King’s College Aberdeen
AB24 3FX
Tel 01224 272 090
sras@abdn.ac.uk
www.abdn.ac.uk
Open day: August 31, 2010

PERFORMANCE

Sunday Times ranking 27 (34)

Student satisfaction 79.5%
Head teacher ranking 35 (33=)
Peer ranking 37 (30=)
Research quality 64.4%
A-level/Higher points 357
Unemployment 3.3%
Firsts and 2:1s 67.6%
Student/staff ratio 15.1:1
Dropout rate 10.9% (12.3%)
World ranking 153

Multimedia

• The Times University Guide table

VITAL STATISTICS

Undergraduates 9,021 (1,374)
Postgraduates 2,397 (1,346)
Teaching staff 699
Applications/places 13,796/2,922; 4.7:1 (+6.5%)
Clearing entry 6.8%
Live in 30% (100%) £72-£145
Bursaries No fees for Scottish students
Scholarships 100: £1,000-£2,500

SOCIAL MIX

EU/overseas 13%/8.8%
Mature 20.5%
State school 80.4%
Lowest social classes 25.3%

Aberdeen provides ample proof that an old dog can learn new tricks. With 500 years of history behind it, the university is not resting on its laurels but is reforming the curriculum to become even more flexible from 2010 (there are already more than 600 degree options) to allow more cross-disciplinary study. There will be enhanced access to overseas study, work placements or voluntary work, and study breaks.

There will also be more scholarships and extra flexible learning spaces on campus. (The university already claims to have the largest wi-fi network in UK higher education, with all 3,000 student rooms offering such access.) Students entering Aberdeen next September will reap immediate benefits from this revamp. There will be about 100 scholarships (at least 20 of them means-tested) at £1,000 a year. Seven Talisman scholarships for degrees in science and engineering will be awarded, one worth £2,500, the others £1,000.

Work is well under way on a new library, the biggest capital project in Aberdeen’s history, costing £57m. The Suttie centre for learning and teaching in healthcare opens this month, teaching anatomy and clinical skills to the next generation of doctors. Elsewhere, Oceanlab will allow Aberdeen to remain at the forefront of marine research.

The latest research assessment exercise was a big success. Aberdeen ranks 35= overall based on an averaging of scores for all staff assessed, with 55% of research classified as world-leading or internationally excellent.

The granite city is a welcoming place for students, about a quarter of whom come from outside the UK. Students like it and have awarded Aberdeen some of the highest marks in the national student survey, at 17= (79.5%), with students in philosophy and theology (87.6%) and law (85%) the most satisfied of all.

Pride of sporting place will soon be the £28m sports village, which opens with the new term. Just five minutes from the main campus, it will include an indoor football pitch, athletics arena, sports hall, squash courts and various outdoor facilities.

STUDENT VIEW

Robin Parker, students’ association president:

First impressions I remember the excitement of being in a lively international student environment.
Worst feature The biggest challenge is making your academic studies and the rest of university life fit together.
Facilities Some of the buildings on campus are 600 years old. It’s an inspiring combination of cutting-edge studies and heritage.
Deal clincher There is a good quality of life here, with great access to the mountains and the coast.

Rated excellent (11)
Cellular and molecular biology; earth, environmental sciences and environmental studies; economics; European languages; French studies; geography; medicine; organismal biology; philosophy; sociology; theology and religious studies.

Student satisfaction
Philosophy, Theology and Religious studies 87.6; Law 85; English-based studies 83.9; Psychology 83.3; Medical Science and Pharmacy 83.1; Other Languages and Area studies 83; European Languages and Area studies 82; Finance and Accounting 81.5; Economics 81; History and Archaeology 79.9; Human and Social Geography 79.3; Medicine and Dentistry 78.9; Physical Science 78.5; Sociology, Social Policy and Anthropology 77.9; Management 77.8; Physical Geography and Environmental Science 77.7; Biology and related Sciences 77.5; Electronic and Electrical Engineering 77.2; Sports Science 76.8; Mathematical Sciences 76.8; Politics 75.7; Initial Teacher Training 74.6; Computer Science 74.5; Mechanically-based Engineering 74; Civil, Chemical and other Engineering 70.7; Architecture, Building and Planning 63

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