Heriot-Watt University: Courses, Fees & Rankings

University profile

About Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt University is a specialist university headquartered in Edinburgh, with its roots in the Edinburgh School of Arts, founded in 1821 as the world's first mechanics institute. It describes itself as specialising in science, technology, engineering, business and design, and it is a registered Scottish charity (SC000278). Around 27,000 students from 154 countries study with the university, and its alumni community numbers over 182,000 in more than 190 countries.

The university has five campuses: Edinburgh (its main campus, set in 380 acres of parkland), the Scottish Borders campus in Galashiels, the Orkney campus in Stromness, and campuses in Dubai and Malaysia (Putrajaya). Students can move between campuses for a semester, a year or longer through the Go Global inter-campus transfer scheme, and Heriot-Watt also teaches many programmes online and by Independent Distance Learning, with over 14,000 students on its IDL programmes.

Teaching and research are organised into academic schools: the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS); the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS); the School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences (MACS); the School of Social Sciences; The Design School; and the Edinburgh Business School, which launched the first globally available distance-learning MBA in 1990. Foundation programmes in business, engineering, science, technology, psychology and accounting and finance give direct entry into year two of a degree.

Notable centres include the Lyell Centre for Earth and marine sciences, run in partnership with the British Geological Survey since 2016; the International Centre for Island Technology in Orkney; the Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE); and the Maxwell Institute for Mathematical Sciences, a partnership with the University of Edinburgh. In 1971 the university set up Europe's first university research park on its Edinburgh campus.

The Edinburgh campus has around 2,000 self-catered rooms in halls of residence, and first-year students are guaranteed an offer of accommodation. It is also home to Oriam, Scotland's Sports Performance Centre, along with a health centre, dentist, chaplaincy and the Students' Union, which runs over 60 societies and 30 sports clubs. In Galashiels, new entrants are guaranteed a room in the Jean Muir Student Village. About a third of the students on the Scottish campuses come from outside the UK.

Heriot-Watt received its Royal Charter on 4 March 1966. In Dubai, its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR).

University information

Tuition fees

For 2026 entry, students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland pay £9,790 a year for a BA/BSc/MA honours degree. Eligible Scottish students have their tuition paid by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS). International and postgraduate fees vary by programme and are set on each programme page. EU students without settled or pre-settled status pay international fees. Self-financing students must pay within 30 days of the programme start, and overseas postgraduates usually pay a deposit or advance instalment to secure their place.

Bursaries for UK students

Heriot-Watt University Bursary: up to £3,100 a year for full-time students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, based on household income (£3,100 up to £25,000; £2,100 for £25,001–£35,000; £1,100 for £35,001–£42,600). Paid in years 1–4 in three instalments, and awarded automatically after a Student Finance assessment.
Heriot-Watt Access Bursary: £1,000 a year for each year of undergraduate study, for students from widening participation backgrounds starting in September 2026. Applicants need an offer and must submit a statement of up to 300 words; the deadline was 6 April 2026.
Dr David McGillivray Access Bursary: £1,000 a year for a widening participation Scottish student starting a Chemistry degree in September 2026 (deadline 16 August 2026).
Discretionary hardship and childcare funds for students in financial difficulty, and alumni-funded Small Project Grants for student projects.

Scholarships for international and EU students

International Merit Scholarship: over £500,000 in merit scholarships for international fee-paying students enrolling in January and September 2027, usually paid as a partial fee reduction for the first year. Applicants should contact their regional team; online and research programmes are not included.
Americas and Europe (Non-EU) Scholarship: a tuition award of £3,000–£5,000 a year (undergraduate) or £3,000–£5,000 (postgraduate) for January 2027 offer holders from the Americas and non-EU Europe. Undergraduates need, for example, an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or 32 IB points.
Undergraduate European Union Scholarship: an automatic £5,000 fee reduction for each year of full-time undergraduate study for students with EU fee status.
Postgraduate European Union Scholarship: an automatic £5,000 fee reduction for full-time postgraduate taught study (year one only on two-year programmes).

Other awards

Alumni Discount: 20% off postgraduate taught fees on any campus or online for Heriot-Watt graduates and former study-abroad students.
Sports Scholarship Programme: top-up support for student-athletes of any nationality, run with Oriam and the Sports Union.
The Future Shapers Scholarship, launched in 2025, offers high-value awards to UK postgraduates working on global challenges, with a cohort of 12 scholars starting in September 2026.

Students may hold only one Heriot-Watt-funded scholarship. Scottish students may be eligible for SAAS support, and students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland for government tuition fee and maintenance loans. Enquiries go to [email protected]. Scholarships and bursaries | Fees and funding

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Undergraduate entry (UK campuses)

Applicants from the UK apply through UCAS (institution code H24; Scottish Borders programmes use campus code S). For September 2026 entry, applications should reach UCAS by 18:00 (UK time) on 14 January 2026. Later applications are still accepted but cannot be guaranteed consideration for high-demand areas. Clearing opens on 5 July 2026, and UK applicants can apply up to 28 August 2026. Decisions on applications made by 14 January are usually issued by mid-May.

