Get Sporty in Stirling: What is the University of Stirling Like?

The University of Stirling is known as an athletic hotspot for students who want to get out and bike, run, and row in Scotland’s university for sporting excellence. That’s great for athletes, who get to enjoy the beautiful scenery in this “gateway to the Highlands.” But what is the University of Stirling like once student athletes get there? And what is the University of Stirling like for everyone else?

For one, it came in first for our own Scottish university rankings for international students.

But we wanted to know more about what it felt like for students. So we scoured the stats, forums, and asked students about what it’s really like to live in Stirling, on campus, and attend class here. We wanted to know if all that hype from the International Student Barometer 2022, which rated the University of Stirling one of the best campuses for students anywhere in the UK, was true. Everybody wants a good uni, but that doesn’t mean the vibe will be right. We dug deeper so you know more before applying.

You can also check out nearby university guides from St. Andrews, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Compare costs at Scottish universities to find the university that gives you the most for your tuition dollars.

University of Stirling by the Numbers

Degrees: BA, BSc, BAcc, LLB

Majors: 26 subjects plus combination “joint” undergraduate degree programs that total 70 different available degrees. While US News doesn’t rank any course in the global top 100, the Institute of Aquaculture is the largest of its kind of ranks #1 in the UK, which augments its #296 Environment/Ecology and #299 Plant and Animal Science programs. Biological sciences are a strength, but you’ll also find courses from accounting to English literature, public health, law, sport, and teaching.

Location: Stirling, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Cost for out-of-EU: £16,400 for humanities and social sciences and £20,300 for lab sciences.

On-campus housing cost: From £90.05/week (£3,243 for the academic year) to £9,435 for a 51-week calendar year lease in a studio with private kitchen and garden, including WiFi, utilities, exercise room, and a communal living area.

FAFSA Funds: Yes

Abroad from abroad: Yes, 38 programs outside Europe, including Chile, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and the USA, plus 32 European partner universities. Programs are subject-specific, so outdoor education enthusiasts can enjoy a year in Norway, while Spanish-language students can choose between 13 Spanish universities. Other programs won’t get to choose Spain at all. Study abroad selection is limited based on your program of study.

Student body: 18,000 total students, about 30% of which are international and hail from 140 countries.

Five adjectives: Empathetic, Student-Centered, Lively, Natural, Cozy

Stirling and Living in the Heart of Scotland

Countrified? City centre? College town? The University of Stirling, located about 10 minutes outside the city. Though the population doesn’t quite reach 100,000, this lively town gets accolades from students who say it’s hopping, a great place for students to hit student-friendly hangouts on the weekends, from karaoke to cinema and theatre options.

It’s also equidistant from nearby Edinburgh and Glasgow for shopping. In fact, contrary to some criticism that Stirling is remote, it’s just 26 miles northwest of Glasgow and 37 from Edinburgh. That’s less than an hour by train.

Dance the night away at Fubar or grab yourself a Scottish-flag margarita and a slice of cheesecake at the Aussie eatery The Kilted Kangaroo. There’s a whiskey bar where you can hone your ability to tell apart Bourbon, Scotch, and Rye. The William Wallace Pub welcomes newcomers for pub trivia on Thursdays. And of course, you can just stroll around the old town and take in independent shops, charming cobblestone streets, and students on exchange looking just as lost as you. Visit historic Stirling Castle to get your bearings. Wander the medieval streets long enough, and you’ll find gems like an outstanding record shop and the Tollbooth music venue.

Stirling is a student town so if you go out, not just to student bars, but anywhere in Stirling, you see people you know and you are surrounded by other students.

Nearby Bridge of Allan is a hub for independent shopping, music, and food. Though less popular with students for accommodation, it’s a gem for hanging out and getting lost in Scottish lanes.

That’s plenty for many students to explore. Others find the town sleepy, better known for duck ponds than nightclubs. In fact, one of the town’s two clubs recently closed down, making Stirling a little quieter.

