The University of Edinburgh is a public research university located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The town council founded the university in 1582 under the authority of a royal charter granted by King James VI. The institution officially opened its doors in 1583. Today, it is ranked among Scotland’s four ancient universities. It also stands as the sixth-oldest university in continuous operation in the English-speaking world.
The university offers a wide range of academic opportunities. It delivers more than 500 undergraduate programs and over 300 postgraduate programs across multiple disciplines. The university educates more than 49,000 students from around the world. The QS World University Rankings 2026 have placed the university at #34.