Home Sweet Dundee: What is the University of Dundee Like?

When students talk about the University of Dundee being a “good” university, most sources emphasize that you’d be better off at a prestigious Russell Group university (known for research power), or that the problem with the university of Dundee is that it’s in Dundee. We wanted to know, “What is the University of Dundee like?” Beyond the stereotypes, what kinds of students study at the university because they really found a home here? Who recommends Dundee? And is it a good value for money? 

Overall, Dundee uni offers many students a fantastic experience at the university, since it offers a wide range of courses, societies, stable (and affordable) housing, and hey — Dundee is a great city on its own, too.

But it’s not for everyone.

We interviewed students and dug into the facts, reviews, and programs to give you a better picture so you can choose if a degree from Dundee is right for you.

If you’re not sure, also check out University of Dundee reviews, or leave your own. And be sure to check out the best universities in Scotland for international students, as well as the cheapest. 

Dundee University Basics

Degrees: BSc, BAcc, BA, BeDs, BMSc, BEng, BDS, MA (undergraduate), MSc, BFin, LLB, MSci, PGDE, MBChB

Majors: Forensic anthropology, a dual-qualifying law degree (for practicing in Scotland, England, or Wales), ethical hacking, medical humanities, energy engineering, and applied computing are rare in Scotland. Though no programs rank in the global top 100 on US News, cell biology, biology and biochemistry, and molecular biology and genetics all rank in the top 200. Design courses are also notable: the Jordanstone College of Art and Design offers multiple MoDes degrees in various specializations like Graphics and Comic Novels.

Location: Dundee city, Angus County, Scotland

Cost for out-of-EU: £21,900 for MA social science programs like history, international business with Spanish, or even law with energy law. An MSc in mathematics will set students back £20,600. Science degrees like physics come with a tuition of £24,300. Clinical medicine tuition runs £52,105.

On-campus housing cost: Undergraduate rooms range from £5,878 in West Park Villas to £7,396 for a premier room in Belmont Flats (nursing students stay longer and pay additional weekly fees for the privilege). West Park comes with groovy 90s wood paneling, but en suite private bathrooms and showers. In fact, you’ll never share a bath at Dundee. Belmont Flats premier rooms add tons of shelf and floor space, with new, immaculate rooms. They’re also in the middle of campus, so you can’t get more central. Try to snag a river and city view for a truly “premier” room.

FAFSA Funds: Yes

Abroad from abroad: Yes, for a semester or a full year. There are 51 programs in English and 32 that require language proficiency. Your course will dictate the opportunities available: sometimes there are just a couple. For example, as a fashion design student you can apply to study at a single partner institution: Alma College, a 14,000-student private school in Michigan. 

Student body: 16,000 students, 3,500 of which are international and hail from 140 countries.

Five adjectives: Compact, Nurturing, Collaborative, Practical, Inclusive

Dundee City Centre 

Dundee’s been called the city of jute, jam, and journalism. Best known for its industry, this dense and compact university city of 147,000 residents (about the size of Gainesville), is a picturesque hamlet on the Tay estuary on the east coast of Scotland, facing the North Sea. It’s an hour north of Edinburgh. While it’s Scotland’s second densest city, Dundee hardly feels citified. 

Today, jam has been replaced with Raspberry Pi — the city has a reputation for programmers as a center of app development and mobile gaming. Grand Theft Auto, Lemmings, and Minecraft have roots in Dundee. You’ll find that edgy, gentrifying vibe throughout this youthful city, home not only to the University of Dundee but to Abertay University and weekend student visitors from nearby St. Andrews.

The people are warm and welcoming. I’ve noticed that people in stores are so helpful, other students are so helpful, everyone is just really willing to help. You’re never alone and it has been easy to make personal connections.

Further, the city has been buoyed by the university’s design prowess along with a new Victoria and Albert Museum of Design on the Dundee waterfront. It’s the only design museum in all of Scotland. Add some foodie predilections and a graffiti art alley, and a new hipster reputation is starting to emerge for this “coolest little city.” 

For instance, Heather Street Food, right outside the V&A can offer up deep fried doughnuts that hit the spot on a bone-chilling grey afternoon. Rose sugar topped with Nutella? Bring it. 

If you’re up for it, use that doughnut as fuel to climb to the city’s highest point: the Law Hill culminates in a war memorial which you’ll see standing sentinel from many parts of the city center. However, make the trek to the top, and you’ll get a great picnic spot where you can soak up a rare sunny day. Or head over to Broughty Ferry Beach to watch kayakers (and sometimes hear bagpipers bidding them adieu).

