Higher education institutions

The seven higher education institutions of Edinburgh City Region range from ancient to modern, yet they all have a highly contemporary outlook with exceptionally high standards of education. For example, the historic University of Edinburgh is ranked 23rd in the world by the 2007 Times Higher Education Supplement World University Rankings.

With an emphasis on proactive and independent thinking, a Scottish education develops skills that are much desired by top companies, giving you better career prospects and higher potential earnings.

Year on year, demand rises for places at our universities; high calibre students apply from all over the world. And many stay on after graduation,  with a higher proportion of graduates living here than anywhere else in Scotland. Thanks to the Scottish Government’s Fresh Talent initiative, international graduates of Scottish universities or colleges can live and work in Scotland for two years after graduating without the need for a work permit.

Our universities have an impressive record of research commercialization. For example, home-grown spin-outs include the highly successful Wolfson Microelectronics group  and Barco (formerly Voxar), a world leader in medical image software.