The reality is that Stirling is neither a bustling metropolis nor a retirement village. Stirling is a college town, and American students here feel they’re getting a familiar experience with a caring campus in a town that has enough going for it to keep students happy and busy. It bursts with music venues and views of the frosted hills that spread northward, full of tourists on Outlander tours.

Stirling is very walkable. It’s easy to take the bus wherever you go but you don’t have to. It’s possible to live off campus and be a few minutes from classes, walk to class, and walk to the center of Stirling.

The diversity of landscapes means that Stirling is a student town that serves as a base for students of all personalities. There’s no “typical” Stirling student. Plenty of students head to the city for Fridays out, while others hightail it into nature to ride their mountain bikes around Loch Lomond and through the Trossachs National Park.

Crime and Safety for Students in Stirling

Living in Stirling comes with moderate crime fears with students saying drugs and petty theft are the biggest concerns. Crime is comparable to nearby Glasgow, with an overall crime rate around 45 per 100,000 residents. That’s average for Scotland, and students unanimously say they feel safe walking back to their accommodation at night. Violent crime and sexual assaults have fallen since pandemic lockdowns, suggesting that Stirling’s future is looking up.

Student votes also back that students overwhelmingly feel safe in this quiet university town, and the university has been rated the safest student city in Scotland by the Complete University Guide 2023.

LGBTQIA+ Life in the City of Stirling

LGBTQIA+ students also proclaim they feel safe and welcome in Stirling. While the city is small and not known as a gay capital, there are gay haunts like the Barnton Bar and Bistro and an active campus society, as well as a support hub that can steer you to campus resources. 

Stirling hasn’t always been a haven for LGBTQIA+ people, but it benefits from being situated in an increasingly accepting Western nation where university life, and hence young people, dominate a good part of the local social and cultural attitudes. There’s plenty of entertainment, says one student, though there are few places that define themselves as specifically gay.

The Stirling Campus 

The University of Stirling isn’t old, but its campus is one of the most notable in the world. The 330-acre campus was given a royal charter in 1967. However, when the university was founded, new educators moved right in and took over the old grounds of an extensive estate, including its 18th-century Airthrey Castle.

Later, in 2002, the International Council on Monuments and Sites designed the campus as a top UK heritage site. With woods, parkland, and its own loch, the Stirling campus is beautiful. The gorgeous campus is the perfect place to meditate while gazing out over the Ochil Hills and the historic Wallace Monument, forgetting that final you haven’t started studying for.

The Old Town Jail, the castle, and the ambiance of Stirling are all things you see from campus that enhance your daily life here and make it special.

Sports Facilities

The University of Stirling is one of the best in the world for sports facilities, with a 50 meter Olympic-sized swimming pool, athletic fields, and a golf course — all of which appeal to student athletes who feel at home in Stirling. Sports facilities are top-rate, with many indoor options, classes you can join to stay fit and make friends. Students at the university can take advantage whether or not they’re here to make sport their profession.

There’s even an app to keep track of your personal training and sport class timetable. Yoga? Zumba? Aquacise? You’ll find 50+ courses weekly to fill the time between classwork, available to all. Sports clubs also cater to students who aren’t future Olympians, but want to benefit from the camaraderie and facilities that Stirling provides. Many new students come to Stirling and take up a club sport.

Campus Facilities

Student life is centered on the light wood and glass atrium in a brand new Andrew Miller Building that includes study spaces, cafés, and student services. There’s even a grocery store where you can pick up a Seattle’s Best Coffee. The campus is home to Macrobert Arts Centre, where you can catch theater productions, films, and exhibitions.

The campus also caters to scholars. The newly designed 2017 INTO Centre has helped pre-university international students progress into their University of Stirling coursework with tailored career guidance and help with everyday tasks, like opening a bank account, as they learn English and get ready to take on university coursework. It’s also let them nibble on lunch from Café Umami and enjoy lightning-fast WiFi while they do it. 

