Undergraduate Study
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Aberdeen the City
Welcome to Scotland's third largest city - a place with a lively combination of historic charm, thriving economy and cosmopolitan community. Aberdeen, home to 220,000 people, is the perfect centre for work, for leisure and for play.
Friendly & Safe
Big enough for the ‘big city' experience, student-friendly Aberdeen is compact enough to make it easy to find your way around and make friends. From the historic 15th century University campus in Old Aberdeen it's just a short bus ride to the bustling city-centre of Europe's energy capital. Local crime rates are low, and the University operates a ‘Safe Campus' code for the benefit of students.
The Great Outdoors
Aberdeen is an attractive city in which to live, with green parks and open spaces. To the east of the city lie the North Sea and a coastline of sandy beaches, while to the west stretches Royal Deeside, the beautiful valley of the River Dee. It's just half-an-hour from the buzz of Union Street to the tranquillity of the nearby hills and countryside in one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland. Where else can you have lectures in the morning and ski in the afternoon, or sail, or wind surf, or hill climb, or canoe or...? From seaside to mountainside — it is all on your doorstep at Aberdeen!
The Nightlife
At night Aberdeen really lights up with a nightlife second to none. The huge variety of pubs and clubs ranges from trendy nightclubs, to cosy, old world pubs full of atmosphere and everything in between. A vibrant music scene includes regular major tours by the biggest names around and an eclectic mix of venues and dance floors promote the home-grown talent of local acts and Djs.
Time Out
With a student population of over 50,000, Aberdeen caters for all tastes in arts, culture, leisure and entertainment. Aberdeen has lots to offer, with the well-known His Majesty's Theatre, Music Hall and Lemon Tree regularly attracting national and international artists and companies. Three cinema multiplexes, Art Gallery, Maritime Museum and first-class sports and leisure facilities means there is always plenty going on.
Shopping, Shopping, Shopping
Aberdeen has everything a city in the UK should have and more. You'll find all the major supermarket and retail chains in Aberdeen, with four large city-centre shopping malls, including the piazza-style Academy and brand new Union Square complex. From high street stores and designer boutiques to quirky independent outlets and thrift shops, shopaholics will be delighted by the quantity and quality of places on offer.
Mercer Quality of Life Survey
For the second year running, Aberdeen has been ranked as Scotland’s highest rated city for quality of life. Only London and Birmingham in the UK rank higher than Aberdeen which has received a worldwide ranking of 54, ahead of such places as Hong Kong, Dubai, Los Angeles and Houston. Aberdeen also ranks as the safest city in the UK. We see this as yet more evidence that Aberdeen really is the place for you, a modern, vibrant city and a great place to study, work and play.
More for Your Money?
You may be surprised to hear that students find Aberdeen a cheaper city to live in than Edinburgh or Glasgow. If you need to boost your budget, Aberdeen City and Shire's buoyant local economy means there is no shortage of holiday and part-time work. See our Student Support section to find out more or see the Aberdeen University Students' Association.
More Information
For more information about Aberdeen, you can have a look at some of these websites:
