Robert Gordon University

Robert Gordon University

Age: 20, but has been synonymous with education for more than 250 years.

History: Began life in 1750 as Robert Gordon's Hospital. Became Robert Gordon's College, then Robert Gordon Institute of Technology, and finally a university in 1992.

Address: Teaching at two sites in Aberdeen: Garthdee and the City Centre campus.

Ambience: The main city centre campus adjoins Aberdeen art gallery. £100m investment recently in the Garthdee campus. The Garthdee Campus houses the Aberdeen Business School building, which was designed by Sir Norman Foster, and the faculty of health and social care, Gray's School of Art, the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and an £11m sports centre, RGU: Sport. The Schoolhill campus is in the heart of the city and houses the school of engineering, pharmacy, life sciences and computing.

Vital statistics: 15,000 students. Around 9,500 undergraduates and over 5,000 postgraduates. Around half come from the local area.

Added value: Has a strong professional emphasis and an exemplary reputation for graduate employment, with the best track record in Scotland – 98 per cent find work or go on to further study within six months of graduating. The university’s virtual learning environment (Moodle) is used by students on and off campus.

Easy to get into? Takes experience and academic qualifications into account. Depends on course, but entry requirements are given in grades as opposed to UCAS points. Most courses ask for Cs and above at A-level (Bs at Scottish Highers).

Glittering alumni: Artist Callum Innes, shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1995; Robert Cook, chief executive of Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin; Ena Baxter, of the Baxter soup empire; Derek Reid, former Scottish Tourist Board chief executive.

Transport links: A shuttle bus service travels between the campuses every ten minutes. Easy to get about by foot or by bike. Aberdeen itself is easily accessed with cheap air, train and bus connections.

Who's the boss? Professor John Harper is vice-chancellor.

Teaching: 49th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: Came 80th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: 51st out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: There's the students' union in the city centre, and a big student population means that Aberdeen is hopping with bars, clubs and has a vibrant music scene.

How green is it? So, so - the university finished joint 96th out of 142 universities graded by People and Planet for its ‘Green League 2012'.

Any accommodation? Yes - a room in self-catered university halls costs between £85 and £170 per week.

Cheap to live there? Not bad. Private rents are around £70 per week.

Sports ranking: 76th out of 146 in the BUCS league.

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 2012/2013 is £1,820 per year for most courses.

Bursaries: A range of merit scholarships are available. Visit the website for more details.

Prospectus: 01224 262 728; www.rgu.ac.uk

UCAS code: R36