Edinburgh Napier University

Facts and figures

At Edinburgh Napier University, we believe in the importance of making a difference. While we’ve risen in rankings and grown in scope over the years, we’ve stayed true to our heritage as an applied technical institution. For our students and researchers, this means that learning and discovery doesn’t just take place in the lab or the classroom, it happens in the real world. That’s what makes us different. Year on year, we deliver personalised education, work-related learning and innovative research that matters—making positive change not just a distant goal but a daily reality.

Student success 

  • We are the number one university in Edinburgh for student satisfaction for the fourth year in a row (National Student Survey 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023)
  • We are the top ranked Scottish modern university in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024.
  • We have 15,407 students studying with Edinburgh Napier across our three campuses in Edinburgh, 2,825 through transnational education overseas, and a further 2,944 through online delivery.
  • We have 450 graduate apprentices across Computing, Engineering and Business.
  • 98% of our undergraduate students and 97% of our postgraduate students are in work or further study 15 months after graduation (HESA 2020/21). 
  • We have supported nearly 700 student start-up companies; that's 27% of all student start-ups in Scotland between 2014 and 2021.
  • We are the lead partner in the Edinburgh universities collaborative project, HUB for SUCCESS, which increases educational opportunities for those who have been in care. 
  • Some of our well-known graduates include BBC broadcaster Catriona Shearer, photographers David Eustace and Colin Baxter, Commonwealth Games Silver medallist Lynsey Sharp and film director Lynne Ramsay.

Academic excellence

  • According to the REF 2021, we are the top Scottish modern university for both research power and research impact, with more than two-thirds of our research assessed as internationally excellent or world leading.
  • In the 2019 QS Stars international university rankings, the quality of our teaching, internationalisation and employability were all officially recognised, with the University scoring five stars in each category and four stars overall.
  • In 2015, we were awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for our internationally acclaimed work in timber engineering, sustainable construction and wood science. This is the most prestigious award for the UK higher education sector for the impact of research on business, industry, environment and society – nationally and internationally. This was the second triumph for our School of Engineering & the Built Environment following a previous success in 2009.  
  • We are in the top quartile of UK universities for student professional development, as shown by the 2019 Postgraduate Research Experience Survey. 
  • We have the only Trimble Technology Lab in Scotland, expanding our leadership in training and research in 3D building design, digital fabrication and the sustainable built environment.

A global outlook

  • We are an international community with students studying on-campus in Edinburgh from more than 100 countries. 
  • Our degrees are taught across the globe in collaboration with our partners, with our most established partnership in Hong Kong dating back more than 50 years. 
  • In addition to Hong Kong, we deliver transnational education with partners in China, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland and Vietnam.
  • Since its inception 10 years ago, our distance learning platform ‘Global Online’ has delivered 16 programmes to over 7,958 students. 
  • In 2021-22, the University was awarded a significant level of funding from the Turing Scheme, to enable its students to access international opportunities in education and training across the world.

Making a difference



Further information