Heriot-Watt University is a public research university based in Edinburgh, established in 1821 as the world's first mechanics' institute. One of the oldest higher education institutions in the United Kingdom, it has been a university by Royal Charter since 1966. It has branch campuses in the Scottish Borders, Orkney and Dubai, and announced plans to open a campus in Malaysia in November 2011.
Heriot-Watt is known for the strong prospects of its students, with 80% in graduate-level jobs six months after leaving the institution. It came 1st in Scotland and 4th in the UK in the 2012 National Student Survey, and saw the largest increase in UK applicants of any UK university for the 2013 academic session. It also has a strong research profile, with over 50% of its submitted research results considered at or above the national average in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
In 2011, Heriot-Watt was named as the Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year 2011-2012, with the paper emphasising the employability of the institution's graduates. In 2012 it was ranked 5th in Scotland by the Complete University Guide and 20th in the United Kingdom by the Guardian University League Table. In individual subject areas, the 2013 Times Good University Guide ranked the university third in the UK and first in Scotland for chemical engineering, and second in Scotland for building, mechanical engineering, food science and civil engineering.
Read more about Heriot-Watt University: Students, Campuses, Schools
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