There are fifteen universities based in Scotland, the Open University, and three other institutions of higher education.

The first university in Scotland was the University of St Andrews, founded in 1413, with St John's College being added in 1418P. Daileader, "Local experiences of the Great Western Schism", in J. Rollo-Koster and T. M. Izbicki, eds, A Companion to the Great Western Schism (1378–1417) (BRILL, 2009), , p. 119. and St Salvator's College in 1450. The other great bishoprics followed, with the University of Glasgow being founded in 1451 and King's College, Aberdeen in 1495.J. Durkan, "Universities: to 1720", in M. Lynch, ed., The Oxford Companion to Scottish History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), , pp. 610–12. St Leonard's College was founded at St Andrews in 1511 and St John's College was re-founded in 1538 as St Mary's College.J. E. A. Dawson, Scotland Re-Formed, 1488–1587 (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007), , p. 187. Public lectures that were established in Edinburgh in the 1540s would eventually become the University of Edinburgh in 1582.A. Thomas, "The Renaissance", in T. M. Devine and J. Wormald, The Oxford Handbook of Modern Scottish History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012), , pp. 196–7. A university briefly existed in Fraserburgh between 1592 and 1605. In 1641, the two colleges at Aberdeen were united by decree of Charles I (r. 1625–49), to form the ‘King Charles University of Aberdeen’.D. Ditchburn, "Educating the Elite: Aberdeen and Its Universities”, in E. P. Dennison, D. Ditchburn and M. Lynch, eds, Aberdeen Before 1800: A New History (Dundurn, 2002), , p. 332. They were demerged after the Restoration in 1661. In 1747 St Leonard's College in St Andrews was merged into St Salvator's College to form the United College of St Salvator and St Leonard. A new college of St Andrews was opened in Dundee in 1883, though initially an independent institution.R. D. Anderson, "Universities: 2. 1720–1960", in M. Lynch, ed., The Oxford Companion to Scottish History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), , pp. 612–14. The two colleges at Aberdeen were considered too small to be viable and they were restructured as the University of Aberdeen in 1860. Marischal College was rebuilt in the Gothic style from 1900. The University of Edinburgh was taken out of the care of the city and established on a similar basis to the other ancient universities.O. Checkland and S. G. Checkland, Industry and Ethos: Scotland, 1832–1914 (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1989), , pp. 147–50.

After the Robbins Report of 1963 there was a rapid expansion in higher education in Scotland. By the end of the decade the number of Scottish Universities had doubled. New universities included the University of Dundee, Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt, and Stirling. From the 1970s the government preferred to expand higher education in the non-university sector and by the late 1980s roughly half of students in higher education were in colleges. In 1992, the distinction between universities and polytechnic colleges/central institutions was removed.L. Paterson, "Universities: 3. post-Robbins", in M. Lynch, ed., The Oxford Companion to Scottish History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001), , pp. 614–5. This created new universities at Abertay, Glasgow Caledonian, Edinburgh Napier, West of Scotland and Robert Gordon.R. Shaw, "Institutional and curricular structures in the universities of Scotland" in T. G. K. Bryce and W. M. Humes, eds, Scottish Education: Post-Devolution (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2nd edn., 2003), , pp. 664–5. In 2001 the University of the Highlands and Islands was created by a federation of 13 colleges and research institutions in the Highlands and Islands and gained full university status in 2011.

UniversityImageLocationUniversity groupingYear of university statusTotal HE students ()Academic staff ()MottoNotes University of St Andrews St Andrews Ancient university 1413 (foundation 1410) ΑΙΕΝ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΥΕΙΝEver to excel University status conferred on 28 August 1413 by a papal bull of Pope Benedict XIII. University of Glasgow Glasgow Ancient university 1451 Via, Veritas, VitaThe way, the truth, and the life University status conferred on 7 January 1451 by a papal bull of Pope Nicholas V. University of Aberdeen Aberdeen Ancient university 1495 Initium sapientiae timor dominiThe beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord Established as King's College, Aberdeen in 1495 by a papal bull of Pope Alexander VI, and in 1860 merged with Marischal College (established 1593 as Aberdeen's second university), explicitly maintaining the date of foundation of King's College. University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Ancient university 1582 Nec temere, nec timideNeither rashly nor timidly Established as the ‘Tounis College’ in 1582, after James VI of Scotland granted the Edinburgh Town Council a royal charter to establish a college on 14 April 1582. University of Strathclyde Glasgow Chartered university 1964 (foundation 1796) The Place of Useful Learning The Royal College of Science and Technology was granted university status by royal charter in 1964, although the precursor Anderson Institute can be traced back to 1796 and the name Anderson's University was used between 1828 and 1887. Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Chartered university 1966 (foundation 1821) Leaders in ideas and solutions Heriot-Watt College was granted university status by royal charter in 1966, although the precursor School of Arts of Edinburgh was established in 1821. University of Dundee Dundee Chartered university 1967 (foundation 1881) Magnificat Anima Mea Dominum My soul glorifies the Lord First established (1881) as University College, then Queen's College under the University of St. Andrews, until establishment as an independent university in 1967. University of Stirling Stirling Chartered university 1967 Innovation and Excellence Planned as part of the Robbins Report of 1963, and constructed at a greenfield site on the estate of Airthrey Castle. Edinburgh Napier University Edinburgh Modern university 1992 (foundation 1964) Nisi Sapientia FrustraWithout knowledge all is in vain First established 1964 as Napier Technical College. Robert Gordon University Aberdeen Modern university 1992 (foundation 1750) Omni Nunc Arte MagistraNow by all your mastered arts First established 1750 as Robert Gordon's Hospital. Glasgow Caledonian University Glasgow Modern university 1993 (foundation 1875) For the Common WealFor the common good The university traces its origin to The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded 1875) and the Glasgow Polytechnic (founded 1971). Abertay University Dundee Modern university 1994 (foundation 1888) Beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam Blessed is the man who finds wisdom First established in 1888 as Dundee College of Technology. Queen Margaret University Musselburgh Modern university 2007 (foundation 1875) Head, Heart and Hand First established 1875 as The Edinburgh School of Cookery and Domestic Economy. Moved to a new campus in Musselburgh in 2007–8. University of the West of Scotland Paisley, Hamilton, Dumfries and Ayr Modern university 2007 (foundation 1836) Doctrina ProsperitasSuccess comes through learning First established 1836 as a School of Arts, then in 1992 as the University of Paisley, and re-formed in 2007 following a merger with Bell College. University of the Highlands and Islands Highlands and Islands,Moray and Perthshire Modern university 2011 (foundation 2001) Foghlam aig ìre Oilthigh air a' Ghàidhealtachd is anns na h-Eileanan University-level study in the Highlands and Islands A federation of colleges, planned from 1992 onwards and first established in 2001 as the UHI Millennium Institute and awarded full university status in February 2011. The central administration and largest college is in Inverness.

See also Armorial of UK universities Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland Education in Scotland List of further education colleges in Scotland Universities in Scotland

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