Living in Edinburgh

The University is at the heart of the city of Edinburgh. Scotland's inspiring capital will be the backdrop to your studies and is regularly voted as one of the most desirable places to live in the world.

Edinburgh is large enough to offer something for everyone but small enough to feel like home. It is a modern, sophisticated and beautiful European city, with a diverse multicultural community and is ranked 6th best student city in Europe and 13th in the world (QS Best Student Cities 2025)*.

A student city

Around 100,000 students call Edinburgh home, giving the city a unique buzz and ensuring you'll be in good company. The friends you meet, places you discover and the lasting memories you create will contribute as much to your university experience as your formal learning. 

 

Edinburgh is home to the most varied and dynamic calendar of international events and festivals in the world, making the celebration of diversity an intrinsic part of the city's culture. Edinburgh boasts the largest collection of historic buildings, museums, art galleries and theatres of any city in Scotland. 

 

Edinburgh also offers an exciting and varied social scene, with hundreds of bars, clubs, cinemas, and music venues throughout the city, there's something for everyone here. 

 

Edinburgh's shops cater to all tastes and budgets, from high street favourites to independent boutiques, and with more restaurants per head than any other city in the UK, whatever you are looking to eat after a busy day adventuring around the city or studying in the library, Edinburgh has it. 

 

What to see and do

Edinburgh is a city often praised for being beautiful - with its many parks and gardens around town and aesthetically aged Old Town (the oldest region of the city of Edinburgh) it's not hard to see why.

Edinburgh often ranks as one of the top cities for people to live, work, and study in, and has recently been named as the UK's most attractive city to live and work in a study commissioned by the Royal Mail.

*Best student cities 2025 (QS) - Edinburgh ranks 13th in the world

Quality of life ranking (Numbeo) - Edinburgh is 20th in Europe

Great city for start-ups - second only to London in UK


Edinburgh's International Airport puts the city within the reach of the rest of the world thanks to direct flights from most major cities in Europe and a host of destinations worldwide. 

Within the UK, Edinburgh is easy to reach and makes an ideal location from which to explore. London is just four hours away by train while a two-hour jaunt north puts you at the heart of the Scottish Highlands.

Within the city limits, Edinburgh is one of the UK's greenest cities with an extensive cycle route network, with bikes available to hire across the city, plus reliable and affordable bus and tram services. 

Edinburgh's compact size makes it ideal for exploring on foot too! 

Campus maps


The University of Edinburgh offers a range of catered and self-catered options and most are close to key University buildings and facilities.

University-owned and managed accommodation typically includes:

  • all heating, hot water and electricity costs
  • internet facilities in every study-bedroom and Wi-Fi in the vast majority of study-bedrooms and common areas
  • contents insurance
  • secure bike storage
  • laundry facilities 

Find out more about University accommodation


Edinburgh is home to countless sports groups and organisations including two professional football teams, a professional Rugby Union team and a commonwealth length swimming pool. Edinburgh University also has one of the best sports and gym facilities amongst UK universities.

List of Edinburgh University sports societies

Edinburgh sports facilities:

Centre for Sport and Exercise

Firbush - outdoor sports centre based at Loch Tay

Commonwealth pool


Edinburgh is very competitive in terms of cost of living compared with other UK cities.

As it is the capital of Scotland, it does have its more expensive parts of town but it is a lot more affordable than its English capital counterpart. 

Cost of living estimates


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