St Andrews, University of

University of St Andrews

Age: 598 - it was founded in 1413.

History: The first university in Scotland, and the third oldest in the English-speaking world.

Address: In and around the historic city of St Andrews on Scotland's picturesque east coast.

Ambience: Steeped in ancient buildings and customs. Sublime views of the sea. Students account for one third of city inhabitants.

Vital statistics: Small university with around 7,700 studentsExcellent international reputation. Prince William is its most famous graduate of recent years.

Added value: All arts students are awarded an MA rather than a BA. The most cosmopolitan of Scotland’s universities - students come from over 100 countries and one third of the student body is from overseas. Gatty Marine Laboratory pioneers research into whales, dolphins and seals, and a new Scottish Oceans Institute opened in 2009. An £8m Arts building opened in 2006, with a dedicated wing housing the world-renowned Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence. The Museum of the University of St Andrews (MUSA) opened in 2008 and last year saw the opening of a £45m medical science building and new halls of resience.

Easy to get into? Nope.The university traditionally makes offers based on specified grades rather than tariff points – broadly AAB-AAA at A-level or AABB-AAAA for Scottish Highers.

Glittering alumni: Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland; John Suchet, newscaster; Hazel Irvine, sports commentator; Fay Weldon, writer; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Transport links: Small city so you can walk everywhere. 45 miles north of Edinburgh, 15 miles from Dundee.

Who's the boss? Dr Louise Richardson, former executive dan of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, is principal and vice-chancellor. She is widely regarded as one of the world's leading authorities on the study of terrorism and political violence.

Teaching: 4th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 12th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Came 6th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: Union bar has a late licence. University is good for theatre and cabaret. Three club nights a week and numerous balls, including several kilt-and-sporran jobs. More than 30 pubs in town.

How green is it? Good – came 31st out of 142 universities graded by People and Planet for its ‘Green League 2010’, an assessment of environmental performance.

Any accommodation? Plenty. It costs from between around £2,450 to £5,100 per year for self-catered single room and from around £4,700 to £6,700 for catered. Shared rooms are available for less. Revamped £35m eco-friendly student residences, which feature toilets flushed by rainwater, are grouped around a grass-roofed central facilities building.

Cheap to live there? Not really. Competition for space means you could be payong between £90 and £100 per week for a room in a shared house.

Sports ranking: 25th 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, with the exception of medicine, which is £2,895. Fees for 2012/2013 are yet to be decided, but it is expected they will rise by the rate of inflation.

Bursaries: A number of scholarships are available based on specific criteria, including one for gifted golfers. See the website for further details.

Prospectus: 01334 462 150; www.st-andrews.ac.uk

UCAS code: S36