Edinburgh is a fantastic place to study, one of the most historically rich cities in the UK. Its universities have a long tradition and the city is vibrant with cultural life, as well as great events for students throughout the year. Whilst it is not the cheapest place to live as it is such a popular destination, you can find good deals living in the halls of residence of your university or living further outside of the main tourist area of town and commuting in for your courses in the city’s solid transport network.
The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) funds the universities in the area so local and EU students enjoy the benefit of a full tuition waiver. However, if you are from the rest of the UK and overseas, you must pay tuition fees.
Below are some of the cheapest options for getting a degree in Edinburgh. Read on to know more.
Affordable Universities in Edinburgh for International Students
1. University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh has ranked highly amongst academic institutions in the UK for years. It is renowned for the quality of teaching, research facilities, and degrees awarded. Students here can study an extremely wide range of subjects from biomedicine to business, history and classics, languages, economics, physics, astronomy, etc.
The cost of tuition for students from the rest of the UK is around £7,000 per year. Overseas students do have to pay quite a lot more in the range of £19,800 to £52,000 if studying medicine programs.
2. Heriot-Watt University
One of the most international institutions in Scotland, Heriot-Watt University has a UK campus in Edinburgh and others in Dubai and Malaysia. Students can study a range of subjects from accountancy and finance to mathematics, physics, languages, and even topics such as brewing and distilling.
UK students have to pay £9,250 per year. For international students, it could cost £19,500 per year. If you are low on budget, you can apply for one of the scholarships offered at the university. Applying to these funding options will greatly reduce your academic finances.
3. Queen Margaret University
Founded in 1875, Queen Margaret University is named after Saint Margaret, wife of King Malcolm III of Scotland. The university was initially exclusive to women but it eventually became a co-educational institution.
The university has a School of Arts and Social Sciences, one of the only three places in Scotland that offers a degree in Costume Design and Construction. It also has a School of Health Sciences that focuses on nutrition and biological sciences, nursing, and a range of therapy options like operational therapy, art psychotherapy, etc.
4. Edinburgh Napier University
A modern university founded only in 1992, Edinburgh Napier University specializes in business studies. Aside from that, students can pursue their studies in biomedical science and the environment, arts and creative industries, and computing.
International students will be charged a tuition fee depending on their course and degree level. For example, the BSc in Computing would cost around £19,340 per year for non-UK students.
5. Scotland’s Rural College SRUC
The Scottish Agricultural College and three other institutions have merged to create an education institution aimed at delivering skills in the areas of land-based industry specific to Scotland but also globally. The university has an Edinburgh campus as well as campuses across Scotland.
Students can study agriculture, animal care, biological sciences, business management, environmental management, and hospitality or sustainability.
The university follows the same fee structure as Scottish and European Union students’ tuition. International student fees start at around £16,000 per year for the undergraduate.
Studying for any program in the UK is enviable and would set you apart from your peers. Luckily, a student does not have to break the bank to join UK higher learning institutions. All you have to do is identify the program you want to pursue and get a university that will best suit you and at an affordable cost. Feel free to pick one of the above to kickstart your journey!
We hope you make use of this article once you plan to apply to one in the UK’s capital. If you are unsure of what study program to take, here’s a Study in the UK guide and a list of United Kingdom Programs for International Students!
