When to look for student accommodation
Looking early is key to getting the best and most affordable student accommodation. We usually see a lot of properties hit the market in early spring and those properties are let almost immediately.
Make sure you know what you and your flatmates are after and get looking early. To stay ahead of the pack, sign up for Lettingweb property alerts via email or text.
Student housing & student halls
Whilst most students tend to opt for halls in their first year and then shared accommodation later on, make sure your choice is based on which type of student housing suits you best.
If you're looking for a spare room at your university or trying to get someone to fill one in your flat, check out our student room finder via Twitter to connect with the thousands of students who use Lettingweb to find accommodations.
The University of Aberdeen is the third oldest university in Scotland, which is no mean feat considering that 5 of the UK's 'Ancient Universities' reside in the country. It is also the fifth most senior of the English speaking universities, putting it into the same bracket as Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Robert Gordon University cannot match its Granite City rival in terms of age, but has instead embraced its youth to become one of the top 'modern' universities in the UK. Now it has several accolades as a modern establishment that focusses on professional degrees and getting students useful qualifications. The university is centred on its Garthdee campus which is located in the South West of Aberdeen by the River Dee, far from the University of Aberdeen in the North. There is also a campus in the centre of the city, however, as well as student halls and a union.
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, famed for its high levels of culture and learning. As such, it shouldn't be too surprising that it is home to several universities – but the University of Edinburgh is probably its best known and definitely its most venerable. Founded in 1583, the University of Edinburgh is one of the Great Britain's six oldest universities (albeit the newest one).
Edinburgh Napier University was founded as Napier Technical College in 1964, but was granted a charter in 1992, making it the third Edinburgh institution to officially get university status. It is named after John Napier, the inventor of the logarithm who was born on the University's campus – albeit over 400 years before there was a University there!
Heriot-Watt University is one of the oldest higher-education institutes in the UK, having been established in 1821 as a mechanics' institute. As such it is the second oldest of the major Edinburgh universities, and second to be granted university status – which it achieved in 1966.
The University of Dundee is the primary institution in the city of 'jute, jam and journalism'. Despite existing in Scotland's fourth major city, the university was for a long time part of the University of St. Andrews. This gives the University of Dundee a distinct history and atmosphere, growing up as part of one of the UK's most venerable colleges and splitting into a modern independent body to represent Dundee.
Despite its tag as a 'modern university', Abertay University has been around for a long time – being founded in 1888 as the Dundee College of Technology. It was known as an 'industrial university' for most of its history, but was fully born as the University of Abertay in 1994. It retains a focus on technology and computing today.
Like its neighbour Edinburgh, Glasgow is home to several universities. The biggest of them all is the University of Glasgow, which also happens to be (by some distance) the oldest in the city and second oldest in the country. It is also very prestigious, with many venerated alumni and high academic standards.
The University of Strathclyde is a venerable institution in its own right, having been found in 1796 (but not getting the full Royal Charter until 1964 – the first technological university to do so). Despite being the second biggest of the Glasgow institutions, it is still a massive university with around 30,000 students and staff studying at 'The Place of Useful Learning'.
Glasgow Caledonian University is the combination of two educational institutions in the city, Queen's College and Glasgow Polytechnic. The two came together in 1992 to focus on providing educational that was accessible to all, focusing on the fields of Health, Science/Technology and Business. It has since grown in both student population and stature, and is a popular destination for students of all ages and requirements.
Tradition and academic excellence make up much of what the University of St. Andrews is known for, and that isn't too surprising when you consider that it is the oldest university in Scotland and the third-oldest in the entire United Kingdom. It is also typically at the top of the broadsheet lists of Scotland's top institutions and towards the top of the UK's.
The University of Stirling is actually located closer to Bridge of Allan than it is to the centre of Stirling itself, and its main campus is a former estate that lies between the two towns. One of Scotland's most beautiful places for a University, located around the central Airthrey Loch at the foot of the Ochil Hills, the campus is home to a large proportion of the students who attend – roughly a third choose to live in student halls 'on campus'.