Life Sciences 32 82.2 2026
Computer Science 35 83.5 2026
Physical Sciences =41 76.3 2026
Business & Economics 60 61.9 2026
Engineering & Technology 83 63.5 2026

ARWU

50 subjects
Subject
Rank
Score
Year
Public Administration 15 157.5 2025
Veterinary Science 18 186.5 2025
Biotechnology 19 152.7 2025
Physics & Astronomy 25 275.6 2025
Pharmacy & Pharmacology 25 169.9 2025
Human Biological Sciences 26 186.8 2025
Sociology 29 145.9 2025
Public Health 30 179.6 2025
Mathematics 36 195.7 2025
Geography 41 169.9 2025
Clinical Medicine 43 190.3 2025
Atmospheric Science 51-75 - 2025
Electrical & Electronic Engineering 51-75 - 2025
Computer Science 51-75 - 2025
Marine/Ocean Engineering 51-75 - 2025
Robotic Science & Engineering 51-75 - 2025
Biological Sciences 51-75 - 2025
Agricultural Sciences 51-75 - 2025
Law & Legal Studies 51-75 - 2025
Politics 51-75 - 2025
Psychology 51-75 - 2025
Earth & Marine Sciences 76-100 - 2025
Ecology 76-100 - 2025
Mechanical Engineering 76-100 - 2025
Civil Engineering 76-100 - 2025
Statistics & Operational Research 76-100 - 2025
Education & Training 76-100 - 2025
Finance 76-100 - 2025
Oceanography 101-150 - 2025
Remote Sensing 101-150 - 2025
Artificial Intelligence 101-150 - 2025
Medical Technology 101-150 - 2025
Economics & Econometrics 101-150 - 2025
Management 101-150 - 2025
Hospitality & Tourism Management 101-150 - 2024
Telecommunication Engineering 151-200 - 2025
Instruments Science & Technology 151-200 - 2025
Chemical Engineering 151-200 - 2025
Environmental Sciences 151-200 - 2025
Transportation Science & Technology 151-200 - 2021
Business Administration 151-200 - 2025
Chemistry 201-300 - 2025
Biomedical Engineering 201-300 - 2025
Energy Science & Engineering 201-300 - 2025
Water Resources 201-300 - 2025
Dentistry 201-300 - 2022
Nursing 201-300 - 2025
Communication & Media Studies 201-300 - 2023
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 301-400 - 2025
Materials Science 401-500 - 2025

Organization Structure

Related units
University 2
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ranking of University of Edinburgh?

University of Edinburgh's performance in the latest university rankings: QS Rank 35, THE Rank 29, ARWU Rank 38, US News Rank 41.

When was University of Edinburgh founded?

University of Edinburgh was founded in 1582.

What are the top subjects at University of Edinburgh?

Top subjects at University of Edinburgh include: English Language & Literature, Veterinary Science, Arts & Humanities, Education & Training, Social Policy & Administration.

Where is University of Edinburgh located?

University of Edinburgh is located in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.