The University of Edinburgh is world-leading, so it is no surprise that people from Scotland and beyond want to study with us. Our students bring around £300 million each year in economic benefit to our region, enrich the cultural diversity of our city, and make positive contributions to our communities.
We provide a guarantee of accommodation for some groups, including all new undergraduates from outside Edinburgh who are studying for the full academic year. This year, we’ve met this commitment for all of those who applied in time, but we are acutely aware that city-wide housing shortages are having an impact on students after their first year.
Our aim is to keep our undergraduate community at a stable size. Indeed, aside from an anomaly during the pandemic years when more applicants than expected achieved top grades, the number of new undergraduate students joining us remains comparable to 2018 levels.
Ensuring our students have a safe and stable place to live is one of our top priorities. This year, as last year, we will house some 2,000 additional students over and above those who meet the criteria for our accommodation guarantee.
We know some students are worried, particularly amid cost-of-living concerns, and we’re targeting help to those most in need. Our accommodation advice service is available to help students find housing appropriate to their needs and we still have options available for those in emergency situations. We have doubled the available funds for students who are experiencing financial difficulties, and we stand ready to commit more funds if required.
