Education in Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 has a strong tradition with two Universities and Scotland's largest further education college.

Universities

The first of Aberdeen's two universities, King's College

King's College, Aberdeen

King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and an integral part of the University of Aberdeen...

, was founded in 1495 by William Elphinstone

William Elphinstone

William Elphinstone was a Scottish statesman, Bishop of Aberdeen and founder of the University of Aberdeen.He was born in Glasgow, and educated at the University of Glasgow, taking the degree of M.A. in 1452. After practising for a short time as a lawyer in the church courts, he was ordained a...

 (1431–1514), Bishop of Aberdeen

Bishop of Aberdeen

The Bishop of Aberdeen was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Aberdeen, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics, whose first recorded bishop is an early 12th century cleric named Nechtan...

 and Chancellor of Scotland. Marischal College

Marischal College

Marischal College is a building and former university in the centre of the city of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland. The building is owned by the University of Aberdeen and used for ceremonial events...

 was founded in New Aberdeen by George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal of Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 in 1593. These foundations were amalgamated to form the present University of Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen

The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...

 in 1860. King's and Marischal were Scotland's third and fifth oldest universities respectively.

Robert Gordon's College

Robert Gordon's College

Robert Gordon's College is a private co-educational day school in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery-S6.-History:...

 (originally Robert Gordon's Hospital) was founded in 1729 by the merchant Robert Gordon, grandson of the map maker Robert Gordon of Straloch

Robert Gordon of Straloch

Robert Gordon of Straloch was a Scottish cartographer, noted as a poet, mathematician, antiquary, and geographer, and for his collection of music for the lute.-Life:...

, and was further endowed in 1816 by Alexander Simpson of Collyhill. Originally devoted to the instruction and maintenance of the sons of poor burgesses of guild and trade in the city, it was reorganized in 1881 as a day and night school for secondary and technical education, and in the 1990s became co-educational and a day-only school. It also produced the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology, which in 1992 became the Robert Gordon University

Robert Gordon University

Robert Gordon University is located in Aberdeen, Scotland. Building on over 250 years involvement in education, it was granted university status in 1992. Robert Gordon University currently has approximately 16,407 students at its two campuses at Garthdee and the City Centre, studying on over 145...

.

Art and Architecture schools

Gray's School of Art

Gray's School of Art

Gray's School of Art is an integral part of the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen that is one of the oldest established fine art institutions in Scotland...

, founded in 1886, is one of the oldest established colleges of art in the UK. It is situated in grounds at Garthdee on the edge of the city. It is now incorporated into Robert Gordon University.

The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and The Built Environment

The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and The Built Environment

The Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment is situated on the Garthdee Campus of the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland.-Description:The School has a long and distinguished history, its course in architecture being one of the...

 (previously the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture; The Scott Sutherland School of Art Architecture and Design) is situated on the Garthdee Campus of the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, next to Gray's School of Art. Among other full-time and part-time courses; the School runs the a BSc Honours course in Architectural Studies and MArch masters in Architectural Studies. It also has a student-led lecture society and sponsored lecture series called 5710, creating a link between architectural practice and architectural education.

Colleges

Aberdeen College

Aberdeen College

Aberdeen College is the largest further education college in Scotland. It was formed from the amalgamation of the former Aberdeen Technical College, Aberdeen College of Commerce and Clinterty Agricultural College....

 has several campuses in Aberdeen and offers part-time and full-time courses leading to several different qualifications. It the largest further education institution in Scotland.

Northern College was a teacher training college with campuses in Aberdeen and Dundee. In 2000, the Aberdeen campus of Northern College became the University of Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen

The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...

 School of Education. In 2006 the Hilton Campus of Northern College in Aberdeen was sold for housing development and demolished.

State schools

There are currently 12 secondary schools and 54 primary schools which are run by the city council. The most notable are Cults Academy

Cults Academy

Cults Academy is an Aberdeen City Council secondary school in Cults, Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the recipient of The Sunday Times Scottish State Secondary School of the Year Award 2008 due to its outstanding exam results in the past year , having been rated 3rd in 2005...

, Oldmachar Academy

Oldmachar Academy

Oldmachar Academy is situated to the north of the city of Aberdeen in an area of private housing. It is a six-year comprehensive, non-denominational school which opened to pupils in August 1982...

 and Aberdeen Grammar School

Aberdeen Grammar School

Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department...

 which are all rated in the top 20 Scottish secondary schools league tables.

Historically, the most famous of Aberdeen's schools is Aberdeen Grammar School

Aberdeen Grammar School

Aberdeen Grammar School, known to students as The Grammar is a state secondary school in the City of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is one of twelve secondary schools run by the Aberdeen City Council educational department...

, (now a comprehensive

Comprehensive school

A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...

) which has been in the city's hands since the 1970s. Founded in 1263 it is one of the oldest schools in Britain, and is set in a Scottish baronial style

Scottish baronial style

The Scottish Baronial style is part of the Gothic Revival architecture style, using stylistic elements and forms from castles, tower houses and mansions of the Gothic architecture period in Scotland, such as Craigievar Castle and Newark Castle, Port Glasgow. The revival style was popular from the...

 building. It is celebrated as the school of Lord Byron.

Private schools

There are a number of private schools in Aberdeen; Albyn School

Albyn School

The Albyn School is a private, independent educational establishment, founded in 1867 in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is located on Queens Road and Forest Road. Albyn was originally an all-girls school before becoming co-educational in 2005...

 for Girls (co-ed as of 2006), St Margaret's School for Girls

St Margaret's School for Girls

St Margaret's School for Girls is a girl's school in Aberdeen, Scotland.-History:Since August 2005, St Margaret's is the only remaining school in the North of Scotland that caters exclusively to girls' education in primary and secondary departments for girls aged 5–18...

, the Hamilton School

Hamilton School

The Hamilton is an Independent Day School in Aberdeen, Scotland presently offering Care and Education to pupils from three months to twelve years. The Hamilton School is Scotland’s only privately owned independent day school...

 (following the Montessori philosophy curriculum), Robert Gordon's College

Robert Gordon's College

Robert Gordon's College is a private co-educational day school in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery-S6.-History:...

, the Total S.A.

Total S.A.

Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...

 French School (for French oil industry families), the International School of Aberdeen

International School of Aberdeen

The International School of Aberdeen is a school in Pitfodels, Cults, Aberdeen, Scotland. It takes in students that come from other countries besides the UK, although often British students are allowed to attend the school. It was formerly known as the American School in Aberdeen.It is one of...

 and a Waldorf/Steiner School.