University of Edinburgh Admissions Statistics

Are you thinking about applying to Edinburgh University? You're looking at one of Scotland's most prestigious institutions.

Edinburgh University is considered one of Scotland’s four ancient universities (opens in a new tab). Founded in 1583, it's the sixth oldest university in the entire UK. That's over 440 years of academic excellence! 

With such a rich history and world-class reputation, it's no wonder thousands of students dream of studying here each year. But how hard is it to get into? What are your realistic chances of securing a place?

In this article, you’ll find Edinburgh admissions statistics from the university itself, and a breakdown of these statistics by department. 

Top 4 Edinburgh Admissions Statistics 

• Overall in 2025, 68,862 students applied to Edinburgh University for an undergraduate course.

• Of those, 36,195 students received an offer.

• The University of Edinburgh made 5,429 more offers in 2025 than in 2024.

• The 2025 offer rate was 53% - the highest it has been for five years.

All data in this article is taken from the University of Edinburgh’s published Scotland fee admission rate stats (opens in a new tab) and the rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland admission fee stats (opens in a new tab).

Edinburgh Admissions Statistics: By Department

When reviewing the University of Edinburgh’s admission statistics, the data is divided between students with Scotland fee status and those with the Rest of UK and Republic of Ireland fee status.

There are 22 departments - or schools - at the University of Edinburgh. Each department delivers a set of courses. For example, the Business School delivers degree programmes in Accounting, Business Studies, and International Business.

We’ll look at the admission statistics for each department (school).

Admissions Statistics: Scotland Fee Status

Admissions Statistics: Rest of UK and Republic of Ireland Fee Status

Key Trends from 2025

• For most Schools (e.g. Engineering, Law, Informatics, Literatures & Languages), the number of applications from Rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland applicants is higher than from Scotland applicants. This suggests Edinburgh attracts a larger applicant pool outside Scotland, even with higher fees.

• The Edinburgh College of Art attracts the most applicants, no matter where potential students live in the UK.

• For Scotland fee status applicants, the Business School has the lowest offer rate (around 22%), making it the most competitive. For Rest of UK and Republic of Ireland fee applicants, the lowest offer rate is in the Royal School of Veterinary Studies (around 12%), so the most competitive school is different between the two groups.

This data is taken from the University of Edinburgh’s published Scotland fee admission rate stats (opens in a new tab) and the rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland admission fee stats (opens in a new tab).

Frequently Asked Questions

What Percentage of Edinburgh Applicants Get Accepted?

In 2025, 53% of Edinburgh applicants received offers for their chosen course. Since 2022, the offer rate has increased steadily, year-on-year (opens in a new tab).

What Percentage of Edinburgh Students Drop Out?

According to The Guardian (opens in a new tab), Edinburgh has a low drop out rate of 2.9%. This accounts for students who drop out of their course during the first year only.

Is Edinburgh Hard to Get Into?

Edinburgh is hard to get into compared to other universities. This is because many degree programmes require top grades as part of their entry requirements. For example:

• An MA Ancient History (opens in a new tab) requires A Levels of AAA to ABB, or ABBBB in Scottish Highers.

• Veterinary Medicine undergraduate courses (opens in a new tab) require AAA at A Level or AAAAB in Scottish Highers.

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References

University of Edinburgh - Our History (opens in a new tab)

University of Edinburgh - Scotland fee admission rate stats (opens in a new tab)

University of Edinburgh - the rest of the UK and Republic of Ireland admission fee stats (opens in a new tab)

University of Edinburgh - Admissions Statistics (opens in a new tab)

University of Edinburgh - MA Ancient History (opens in a new tab)

Royal School of Veterinary Studies - Entry Requirements (opens in a new tab)

The Guardian - 2025 University Rankings (opens in a new tab)