Edinburgh Napier University

Age: 19, as a university.

History: Started out as a technical college in 1964, became a poly, then a university in 1992.

Address: Based around eight campuses in the south-west of Edinburgh, including Merchiston, Craighouse, Craiglockhart, Canaan Lane and Comely Bank.

Ambience: The capital of Scotland is stunning - groaning with culture, heritage and entertainment. The university's main Craiglockhart campus was recently refurbished, offering a new teaching block, library and computer suites.

Vital statistics: Napier has grown rapidly. The total student population is over 17,500 with almost 5,000 coming from outside the EU.

Added value: Strong links with business and industry mean good work placement opportunities and masses of industry input to course design. Edinburgh Napier was recently recognised as Scotland’s number one university for graduate employability (HESA 2010).

Easy to get into? Getting more competitive - applications went up 50 per cent year-on-year between 2009 and 2010. Most undergrad courses require 215 to 245 UCAS entry points required, although the university judges each application on individual merit.

Glittering alumni: DJ Mark Goodier; director Lynne Ramsay; Big Brother 4 winner Cameron Stout; photographer Colin Baxter and former leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Tavish Scott MSP.

Transport links: Fast and efficient rail, air and bus connections link Edinburgh to the rest of Scotland and the UK. There is also a bus service to take you from one campus to another and into the city.

Who's the boss? Dame Joan K Stringer DBE, the first female principal of a Scottish university.

Teaching: 90th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 100th out of 114 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 84th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Students tend to look to the city rather than the university for entertainment. Edinburgh more than lives up to the task.

How green is it? Excellent – came 13th out of 138 universities graded by People & Planet for their ‘Green League 2011’, an assessment of environmental performance - the top Scottish university in the league. It recently achieved Fairtrade Status.

Any accommodation? Yes - there are over 900 places available in university-owned self-catering flats. Expect to pay around £97 per week.

Cheap to live there? Scotland's capital can be easy or hard on the pocket, depending on where you live. You can pay anywhere between £60 and £100 per week for a room in a shared flat.

Sports ranking: 62nd in the BUCS league table.

Fees: Scottish and EU students do not have to pay any fees. Students from England, Northern Ireland and Wales are charged a standard Scottish tuition fee, which for 2011/2012 is £1,820 per year. Fees for 2012/2013 are yet to be decided, but it is expected they will rise by the rate of inflation.

Bursaries: The university offers a host of scholarships and bursaries dependent on various criteria. See the website for more details.

Prospectus: 08452 606 040; www.napier.ac.uk

UCAS code: N07