Its landscape has been impossibly green from its beginnings. But recently, the University of Stirling has also grown into a sustainability tour de force championing green causes. There are multiple eco-friendly buildings. Green initiatives help distinguish the university for its ecological mindset. The Centre for Sustainable Practice and Living connects the university’s management school and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

Some of that green-friendliness extends to student life. The Green + Blue Space offers students a place to find donated goods or learn to fix their own household items. Attend bike-repair workshops or just learn how to conserve water and electricity.

The University of Stirling attracts students who are interested in doing sports. But there are lots of other student societies to join, and you can join club sports at that level and make friends, too. It’s a very welcoming and inclusive place for non-sporty students.

Student Accommodation

If you’re not ready to take on household chores yet, you can let the university handle the conservation of resources in new, state-of-the-art student housing. You’ll find historic apartments, too. All in all, over 2,000 rooms cater to incoming students who are guaranteed a spot in their first year. Some of these spots are awe-inspiring. Spittal Hill cottages look like a New England summer camp, with Scandinavian cottages spread out along a green path. There are also swanky townhouses with mod kitchens, small double beds, and nine individual bedrooms sharing a common living and kitchen area.

Off campus, the university manages yet more housing. The newest option are Juniper Court and Willow Court, a short jaunt over a bridge and loch to the main campus buildings. Both options feel modern, clean, and with the best commute. Affordable Geddes has a reputation for being a first-year landing pad, while Andrew Steward Hall is also reserved for first years. These are places to complain about over-the-top security, noise, and aging facilities while meeting a lot of people and having a great time.

You can stay closer to campus in university accommodation but the rooms are generally smaller and older. The new buildings, Juniper and Willow, are much larger with ensuite bathrooms but they’re also the most expensive. They also have less of a community feel and students hide out in their rooms. To get to know people, cheaper is better.

Living Off the University Campus 

While students like the proximity of campus, off-campus accommodation can save you money and get you more square footage. Many recommend the nearby town of Bridge of Allan. It’s an affordable and bikeable gem close to campus. Because much student social life happens in Stirling and off campus, students say that renting in the private sector just gets them closer to the action. Spare room websites and social media groups help lone students find rentals. 

Unfortunately, like everywhere in Scotland, the housing crunch is real. As inflation and demand weigh on the market, more students find they can’t secure university housing or find anything affordable in town. Properties are rented before students can even check them out in person. Not only do students experience extra stress, but they can find themselves commuter students who feel they’re missing out on the university experience having to commute from distant cities every day for class.

Glasgow students have been known to take over student accommodation in Stirling, as they face their own housing crunch in Glasgow, and Stirling students return the favor. It all means students Stirling, Edinburgh, and Glasgow can be fighting over the same places and having less luck securing one. Want to come and study in Stirling? You’ll be set for year one, but may experience housing stress as you progress through your course. Students make the most of the housing hardship, moving farther from campus. However, some say they feel the setting of the university is perfect, and they wish they could find housing closer.

Studying in Stirling: Academics 

The University of Stirling ranks among respectable, but not standout, universities in the UK for undergraduate courses: it ranks #50 in the UK overall in the US News rankings and #653 globally (Times ranks it higher, between #350 and 400 globally). While global books, publications, and conferences for professors are just so-so, the University of Stirling’s international outlook is through the roof. The university also ranks in the top 20 in the UK for student satisfaction as measured by students themselves. And sporty students take note: Stirling University is 1st in the UK and fifth globally for its stellar sports facilities and and campus environment.

So if your game is sports, biology, health, psychology, aquatic science, ecology, or environmental sciences, the University of Stirling could hit your academic sweet spot. With standout programs in these areas and a strong commitment to international students, the university could be the perfect place to nurture your interests. 

Join the chat groups before you even arrive and you can start meeting people and getting to know who is in your accommodation or your course. It’s a good way to plan to go to class together and also have a person you can count on to study with later on.

