St Andrews is Scotland's first university and the third oldest in the English speaking world. The 1413 founded university occupies historic and modern buildings located throughout the town. The academic year is divided into two terms, Martinmas and Candlemas. In term time, over a third of the town's population is either a staff member or student of the university. The student body is notably diverse. Over 30 percent of its intake comes from over 100 countries and 15 percent from North America.

For almost six centuries, the university has proudly upheld the tradition of academic excellence, attracting scholars of international repute and students from all over the world. Today, they continue to offer the latest in teaching and research, all within a superbly picturesque mediaeval setting. Although St Andrews is not a campus University, it has grown and developed with the town and is now comfortably integrated. The University provides an invigorating intellectual climate in which staff has close contacts with one another and with colleagues in other U.K. and overseas universities and research establishments. The University of St Andrews maintains one of the most extensive university library collections in the United Kingdom, which contains over a million volumes and over two hundred thousand rare and antique books.