The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as St Andrews, is the oldest university in Scotland, and the third oldest in the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge.
The University is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between 1410 and 1413, when a Papal Bull was issued by the Avignon Antipope Benedict XIII. In post-nominals the University of St Andrews was historically abbreviated as St And (from the Latin Sancti Andreae).
Academically, St Andrews is considered one of the United Kingdom's best universities. Over the past five years, domestic league tables have tended to place it amongst the top ten institutions in the nation.St Andrews has a diverse student body due to a high intake of international students, with over 15% of the current student body coming from North America. Throughout its more recent history, St Andrews has maintained strong links with leading academic institutions in the United States and Canada. Duke of Cambridge, when he recently returned to launch its 600th Anniversary Campaign, described the University of St Andrews Scotland and is currently ranked as high as number 3 in the UK , according to annual league tables produced by The Times, Sunday Times and The Guardian (see Rankings of universities in the United Kingdom
The Times Higher Education World Universities Ranking named St Andrews among the world’s Top 20 Arts and Humanities universities in 2010.St Andrews has a diverse student body and cosmopolitan character due to its over 30% intake of international students from well over 100 countries, with 15% of the current student body coming from North America. Throughout its more recent history, St Andrews has maintained strong links with leading academic institutions in the United States and Canada