The university is also tops for its career support system, with courses that emphasize hands-on experience and that students say prepare them well for employment by helping them find opportunities to work with industries across the region. Career services is beloved by students, who often told us they were grateful for the university’s practical approach to prepping them for careers long after they graduate.

Academic Advantages for International Students

Another of the university’s academic strengths is that it emphasizes a global perspective and flexible, interdisciplinary education. Nearly a third of Stirling University students are from overseas, so the uni has already built a reputation as an international university. Students and staff are used to seeing multiple nationalities on campus, as well as partnering with institutions and industries across the globe in order to bring the world’s many perspectives into central Scotland.

There are support systems in place to nurture students through the process of applying, getting a visa, and getting settled in Scotland. And once they’re there, students have a lot of freedom to tailor their academic experiences at Stirling, combining different subjects to create a holistic education that works for them. In fact, Stirling brags they have 170 different combinations you can choose. 

Students Said Academic Flexibility is a Strength

First-semester students get two electives to keep up a beloved subject or explore something new. Students can change their degrees based on their experience in electives. Mixing up unrelated subjects in their schedules, called timetables, is the norm for students here. Take both accounting and film! Math and education! Marine biology and French! It’s ok at Stirling.

I’m so grateful I did get to take multiple classes and continue with a subject that wasn’t part of my course, but that I really enjoyed. I feel like it gave me a better experience. I was much happier at uni taking classes that I knew were for my mental health, not just part of my future career.

While subjects are flexible, teaching is traditional. Students attend lectures, many of which are recorded so students can revisit them digitally. Classes include large lectures and break-out discussion groups called seminars. The mix depends on the course. There can also be group assignments and presentations. Overall, self-study is the norm, and students should expect to read and prepare questions ahead of time to have the best experience in class. Group chats are common, and helps students feel they’re in an inclusive, supportive learning community. 

One of the first steps to success is understanding the Scottish “common marking scheme” in which grades are assigned out of 100, with 40 and above passing. You’ll want to score in the 60s or above, and 70+ is a really good score. It’s a shock to perfectionistic newcomers, but is common in all Scottish and UK universities. And in the end, though there can be group assignments or quizzes throughout the semester, the norm is that “exam season” brings stress and accounts for most of a student’s grade. That can mean that freshers who aren’t used to studying on their own won’t have a good idea of how they’re doing until it’s too late.

Clubs and Societies

With over 120 societies, it’s not just sports stars that find their home in Stirling. There’s something for everyone, including an Assassin’s Guild that lets students run amok in the nearby forests looking to take down fellow students, to the Taylor Swift society, where you can certainly make some awesome friendship bracelets and talk about your best stories from uni. There’s even “underwater hockey,” which sounds confusing.

Particularly “Stirling” clubs include the wild swimming society and wildlife conservation society. Americans can play U.S. football or Ultimate Frisbee. 

Not ready to commit? There’s a “give it a go” period during which you can take part in a society on a trial basis to taste-test whether it’s right for you before joining up and paying dues (which are generally dirt cheap). And of course, if you can’t find the activity of your dreams, you can always start your own society with the university’s support.

Apply to Study at the University of Stirling

Apply with a high school GPA of 3.0 and a letter of recommendation. Tests are currently optional due to COVID disruptions, but could resurface again soon, and Stirling asks that testers submit scores of 26+ on the ACT, 1200 on the SAT, and 2 AP tests of 3+ taken in their junior and senior years. You can also submit SAT subject tests with a score of 550-600. Students with an IB diploma can submit their credentials between 26 and 34 points, depending on course.

You can use the UCAS hub with transcripts, a letter of recommendation, test scores, and your personal statement by January 21. With UCAS, you can apply to a total of five courses at one or across multiple universities. If you’re a prospective nursing or sports studies student, there is an interview component to your application, and social work students who are admitted will be asked to submit an additional piece of writing.

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