Studying in Scotland: Four-Year Degrees and Who Pays What
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom: you apply through UCAS and, if you need one, get the same Student visa as for England. What differs is the length of the degree, normally four years instead of three, and the fee, which depends on where you lived before the course. The general UK route is in how to get into a university in the UK.
Why four years
Under the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), a bachelor's degree with honours is at SCQF level 10 and worth at least 480 credits, which universities teach over four years. A bachelor's degree without honours, sometimes called an ordinary degree, is at level 9 and worth at least 360 credits.
The first two years are broader, and the last two, the honours years, are more specialised. At St Andrews, for example, a Computer Science student takes one or two computer science modules a semester in the first two years and three or four in the honours years. Some older universities call arts and social science degrees MA (Hons) even though they are undergraduate degrees: Edinburgh's Economics MA (Hons) takes four years.
Starting in the second year
Some courses admit strong applicants straight into year two, so the degree takes three years. At St Andrews, direct second-year entry to Computer Science for 2027 asks for Advanced Highers AB (A in Mathematics), A levels AAA with Mathematics, or 39 IB points with 6, 6, 6 at Higher Level including Mathematics.
Who pays what
| Where you lived before the course | What you pay in 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Scotland, if eligible for SAAS | Nothing: SAAS pays the fee (£1,820) |
| England, Wales or Northern Ireland | Rest-of-UK fee, up to £9,790 a year |
| Republic of Ireland | Rest-of-UK fee since 2021/22, with a SAAS tuition fee loan |
| EU, settled or pre-settled status, in the UK before 31 December 2020 | Same rights as UK citizens, including free tuition if you meet the residence rules |
| EU after Brexit, and the rest of the world | International fee set by each university |
The international fee is paid every year, so a four-year degree costs four years of fees. At St Andrews, for example, EU and overseas students starting in 2027/28 pay £34,910 in Arts, Divinity or Science and £41,600 in Medicine, which includes a Scottish Government levy for clinical teaching. St Andrews says it adjusts fees each year, typically by 3% to 5%. Rest-of-UK students at St Andrews pay £10,050 for 2027 entry, subject to government confirmation.
Fee status is decided by the university under Scottish regulations. If you are unsure, ask for an assessment before you accept an offer. Loans and the general fee rules are in how much it costs to study in the UK.
Applying through UCAS
The UCAS deadlines are the same as in the rest of the UK: 15 October 2026 for medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses, and 13 January 2027 for most others.
Highers and Advanced Highers
Scottish universities write their requirements first in SQA Highers and Advanced Highers, the Scottish school qualifications, and then in A levels and the IB. In UCAS Tariff points a Higher at grade A is worth 33 and an Advanced Higher at grade A is worth 56, the same as an A* at A level.
St Andrews shows the spread: its requirements run from Highers BBBB to AAAAB, from A levels ABB to A*A*A and from IB 36 to 38 points, depending on the course. Many Scottish universities also publish lower widening access requirements for applicants from Scottish schools and areas with low progression to university. St Andrews asks all applicants based outside the UK to use its standard requirements. The IB route is covered in IB Diploma admission in the UK.
Universities in Scotland
Our catalogue covers bachelor's degrees at:
- Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier, Heriot-Watt and Queen Margaret University (in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh)
- Glasgow: University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian, the Glasgow School of Art and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
- Aberdeen: University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University
- Dundee: University of Dundee and Abertay University
- St Andrews and Stirling
- University of the West of Scotland, with campuses in Paisley, Hamilton, Ayr and Dumfries
- University of the Highlands and Islands, with colleges across the north, from Inverness and Perth to Orkney and Shetland
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), with campuses including Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dumfries
Browse all UK programmes by city.
Living costs and work
The University of Edinburgh estimates £1,546 a month for a single undergraduate in 2026/27. For the Student visa, Scotland counts as "outside London", so you show £1,171 a month for up to nine months, on top of the first year's fee. Work rules are the same as in the rest of the UK, but Scotland has its own income tax bands. See student visa for the UK and scholarships and part-time work in the UK.
Where to look next
- How to get into a university in the UK
- How much it costs to study in the UK
- Student housing in the UK
- IB Diploma admission in the UK
- All 17,679 programmes in the UK
Official sources
- SCQF: the interactive framework
- Scottish Funding Council: university funding conditions 2026-27 (Annex C)
- University of St Andrews: fees for EU students
- University of St Andrews: direct entry to second year, Computer Science
- SAAS: Student Awards Agency Scotland
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.