Offers are generally based on Highers and Advanced Highers, and admissions tutors also accept A-levels, BTEC Level 3 qualifications (including the Extended Diploma), T Levels, Foundation Apprenticeships (at Higher level), the Welsh Baccalaureate with an additional A-level and 14–19 Diplomas. All applicants need English, and for most programmes Mathematics or Applications of Mathematics, at National 5 grade C or GCSE grade C/4. Good Advanced Higher or A-level grades can allow direct entry to year two, and HNC/HND holders can gain advanced entry to years two or three through college articulation agreements. Grades vary by programme and are set on each programme page.

Under its Fair Access Admissions Policy, the university guarantees an offer to care-experienced applicants and those from SIMD20 postcodes who can meet the minimum entry requirements, and makes contextual offers to other under-represented groups. Applicants for programmes such as British Sign Language or textiles and design may be interviewed, and offer holders are invited to visit between January and April.

International undergraduate entry

All undergraduate programmes are open to international applicants, who can apply through UCAS or directly through the university's online application form until 24 July 2026. After that date they apply through UCAS Clearing, and no overseas applications are accepted after 17 August 2026. A transcript is the only document required at first, with a passport copy and English language evidence recommended. Foundation programmes in business, engineering, science, technology, psychology and accounting and finance offer an alternative route into year two. Self-funding overseas students pay an advance fee instalment, and applicants under 18 need parental consent.

English language requirements

Applicants must show English ability through study in a majority English-speaking country, an approved English test passed within two years, or a Heriot-Watt or BALEAP-accredited pre-sessional course. Undergraduate minimums include IELTS Academic 6.0 (no component below 5.5), PTE Academic 63 (minimum 59), Duolingo 120 (110 in each component) and Oxford ELLT 6 (no score below 5). Postgraduate minimums vary by subject group. Translating and interpreting programmes need the equivalent of IELTS 6.5 (undergraduate) or 7.0 (postgraduate), and actuarial programmes need IELTS 6.5 with no component below 6.0.

Postgraduate taught and research entry

A first or second class honours degree in a relevant discipline, from a British or overseas university, is normally required, and relevant industrial experience is also considered. Applicants with an HND and four years' relevant experience, or an HNC and six years, may also be considered. Applications go through the university's online application form, except for online Edinburgh Business School programmes. Unless a programme page says otherwise, international applicants should apply at least six weeks before teaching starts, and those not needing a visa can apply up to two weeks before. Research applicants may also need a research proposal, and most applicants hear back within three weeks. Some programmes, such as languages and architecture, may interview applicants.

Visas and CAS

Students who need a Student visa receive a CAS evidence request form once their offer is Unconditional Firm, and may be interviewed before a CAS is issued. CAS letters are usually issued within 5–10 working days. Visa applicants must show their outstanding tuition fee plus living costs of up to £10,539, held for at least 28 days. Some subjects require ATAS clearance. While the UK Government's visa brake is in force, the university does not issue a CAS to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan applying from outside the UK.

Edinburgh Campus (Edinburgh EH14 4AS): the main campus, set in 380 acres of parkland, with over 10,500 staff and students. It hosts most schools and programmes, the Library and Learning Commons, the GRID learning space, a £7m Postgraduate Centre, Oriam (Scotland's £33m national Sports Performance Centre), computing facilities, a health service and dentist, childcare, a chaplaincy and Muslim prayer room, a museum and archive, shops and catering. Around 2,000 self-catered, single-occupancy rooms in on-campus halls, with first-year students guaranteed an offer of accommodation.
Scottish Borders Campus (Galashiels): home to The Design School's textiles, fashion and design teaching and research. Facilities include a constructed textiles workshop with looms and knitting machines, screen-print and digital print rooms, fashion and sewing workshops, Mac labs and a photography studio, a library in the main Borders College building, and the university's Textiles Collection. Accommodation is in the Jean Muir Student Village, and a twice-daily shuttle bus links the campus with Edinburgh.
Orkney Campus (Stromness): part of the Orkney Research and Innovation Campus since 2019, offering research-led postgraduate programmes in marine and environmental science, renewable energy and energy transition through the International Centre for Island Technology. It has an IT lab, a branch library, teaching rooms and a marine science laboratory. There are no halls of residence; staff help students find private accommodation.
Dubai Campus (Dubai Knowledge Park, UAE): opened in April 2021, offering foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD study, with programmes accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Malaysia Campus (Putrajaya): opened in 2014 as a £35 million campus, offering foundation pathways in science or business, undergraduate degrees in business, finance, built environment and engineering, and postgraduate study.

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