University of Edinburgh
- United Kingdom
- Founded 1583
Overview
The University of Edinburgh is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the town council under the authority of a royal charter from King James VI in 1582 and officially opened in 1583, it is one of Scotland's four ancient universities and the sixth-oldest university in continuous operation in the English-speaking world.
Text from Wikipedia (opens in a new tab), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).
Key facts
| Founded | 1583Source: Wikidata (opens in a new tab) |
|---|---|
| Main location | EdinburghSource: Wikidata. Other campuses may not be listed. (opens in a new tab) |
| Students | 26,138 (year not stated)Source: Wikidata. Can be out of date. (opens in a new tab) |
| Website | ed.ac.uk (opens in a new tab) |
| Official account (opens in a new tab) | |
| YouTube | Official channel (opens in a new tab) |
Data read on 12 November 2026. Check the university's own site for current details.
Scholarships for international students
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People who studied here
- Charles Darwin (opens in a new tab)English naturalist and biologist (1809–1882)
- James Clerk Maxwell (opens in a new tab)Scottish physicist (1831–1879)
- Alexander Graham Bell (opens in a new tab)Canadian-American scientist inventor of telephone (1847–1922)
- David Hume (opens in a new tab)Scottish philosopher, economist, and historian (1711-1776)
- Robert Louis Stevenson (opens in a new tab)Scottish novelist and poet (1850–1894)
- Walter Scott (opens in a new tab)Scottish novelist, poet and playwright (1771–1832)
From Wikidata, where "educated at" names this university. It is not a complete list.
Rankings
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