About the University
Did you know?
The Kaleidoscope is a device you look through which casts ever-changing patterns of colour and light. It was invented by Sir David Brewster, who attended and later became Principal of the University of Edinburgh in 1816.
The University of Edinburgh
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 15th century, the University was positioned at the forefront of academia and critical thinking. Our ideas began to draw the world’s attention to the University, the city of Edinburgh and Scotland. At the forefront of this creative process was a group of Edinburgh academics who were united in their determination to challenge what was already known about the world.
Among 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’. Their ideas helped build the foundations for the world in which we live.
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 anesthetics through his discovery of the properties of chloroform. More recently, theoretical physicist, 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.
The University today
The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50 and currently placed 20 in the 2019/2020 QS World University Rankings.
Our entrepreneurial and cross-disciplinary culture attract students and staff from over 140 countries, which creates a unique Edinburgh experience. We provide a stimulating working, learning and teaching environment with access to excellent facilities and attract the world's best, from Nobel Prize laureates to future explorers, pioneers and inventors.
As host to more than 40,000 students, the University of Edinburgh continues to attract the world’s greatest minds.