Safety and Affordability in Dundee

Dundee students say their city is small and therefore safe; if they’re out at night, they don’t mind outstaying their friends and walking home: they’re often only 5 minutes away. Dundee’s reputation for crime is outdated, and drug activity is far north/northeast of the university — 100% of the students we talked to said they feel safe in central Dundee. Getting around is easy without a car, and students barely open their Uber apps in walk-friendly Dundee. However, the world does open up to students with wheels. If you find a friend who can drive, you’ll be able to explore nearby hotspots like quaint St. Andrews or Tayport (get some Mac and cheese while checking out sweeping views over the Tay Road Bridge back toward Dundee).

Another selling point is the city’s affordability. Voted the top affordable city for students in 2021 Dundee prices come in roughly 20% under other Scottish student hubs like Glasgow and Edinburgh. The university’s recycling center can help incoming students save on upfront costs, too, by passing on hand-me-down housewares to newbies. You can also save by taking advantage of the free campus night bus, which ferries students around the city so they can avoid pricy taxi fares.

My experience has been good. There’s lots on campus and in Dundee for students. So going out is really cheap and there’s lots of places to go, get pizza, go to a café. And there is a rewards app that everyone uses that makes it even better. The city caters to students.

What makes it so affordable? Well, Dundee isn’t exactly London. Instead, it’s compact and easy-going. For students looking to escape the chaos, they’ll find that a quieter city comes with a lower price tag. However, students won’t find nearly as many study distractions here. What they will find is a mix of modern and historic buildings, a city that’s easy to own, to walk around, and to get to know, and a place where you’ll definitely see students you know when you go out to hit the town (you just won’t see them at a foam party ball-pit pop up or any of the bigger, trendier clubs that the big cities offer).

LGBTQIA+ and International Scenes in Dundee

Gay life in Dundee follows the same pattern: Dundee is soaking in big city vibes but without the corresponding big city resources. So LGBTQIA+ students say they have found Dundee very gay-friendly, especially the university and city center. However, Dundee is small and that can lead to the community feeling both insular (in a bad way) and familiar (in a good way). 

International students find some of the same vibes in Dundee. There are many activities for them, including pre-freshers’ week get-togethers, and the ability to join general Dundee expat groups for walks and meals. However, if these resources aren’t up your alley, you won’t find diverse communities, clubs, and meet-ups elsewhere.

University of Dundee Campus

Dundee’s city campus is about as student-friendly as they come. We were giddy that the university offers free coffee and tea in the Global Room, but you can also find advice for international students there, close to counseling, disability services, and lots of other student supports. You won’t need to go far for the rest of your needs at this public research university, either. You can cover the university campus in about 10 minutes from end to end on foot. That gives the city center campus a compact feel. If you’re coming to Dundee uni to study, you’ll learn the ins and outs of campus quickly; it’s a lovely campus and a good place for zipping to activities and events easily. There’s also plenty of support available to help students all in easy reach.

However, the University of Dundee doesn’t feel like a commuter school; overflowing with student activities and an ambitious student union, the campus bubbles with activities all day and night, including little comforts like the bottomless hot water offered at the library, so you can BYO teabags to cram for finals (you can also buy wraps at the library’s café and store books in their overnight lockers). 

There’s no reason to go home. Everything you need is on campus so if you have a long day you can easily stay and study on campus.

There’s also student support at the Union right next door to the library. Students can get free breakfast at the Air Bar as part of a program to help students through Scotland’s current inflationary environment. Breakfast rolls are free for students at the Liar, too. The University of Dundee has, more than other universities, taken the cost of living crisis to heart and is putting their resources to use for students. Apart from breakfast, a student pantry with food and toiletries is available. The university has also designated cash for new laptops for students who fall on hard times during their studies. 

All these measures help students continue at uni regardless of personal circumstances. With additional support from disability resources for students struggling with mental health and an academic skills center available for one-on-one advice, Dundee feels like a place where student needs are the priority, not just a future goal.

The rest of campus is a mix of inter-city modern buildings and other historic gems, just like the city itself. Students often study and breakfast in the Liar Bar at the student union, with a fabulous wall of windows overlooking the river. The union is one of the busiest in the UK, with tons of activities, cafés and clubs to keep students busy.

For a quieter cram session, students can check out study rooms inside their own departments, or on a sunny day, abundant green spaces like the Geddes Quadrangle.

My first impression of the campus was that it was very green and very easy to get around. The university is very clean and set up well so that it just feels very beautiful. I walk to classes through the woods in the fog and it just feels quaint.

The ISE is where student athletes will find sports facilities. Students pay for a various gym memberships which can include the facilities and classes if you like. The student facilities undercut private gyms and are convenient, too.

