University of St Andrews

As Scotland's first university, the University of St Andrews also ranks third in age among universities of the English-speaking world, with only Oxford and Cambridge being older. Teaching started in 1410, and a papal bull formally established the university in 1413. It is located in St Andrews, a coastal town in Fife on Scotland's east coast. The traditional collegiate structure comprises St Mary's College, where divinity is taught, and United College, created from St Salvator's and St Leonard's.

Of its just over 10,000 students, the majority are undergraduates. The university calls itself the most international in Scotland, attracting students from over 120 countries, including a sizeable group from North America. Degrees follow the four-year Scottish pattern, and students of arts and humanities usually graduate with an MA. The sciences, languages and humanities are all areas of strength, and St Andrews features regularly among the top UK universities. Enduring customs shape student life, among them academic families, the red undergraduate gown, Raisin Weekend and the May Dip. Notable graduates include the Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy, as well as Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Information for International Students

Two teams make up the Student Immigration Service: International Advice, which guides students on visas before arrival, during their course and after graduation, including Graduate Route eligibility, and Compliance, which handles the university's duties as a sponsor.

Foundation study is provided in-house by the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute through the International Pre-Med programme, International Year Zero and International Year One. Participants receive guaranteed accommodation and one-to-one tuition, and those who complete successfully may progress to undergraduate study at St Andrews or another UK university. The institute also offers pre-sessional English to offer holders for whom English is an additional language, through four-week courses on campus or online for undergraduates and postgraduates, and ten-week online or blended options for postgraduates. Accommodation is guaranteed for first-year undergraduates, whether from the UK or overseas, provided they apply by the summer deadline, remain in full-time study for the whole year, arrive unaccompanied and satisfy the remaining published conditions. International undergraduates can prepare for their degree through a two-week academic induction course, and scholarships worth full or partial tuition fees are open to international students.