Perched on rocky headlands, overlooking miles of spectacular coastline, the town of St. Andrews is not just the Home of Golf. The third oldest university in the English speaking world also calls St. Andrews home and here are five reasons why you should study there.
The Reputation and History
The oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and the third oldest university in the English speaking world, St. Andrews has a wealth of history that can be seen and felt as you wander around its ancient streets.
The university is regularly rated third (behind Oxford and Cambridge) in the United Kingdom, and is often ranked in the top 50 universities in the world. Subjects including Physics, Computer Science, Geography and Maths are rated the best in the UK by The Guardian Newspaper, whilst The Times ranks its Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts courses amongst the best in the world.
In terms of student satisfaction, St Andrews is joint first in the United Kingdom for multi-faculty educational establishments
The university’s many notable alumni only add to the reputation. It is famous for being the place Prince William and Kate Middleton met and fell in love, although a number of prominent mathematicians, scientists and politicians have passed through the institution. The First Minister Scotland Alex Salmond, the Secretary for Defence Michael Fallon and Olympic cycling gold medal holder Chris Hoy are just three of the universities recent alumni.
In addition, St. Andrews can count six Novel Laureates amongst its alumni and former staff.
Old Meets New
The beauty of St. Andrews is the incredible juxtaposition of ancient history and spectacular mediaeval architecture with the university’s cutting edge facilities and modern research departments.
There is no campus at St. Andrews, meaning the university is found in quaint, listed buildings constructed of picturesque stone. Meanwhile, in the North Haugh site you can find ultra-modern medical laboratories, the Union is undergoing a £12 million refurbishment and a state of the art research library can be found at Martyrs Kirk.
Spectacular Scenery
The views on offer from the rocky headland upon which St. Andrews sits is unrivalled by any other university in the United Kingdom. Rich farmland, clear blue waters and magnificent beaches are in abundance in the Kingdom of Fife, all of which are accessibly from St. Andrews and within easy reach of your university accommodation.
Famous for being the film set of ‘Chariots of Fire’, the fine beach at West Sands are fantastic for blustery, autumn walks as is the Eden Estuary nature reserve around the famous links golf courses. Speaking of golf, it is almost everywhere you look in St. Andrews – so pack your clubs if you have room in the car!
Convenient Accommodation
As St Andrews is so small, getting around is incredibly easy and everything is in walking distance regardless of where you decide to reside. There is accommodation for every student’s tastes and budgets; from quaint little studios in listed buildings to stylish, new build apartments on the outskirts of town.
There is plenty of university owned accommodation for first year students, most of which is located within the city centre. If you prefer something more modern, or have made it to second or third year, there are new privately rented apartments dotted in and around the city or a number of opportunities to rent from private landlords. A Google search for student accommodation St. Andrews will give you exactly what’s on offer.
High Teaching Standards
Finally, St. Andrews University is ranked among the top three universities for teaching and academic experience in the whole of the UK. The university performs consistently well in the National Student Survey, ranking high for student satisfaction – largely thanks to the high standards of teaching that St. Andrews’ lecturers and tutors deliver.
The university is renowned across the world as a leading educational establishment, famous in particular for its medical department, the humanities and art. The Arts and Humanities departments were ranked 34th in the world in The World University Rankings, whilst at the very least most courses at St. Andrews are ranked in the top 10 in the UK.