Scottish Agricultural College

Scottish Agricultural College

Age: 21, but its component parts are much older.

History: Scotland's three agricultural institutions were united in 1990. The West of Scotland Agricultural College was founded in 1899, the East of Scotland Agricultural College in 1901 and the North of Scotland Agricultural College in 1904.

Address: Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Ayr host its three campuses. Other sites include eight veterinary centres and five research farms.

Ambience: Urban campus in Edinburgh. Ayr and Aberdeen are 'green' campuses. The Ayr campus at Auchincruive is surrounded by sea and countryside. Craibstone Estate, where the Aberdeen campus is based, is six miles out of the city, purpose-built in the early 90s. The Edinburgh campus is sited on the King’s Buildings campus of the University of Edinburgh on the south side of the city.

Vital statistics: Almost 1,000 students, with around half being full-time undergrads. Vocational higher education. At undergraduate level, offering HNC/Ds and bacherlors' degrees, as well as a number of postgraduate programmes . Degrees are awarded by the universities of Edinburgh or Glasgow.

Added value: Consultancy network for the rural community with offices across Scotland and the north of England. Work is in partnership with government departments and local authorities, and other academic and research organisations. Fully organic farm at Aberdeen. Programme structure enables students from further education colleges to enter the third year of degrees with related HNDs.

Easy to get into? BCC at Higher or CC at A-level required for degree courses, CC at higher or an A-level pass required for HND courses. Some courses require specific Higher/A-level subjects, but the college is committed to widening access and all admissions are at the principal's discretion.

Glittering alumni: Ed Byrne, comedian; Sheila Swan, gold medallist in curling at 2002 World Championships; MSP Alex Fergusson; Doddie Weir, former Scottish international rugby team player; Robert Reid, world champion rally co-driver in 2001.

Transport links: Edinburgh is four hours by train from London. Ayr and Aberdeen are placed by airports used by budget airlines.

Who's the boss? Professor Bill McKelvey, a vet by training. He has announced he will step down in January 2012.

Research: Top research establishment for soil chemistry, plant nutrition, crop development, animal welfare and behaviour, and avian studies.

Nightlife: Lively on campus; bars and active student representative councils organise theme nights. Plenty going on in the local towns and cities. Students and college staff are active in charity events such as Red Nose Day, Children in Need and Send a Cow.

Any accommodation? Yes, each campus has an accommodation office, which can allocate rooms in halls or farm cottages on Aberdeen and Ayr campuses.

Cheap to live there? Local rents depend on campus and location, but the lowest are £75 per week excluding bills.

Fees: Full-time Scottish and EU undergrads do not pay tuition fees. For undergrad HE courses, other UK students are charged between £1,285 and £1820 per year for those starting in 2011. Fees for 2012/2013 are yet to be decided, but it is expected they will rise by the rate of inflation.

Bursaries: Up to £2,000 per year for students, already receipt of public or government funding, through the college's Centenary Bursary scheme.

Prospectus: 0800 269 453; www.sac.ac.uk

UCAS code: S01