University of St Andrews

University of St Andrews is ranked 2 in the Guardian University Guide and 2 in The Times Good University Guide. Student satisfaction (from the National Student Survey) sits at 86%. Rankings shift annually — always check the latest published tables before relying on a specific position.

No. University of St Andrews is not a Russell Group member. In Scotland, only Edinburgh and Glasgow are in the Russell Group. However, non-Russell-Group Scottish universities — including St Andrews (consistently top 5 in the UK), Strathclyde (one of the UK's top engineering schools) and others — are widely respected. Russell Group membership is not a reliable quality indicator on its own.

Average monthly rent in St Andrews for St Andrews students is approximately £780 in university halls and £800 in private rented accommodation. Other living costs (food, transport, utilities, social) add roughly £900 per month on top. These are indicative averages — actual costs depend on the specific hall or flat. Always check the university's accommodation pages for the latest prices.

If you're a Scotland-domiciled undergraduate studying at University of St Andrews, SAAS pays the tuition fee (£1,820 per year) directly to the university — you pay nothing. The SAAS institution code for St Andrews is S27. Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland pay a different fee set by the university. International students pay a higher fee again. Apply for SAAS at saas.gov.uk before the recommended deadline of 30 June.

University of St Andrews's strongest subject areas include International Relations, Physics, Philosophy, English. These are the departments most commonly cited in league tables and by employers. St Andrews also has strong graduate employment in these areas — check the university's own graduate outcomes data for the most current figures.

University of St Andrews is one of Scotland's four ancient universities (founded before 1600). The ancients — St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh — are among the oldest in the English-speaking world and carry significant brand recognition with employers globally.