Student Accommodation at Dundee and Off-Campus

The University of Dundee offers cheaper accommodation than surrounding cities, with some St. Andrews students even lining up in Dundee for affordable student housing and more social options. In spite of competition between students from multiple universities, the housing crunch is mild compared to other cities. Students report they find housing at prices that makes their Edinburgh friends jealous and they’re never afraid they won’t find housing at all. Keep in mind that all accommodation in Dundee is self-catering (you’ll make or buy your own food) so housing prices may look extra appealing because of that.

On campus, there are just 5 university accommodation buildings: a new and old Seabraes building and a cluster of comparable student dorm buildings on campus where the majority of new students land. The new Seabees is farther afield, which can make it quiet. It’s close to Magdalen Green, too, a riverfront strip of green space that can extend the bounds of your study space.

You’ll find Westpark Villas close to the hospital but a bus ride away from campus. Nursing students end up there, as it caters to the extended nursing semester schedule so residents stay into July, surrounded by others in their program. That can be both an academic and social bonus. 

Either way, you’ll find flats all en suite at Dundee. So you won’t share your bathroom and shower. Living areas are shared. The size of “flats” varies, but typically, 4-8 rooms is the distinguishing point.

Campus accommodation caters to first-year students, though other students are welcome in some accommodation. 

My favorite is the 24-hour bakery. It’s a good stop on your way back to accommodation.

Moving out after first year is the norm. Students search for housing (and summer storage) early, but say they were able to score far more space than they’d find in a dorm for a comparable price. Perth and Blackness Roads are popular centers for student apartments. You’ll also find tons of student-friendly businesses on Perth (which extends for miles), from pubs to restaurants, music stores, art films, and groceries.

Studying at Dundee: The Student Experience

Traditions and Scottish-isms

Once affiliated with the University of St. Andrews, there are a few academic traditions at Dundee that echo those in Scotland’s “ancient” universities. First, you can choose between undergraduate degrees. For instance, in psychology, you can pick a BSc or MA degree. Both are undergraduate degrees. 

Second, students here are assigned university “families”. They’re assigned “moms” and “dads” as parents that lets freshers make friends, get out, and be shown the ropes through university “aunties,” “uncles”, and “cousins.” And Dundee has other traditions, too. One is that students often visit their previous accommodation to show new residents the ropes. Traditions are loose compared to St. Andrews, with fewer students participating. However, the continuity can be good for students looking for a tight-knit academic tradition that gets them started on the right food. 

Once in classes, students find Dundee’s top strength is its faculty. Students adore the teaching they get at Dundee, known for its open door policy where faculty promise to be available for students whenever they need it. Students need not wait for office hours — if a member of staff is in, go ahead and pop your head in. Faculty is also known for quick responses to emails and generally being committed to teaching duties above all else.

World-Class Programs

Officially, Dundee excels in STEM and design subjects. If both are your jam, you’ll find a great academic home here (ahem, gaming industry). The university of Dundee is also known for its success in nurturing new businesses, so if you’ve got an entrepreneurial streak in these areas, consider Dundee. 

Dundee is known for biological sciences but the quality of student life is really underrated for other courses. I’ve had an excellent experience here with reaching staff and with everyone very open and that’s made the academic experience far superior to what I think I’d get elsewhere. I feel supported and that the education here is really going to prepare me for my career because I’ve been able to ask questions and make connections with staff that extend outside the university.

A new life sciences innovation hub is due to open in 2024, further accelerating the pace by which biomedical research can find its way to market. A Dundee incubator further supports new businesses, especially those that make urban life better and more sustainable, from a boat booking app to decarbonization solutions. 

Design has long made a home in Dundee, and there are particularly strong offerings in hometown staples like textile design. The program hypes its “workshop culture” where design students get access to technology like laser cutting, GPA textile dying machines, and 3D printing. From wood to textiles, workshop space is as large as the Scottish countryside. Design students also get a  tutor (academic advisor) to guide them along the way, including help finding internships so students walk away with some real-life experience. 

Academics are typical for public universities in the UK: lectures are followed by break-out sessions for discussion and grades are largely decided by exams. What is different about Dundee is its commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration and a general feeling of togetherness that permeates the university, where academics are holistic, and partnering across disciplines is the norm. Partnering with the city is the norm, too. Both distinctions make Dundee a standout place to launch your business dreams.

Apply to Dundee

Apply by registering with the UK’s online portal, UCAS, or the US Common App by June 30, except for dental and medicine. The domestic deadline is January 31. Programs like education or arts & Social sciences require a US GPA of 3.0, with test scores currently optional. You’ll need a 3.2 GPA in essential subjects. Using UCAS, you’ll submit transcripts, test scores you’d like considered, a reference letter, and a personal essay.

Studying in the UK? in Scotland?

Before you commit to Scotland, learn more about how English and Scottish universities differ. Then check out guides on other universities in Scotland, like the University of Edinburgh, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Stirling, or the University of Glasgow.