Edinburgh Napier University

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2025)	101
Guardian (2025)	105
Times / Sunday Times (2025)	93=
Global rankings
QS (2025)	801-1000
THE (2025)	601-800

Edinburgh Napier University
Former names	Napier Technical College; Napier College of Science and Technology; Napier Polytechnic; Napier University;
Motto	Template:Lang-la
Motto in English	Without knowledge, everything is in vain
Type	Public
Established	1992 – granted University status; 1964 – Napier Technical College
Budget	£123 million (GBP, 2015/16)
Chancellor	David Eustace
Principal	Andrea Nolan
Academic staff	802
Administrative staff	562
Students	13,930 (2022/23)
Undergraduates	10,260 (2022/23)
Postgraduates	3,675 (2022/23)
Location	Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Campus	Urban
Colours
Affiliations	Million+; EUA; Universities UK; Universities Scotland
Website	www.napier.ac.uk

Edinburgh Napier University is a public university in Edinburgh, Scotland. Napier Technical College, the predecessor of the university was founded in 1964, taking its name from Scottish mathematician John Napier. It gained university status in 1992 and was renamed Napier University.

The university is based around its three main Edinburgh campuses: Merchiston, Craiglockhart and Sighthill. It has over 19,500 students, including those on-campus in Scotland and others studying on transnational programmes abroad and online.^[4] In 2016 this included nearly 9,500 international and EU students, from more than 140 nations worldwide.^[5]

History

Napier Technical College was founded in 1964, taking its name from John Napier, the inventor of logarithms and the decimal point, who was born in 1550 in the medieval tower house of Merchiston Castle (the site of the University's Merchiston campus). His statue stands in the tower of Merchiston Castle today. An opening ceremony was held on 23 February 1965.^[6] In 1966, it was renamed Napier College of Science and Technology. In 1974, it merged with the Sighthill-based Edinburgh College of Commerce to form Napier College of Commerce and Technology, which became a Central Institution in 1985.

The college was renamed Napier Polytechnic in 1986 and in the same year acquired the former Hydropathic hospital buildings at Craiglockhart. In June 1992 the institution officially became Napier University. At a ceremony witnessed by over 700 staff and students, Lord James Douglas Hamilton and the then Principal, William Turmeau, unveiled the new University sign at Merchiston. In 1994, Napier University acquired its Craighouse Campus. In 1996, the university gained a new Faculty of Health Studies through a merger between the Scottish Borders College of Nursing and Lothian College of Health Studies. In February 2009 it became Edinburgh Napier University

Edinburgh Napier has been awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize twice. Its most recent win came in 2015, when it was recognised for its work in timber engineering, sustainable construction and wood science.^[7] Edinburgh Napier was previously awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2009 when the award was made for 'Innovative housing construction for environmental benefit and quality of life'. This recognised the contribution made by the University's Building Performance Centre towards improving sound insulation between attached dwellings.

The motto of the University, Nisi sapientia frustra (meaning "Everything is in vain without knowledge"), echoes the motto of the City of Edinburgh, Nisi Dominus frustra (meaning "Everything is in vain without the LORD"). Edinburgh Napier's Tartan was launched at the same time as the name change in February 2009. Previously the university used the Clan Napier Tartan; the Chief of Clan Napier welcomed the new University tartan.^{[citation needed]}

Campuses

The university is based around its three main campuses at Merchiston, Craiglockhart and Sighthill.

Sighthill Campus

The Sighthill Campus opened to students in the School of Health & Social Care and School of Applied Sciences in January 2011. The campus includes a five-storey learning resource centre, 25 specialised teaching rooms including clinical skills laboratories, three IT-enabled lecture theatres and seminar rooms, a clinical skills suite and integrated sports facilities. The campus has received the BREEAM excellence rating. This sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design.

The Sighthill campus is also home to a new sports facility which includes a biomechanics laboratory and an environmental chamber which can recreate high altitude conditions with controllable temperature and humidity levels to simulate varying climatic conditions. In 2016, the gym facilities at Sighthill became home to the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy Edinburgh.^[8]

Craiglockhart Campus

The Craiglockhart Campus is home to The Business School. It incorporates the Craiglockhart Hydropathic Hospital buildings which were for a time known as Craiglockhart War Hospital, where First World War poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon were treated. The Craiglockhart Campus exhibits photography, writing, film and memorabilia to provide a glimpse into the minds of the poets, patients and medical staff at Craiglockhart. The exhibition also provides War Poets Collection based on the work of Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen and selected contemporary poets. The exhibition was officially opened on 11 November 2005 by BBC's World Affairs Correspondent, Allan Little.^[9] This campus is the home of the law and business courses and is also operates as a conference centre. The Craiglockhart Campus was refurbished in 2004 and contains two lecture theatres, language labs and computing facilities.

Merchiston Campus

The Merchiston Campus is home to the Schools of Art & Creative Industries, Computing and Engineering & the Built Environment. It is built around the refurbished shell of Merchiston Castle, the family home of John Napier, after whom the University is named. Merchiston Castle is also the ancient seat of Clan Napier. Merchiston Castle is currently a "Category A" listed building in Scotland due to its national significance.^[10] The campus also includes the 500-seat, 24-hour Jack Kilby Computing Centre, named after the inventor of integrated circuits and the handheld calculator. Facilities for students include a computer game laboratory, professional music studios and in 2016, TV presenter and University alumna Lorraine Kelly officially opened a new integrated broadcast journalism newsroom.^[11]

Edinburgh Napier Students' Association (ENSA) is located at the Merchiston Campus .^[12]

Accommodation

Edinburgh Napier has student accommodation located at four sites in the city: Morrison Circus, Bainfield in Fountainbridge (opened 2014), Slateford Road (opened 2015) and Orwell Terrace (opened 2016).

