About Scotland

The University of Aberdeen lies in Scotland, one of the four nations of the United Kingdom, with its own legal system, education structure, and cultural identity. Scotland and the Scottish education system stand out in many ways for Nepali students looking for a globally respected degree.

‍

Four-year undergraduate degrees: Scottish honours degrees typically run four years rather than three, giving students an extra year to explore subjects broadly before specialising.

‍

Affordability relative to the rest of the UK: Living costs across Scotland are generally lower than in London and the South of England, while academic quality remains world-class.

‍

Post-study work options: Graduates can apply for the UK's Graduate Route visa, allowing time to work in the UK after finishing a degree.

‍

A large, well-established international student community: Scottish universities host students from well over 100 countries each, including a growing number of Nepali students.

‍

Distinct culture and geography: From the Highlands to historic cities, Scotland offers a cultural experience shaped by its own traditions, festivals, and identity within the UK.

‍

About Aberdeen City

Aberdeen, on Scotland's northeast coast, is the country's third-largest city and is known for its silvery granite architecture, coastal setting, and status as Europe's energy capital.

‍

What matters most for students:

‍

• Affordability: Aberdeen ranks top 4 in the UK for affordability (QS Best Student Cities 2025).
• Safety and community: Aberdeen has held Purple Flag status for its well-managed evening and night-time economy for 12 consecutive years, the only Scottish city to do so.
• Compact and walkable: With a population in the low hundreds of thousands, Aberdeen is easy to navigate, with a strong sense of community that's welcoming to international students.
• Coastal and green: The city offers a beach, parks, gardens, museums, and an art gallery, alongside a growing food and culture scene.
• Economic identity: Aberdeen's long history in oil and gas, now expanding into renewable and offshore wind energy, means energy-related study and career opportunities are closely tied to the local economy.

‍

About the University of Aberdeen

‍

‍

‍

Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is Scotland's third-oldest university and the fifth-oldest in the UK, with over five centuries of academic history. It's associated with five Nobel laureates and counts figures like Sir Patrick Manson, the "father of tropical medicine," among its alumni.

‍

‍

‍

‍

Key facts:

‍

• Two campuses: The historic King's College Campus in Old Aberdeen, and the modern Foresterhill Campus, home to health and medical sciences.
• Size and diversity: The university serves a community of over 14,000 students, with more than 5,000 international students from over 130 countries.
• Academic structure: Programmes are delivered across four colleges: Arts and Social Sciences, Life Sciences and Medicine, Physical Sciences, and the Business School.
• Rankings: Aberdeen sits at #18 in the Guardian University Guide 2026.
• Teaching quality: The university holds Gold status in the UK's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the highest rating available, and ranks in the UK's top 12 for research impact (REF 2021), with the large majority of its research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent.
• Strategic research themes: The university organises much of its research and teaching around five global challenges: Energy Transition, Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity, Environment and Biodiversity, Data and AI, and Health, Nutrition and Wellbeing.

‍

Aberdeen focuses on academic depth and research. It’s a good fit for students who want a degree recognised for scholarly strength as much as career outcomes.

‍

Popular Courses at the University of Aberdeen

‍

Aberdeen's course strengths reflect both its historic academic breadth and its location in Scotland's energy region.

‍

Medicine, Law, and Health Sciences
Aberdeen's programmes in Medicine and Law both rank inside the world's top 150 subjects (QS World University Rankings by Subject), and the university's Foresterhill Campus is one of Europe's largest health campuses. This is a strong choice for students aiming for medicine, dentistry, or allied health and life sciences careers, particularly given the university's deep clinical and research links.

‍

Energy, Engineering, and Petroleum Geoscience
Given Aberdeen's identity as an energy hub, the university offers well-regarded programmes in petroleum engineering, geoscience, and renewable energy, closely tied to the local oil, gas, and offshore wind industries. It is well suited to students interested in energy transition, environmental sciences, or engineering with direct industry relevance.

‍

Environmental Science and Geography
Aberdeen's Environmental Sciences and Geography programmes both rank inside the world's top 150, reflecting the university's strength in sustainability, ecology, and forestry-related research. Forestry itself sits inside the world's top 100. It is a strong pick for students drawn to environmental and sustainability careers.

‍

Business and Economics
The university's Business School offers a broad portfolio, with Economics now ranked inside the world's top 200. It is a solid option for students wanting an internationally recognised business or economics degree from a historic institution.

‍

Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities
Subjects like History, Sociology, Politics & International Studies, Philosophy, and English Language & Literature all rank well internationally, making Aberdeen a strong choice for students drawn to research-driven humanities and social science degrees rather than purely vocational study.

‍

Who tends to do well at Aberdeen?

‍

Students who want a globally recognised, research-strong university with genuine academic depth — particularly those aiming for medicine, law, environmental sciences, or energy-related fields — will find Aberdeen a natural fit. It especially suits students who value a traditional, campus-based university experience and are drawn to interdisciplinary study around real global challenges like energy transition and sustainability.

‍

Scholarships

‍

The University of Aberdeen offers some of the more generous, straightforward scholarships available to Nepali students in the UK. As with any scholarship, students should confirm current  values, deadlines, and intake eligibility before applying, but recent and current offerings include:

‍

• Aberdeen Global Scholarship (Undergraduate & PGDE): A £6,000 tuition fee waiver applied for every year of the programme, available to new, self-funded, full-time on-campus international undergraduate students. It's automatically applied — no separate application is needed — though it doesn't apply to Dentistry, Medicine, or the DPLP.
• Aberdeen Global Scholarship (Postgraduate): An £8,000 tuition fee discount for self-funded, international-fee-status Master's students, specifically available to students domiciled in a defined group of South Asian countries — including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and the Maldives.
• Aberdeen Alumni Discount: A 20% discount on the full cost of a taught postgraduate programme (or the first year of a full-time research programme) for University of Aberdeen graduates continuing to further study.
• Subject-specific and smaller awards: The university also lists smaller, targeted awards (for example, subject-specific prizes and bursaries), which vary year to year and are worth checking directly for relevance.

‍

An important note for applicants: scholarships at Aberdeen generally cannot be combined — where a student is eligible for more than one, the highest single award applies rather than a stacked total.

‍

Final Thoughts

‍

The University of Aberdeen suits a Nepali student who wants the prestige and depth of a centuries-old, globally ranked institution—especially in medicine, law, environmental sciences, or energy-related fields—while still enjoying the affordability and manageable scale of a mid-sized Scottish city.

‍