University of St Andrews (reviews)

the classes were really good i got to do a mixture of onsite and off site projects granted i did start during covid so a lot of my learnign was done online. i got to meet a lot of different people (Americans) Which was so unique

Obviously people go to university for a degree, and St Andrews has excellent education in most subjects, but St Andrews is so much more than that. The town, the location, the traditions, the variety of students, the history, the celebrity – all add up to make it an Oxbridge equivalent but with much less pretension. It’s been a while since I was there and it’s changed a fair bit, but a friend of my son is there now and the USPs are still valid. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

I did my Masters at St Andrews. Although some of the lecturers were great, I did not feel supported during my thesis writing; my supervisor was on holiday and unreachable for two months. Further, I struggled to fit in with classmates and I had to live a forty minute bus journey away as St Andrews is so expensive. It is a small town with not much to do so glad I only did a year and a half there.

What I found most striking about starting at St Andrews was not the academic level, but the shift in how learning is structured and delivered. Coming from a school system where teaching felt highly attentive and personal, university can feel comparatively distant. Lectures are often recorded, which is useful, but can also create a more passive relationship to learning. Much of the meaningful interaction with tutors happens in office hours, meaning that building those relationships requires a level of initiative that isn’t always immediately clear to new students.
There is also a noticeable ambiguity around assessment. While feedback is detailed, it can be difficult to identify a consistent standard for what differentiates a good piece of work from an excellent one. Different tutors often prioritise different styles or approaches, which can make improvement feel less like a clear progression and more like adapting to individual expectations.
That said, I value the independence this system encourages. It pushes you to take ownership of your work and develop your own direction, even if that process can feel uncertain at times. I do think there is space for more visible enthusiasm and shared intellectual engagement within teaching, particularly in making academic passion feel more accessible rather than assumed.
One aspect that works exceptionally well is the Scottish degree structure. The sub-honours system and flexibility to study multiple subjects before specialising has been a major advantage for me. It allowed me to combine English and Art History in a way that feels genuinely interdisciplinary, and to discover how my interests connect across fields before committing fully.
Overall, St Andrews suits students who are self-motivated and comfortable navigating a less guided academic environment, but there is still room to strengthen how teaching connects more directly and consistently with student engagement.