Edinburgh Napier also provides assistance to students looking to rent in the private sector.

Organisation and governance

Edinburgh Napier University comprises six specialist schools:

School of Applied Sciences
School of Arts & Creative Industries
Business School
School of Computing
School of Engineering & the Built Environment
School of Health & Social Care

Governance

Edinburgh Napier University's Principal and Vice-Chancellor is Professor Andrea Nolan OBE.

The Chancellor is Edinburgh Napier alumnus David Eustace. He studied photography at the university before going on to become a renowned fashion, celebrity and art photographer. He succeeded Tim Waterstone, founder of Waterstone's Booksellers, who served from 2007 to 2015. Edinburgh Napier's first chancellor was Viscount Younger of Leckie, who died in January 2003.

Academic profile

Edinburgh Napier offers subjects including engineering, computing, nursing and midwifery, science, business courses, timber engineering and transport studies. It offers a range of creative courses, including film, graphic design, music, acting, publishing and product design.

Edinburgh Napier University is an internationally award-winning institution that has been twice recognised by the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its work in timber engineering, sustainable construction and wood science. They have also been acknowledged as the ‘Top Scottish Modern University for Marketing’ by the Complete University Guide 2016 and are rated “Excellent” with 3 Palmes from Eduniversal, who rank 1000 business schools in 154 countries.^[13] It is also rated five stars for teaching, internationalisation and employability by the QS Stars international university rankings.Edinburgh Napier's Business School has achieved Chartered Management Institute (CMI) certification.The Business School runs programmes in conjunction with its many overseas partners including, most recently, the Master of Science in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, with HTMi, the Hotel and Tourism Management Institute Switzerland.

Screen Academy Scotland is one of only two dual-status Skillset Film & Media Academies in the UK.^[14] and is a collaboration between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art (eca). Patrons of the Academy include Sir Sean Connery, Dame Judi Dench and Brian Cox, with Tilda Swinton an ambassador.

Rankings

Edinburgh Napier is in the top five per cent of universities worldwide, according to the THE World University Rankings in 2016.^[20] It is also rated five stars for teaching, internationalisation and employability by the QS Stars international university rankings.^[21] In the Guardian University Guide 2017, the University was ranked top in the UK for adding value to students.^[22] This score is calculated by tracking students from enrolment to graduation and compares their final degree award with their qualifications upon entry.^[23]

Research and knowledge transfer

Edinburgh Napier has nine Institutes of Research and Innovation:

Edinburgh Institute
Employment Research Institute
Institute for Science & Health Innovation
Institute for Creative Industries
Institute for Informatics & Digital Innovation
Institute for Product Design & Manufacture
Institute for Sustainable Construction
Forest Products Research Institute
Transport Research Institute

Articulation

The Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife and Borders Regional Articulation Hub (ELRAH),^[24] led by Edinburgh Napier, comprises 10 university and college partners. The project was established in early 2009 and funded by the Scottish Funding Council. Its aim is to increase the number of college students who progress from a Higher National Certificate (HNC) into year two of a university degree programme, or students with a Higher National Diploma (HND) who progress into year three of a university degree programme.

Transnational Education (TNE)

Edinburgh Napier has partnerships to deliver courses with higher education institutions around the world and is the largest UK provider of higher education in Hong Kong. TNE partnerships are currently in place with institutions in:

China
Hong Kong
India
Sri Lanka
Singapore
Switzerland
Thailand
Myanmar

The university also has offices in Beijing and Hyderabad. Edinburgh Napier University works exclusively with the academic services firm Stafford Associates^[25]^[26] to promote and recruit students for the Global Online suite of degree programmes in the Middle East.

Edinburgh International College

In 2010, the University announced a collaboration with global education provider Navitas to found Edinburgh International College (EIC), an on-campus associate college. EIC provides degree level and pre-master's pathways in a range of subject areas, including accounting and finance, business, tourism and computing.

Student life

Edinburgh Napier University's students' union is Edinburgh Napier Students' Association. The current Student President is Rojan Kumar Subramani.^[27]

Following a student referendum in 2014, the association changed its name from Napier Students' Association (NSA) to Edinburgh Napier Students' Association (ENSA).

The Students' Association is a fully constituted, independent association providing student representation and confidential welfare advice, as well as supporting a variety of sporting and cultural societies, under the banner 'Team Napier'.

The Union Bar is located above the Three Sisters bar in the Cowgate, Edinburgh.

The student newspaper, Veritas, is no longer published. It was founded as a tabloid newspaper in 1993 by Neil McIntosh. Past Veritas editors include Craig McGill, Alan 'GtB' Brown, Robin Wynn and Gareth Mackie.

As an Edinburgh Napier student, the opportunity is presented to apply for paid employment as a Student Ambassador on a zero-hour contract as long as the student has at least one year left on their degree.