There are three large universities in Glasgow: the University of Glasgow, the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow Caledonian University. Before deciding where to study, one should do some research. University websites can offer detailed information, but for a quick overview, read this article.
Is Glasgow a student city?
The short answer is yes. Glasgow is home to around 608,000 inhabitants out of which 130,000 are students ' making up a large and significant portion of the population. Hence, there are a lot of activities, restaurants, bars, clubs, etc., that target students. However, the density of the student population varies by area. For example, the Hillhead area in the West End is densely populated by students during the academic year ' due to its proximity to the world-renowned University of Glasgow which attracts 28,000 students each year. Similarly, certain areas of the Glasgow city centre are heavily occupied by those studying at either Glasgow Caledonian University or the University of Strathclyde. Therefore, if you live in the East, North or South parts of Glasgow, it might not feel like as much of a student city compared to if you live in the West End or in central Glasgow where students tend to cluster.
How do universities in Glasgow work?
Glasgow universities work similarly to universities in the rest of the UK. However, there are some important differences between universities in Scotland and England. The major difference is that, as of right now, if you are a student in Scotland from the EU, you can get your tuition fees fully paid for by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), whereas if you study in the rest of the UK you will have to pay up to £9,250 each year for tuition fees alone. International students not coming from EU countries will have to pay tuition fees in both Scotland and the rest of the UK. However, there are several scholarships and awards you can apply for that can cover tuition costs.
Another major difference between studying at a university in Scotland versus the rest of the UK is the duration of the degree. Most undergraduate courses in Scotland, including in Glasgow, are four years long. In England, on the other hand, undergraduate courses typically last for three years. It can be very important to take into consideration your course duration as well as tuition fees when calculating your budget as an international student in Glasgow.
Most undergraduate degrees are applied for through UCAS ' the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service ' which offers online application portals to track your applications to British universities. The online system is quite easily navigated, and there are a lot of tutorials and tips for how to fill in your application on the website.
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is a global centre for research and academia. It was founded in 1451, making it the second oldest university in Scotland ' just slightly younger than the University of St Andrews which was founded in 1413. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019 places the University of Glasgow in the Top 100 universities in the world. The University of Glasgow has several notable alumni, including seven Nobel laureates as well as natural scientist Lord Kelvin and economist-philosopher Adam Smith. Nicola Sturgeon, the current First Minister of Scotland, is also a Glasgow University graduate. The University of Glasgow is especially known for its medicine and veterinary medicine degree courses. However, many other courses are also among the top in the UK ' and the world. Tuition fees for the different programmes can be found here.
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde is a multi-award-winning technological university, that brings in 22,000 students from over 100 countries. It is especially known for its business, hospitality and law courses and is famous as one of the UK's largest engineering faculties. Strathclyde offers many fully-funded scholarships for international students with application deadlines during the summer before the academic year starts.
Glasgow Caledonian University
Glasgow Caledonian University is a more modern university with its campus in the heart of the city centre. It also is the home to around 20,000 students from more than 100 countries. It has an extensive academic library. And if being an expat and moving to a new country is not enough excitement and travel for you - Glasgow Caledonian also offers its students the opportunity to go on an exchange to study abroad for a year.
We do our best to provide accurate and up to date information. However, if you have noticed any inaccuracies in this article, please let us know in the comments section below.
