Heriot-Watt University
- United Kingdom
- Founded 1821
Overview
Heriot-Watt University is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by royal charter in 1966.
Text from Wikipedia (opens in a new tab), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).
Key facts
| Founded | 1821Source: Wikidata (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Main location | EdinburghSource: Wikidata. Other campuses may not be listed. (opens in a new tab) |
| Students | 29,000 (year not stated)Source: Wikidata. Can be out of date. (opens in a new tab) |
| Website | hw.ac.uk (opens in a new tab) |
Data read on 12 November 2026. Check the university's own site for current details.
Scholarships for international students
- Americas and Europe (Non-EU) Scholarship Open, deadline 4 Dec 2026
- International Merit Scholarship Check the official page
- The Island Scholarship Programme Yet to open
Heriot-Watt University's own scholarships page (opens in a new tab) (checked 14 Nov 2026)
Read by a program from the university's website. Check the official page before you apply. Search all scholarships
People who studied here
- Irvine Welsh (opens in a new tab)Scottish writer
- Muriel Spark (opens in a new tab)Scottish novelist and writer (1918–2006)
- Kygo (opens in a new tab)Norwegian DJ and music producer
- Hassan Ali Khayre (opens in a new tab)Prime Minister of Somalia
- James Nasmyth (opens in a new tab)Scottish mechanical engineer and inventor (1808–1890)
- Greg Wise (opens in a new tab)English actor
From Wikidata, where "educated at" names this university. It is not a complete list.
Rankings
Ranking sites measure different things, so a university can look very different on each. We don't copy their numbers. See how this university appears on the ranking sites themselves.