Editing Aberdeen (section)

===Universities and colleges===
[[File:New King's, Aberdeen University - geograph.org.uk - 2630798.jpg|thumb|The New King's College building of the [[University of Aberdeen]]]]

Aberdeen has two universities, the ancient [[University of Aberdeen]], and [[Robert Gordon University]], a modern university often referred to as RGU. Aberdeen has a high proportion of students of 11.5%, higher than the national average of 7%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scrol.gov.uk/scrol/browser/profile.jsp?profile=Education&mainLevel=CouncilArea&mainArea=Aberdeen+City&mainText=&mainTextExplicitMatch=null&compLevel=CountryProfile&compArea=Scotland&compText=&compTextExplicitMatch=null |title=Comparative Education Profile: Aberdeen City Council Area, Scotland |access-date=21 February 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213314/https://www.scrol.gov.uk/scrol/browser/profile.jsp?profile=Education&mainLevel=CouncilArea&mainArea=Aberdeen+City&mainText=&mainTextExplicitMatch=null&compLevel=CountryProfile&compArea=Scotland&compText=&compTextExplicitMatch=null |archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref>

The [[University of Aberdeen]] began as [[King's College, Aberdeen]], which was founded in 1495<ref name=EB/> by [[William Elphinstone]] (1431–1514), [[Bishop of Aberdeen]] and Chancellor of Scotland. [[Marischal College]], a separate institution, was founded in "New" Aberdeen by [[George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal|George Keith]], fifth Earl Marischal of Scotland in 1593.<ref name=EB/> These institutions were merged by order{{Fix|text=Act?}} of Parliament in 1860 to form the University of Aberdeen.<ref name=EB/> The university is the fifth oldest in the English-speaking world<ref name="university">{{Cite book|first=Jennifer|last=Carter|title=Crown and Gown: Illustrated History of the University of Aberdeen, 1495–1995|year=1994|location=Aberdeen|publisher=Aberdeen University Press}}</ref> and offers degrees in a full range of disciplines. Its main campus is in Old Aberdeen in the north of the city and it currently has approximately 14,000 students. The university's debating society is the oldest in Scotland, founded in 1848 as the King's College Debating Society.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aberdeen University Debater|url=http://www.thedebater.org/about|publisher=Aberdeen University Debater|access-date=13 February 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917031002/http://www.thedebater.org/about/|archive-date=17 September 2013}}</ref> Today, Aberdeen is consistently ranked among the top 200 universities in the world<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.topuniversities.com/node/2162/ranking-details/world-university-rankings/2014|title=University of Aberdeen Rankings|publisher=Quacquarelli Symonds|access-date=4 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920155518/https://www.topuniversities.com/node/2162/ranking-details/world-university-rankings/2014|archive-date=20 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and is ranked within the top 20 universities in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings|title=Top UK University League Tables and Rankings 2019|access-date=12 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625164636/http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings/|archive-date=25 June 2011|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nuk-tnl-editorial-prod-staticassets.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/bespoke/university-guide/index.html|title=University Guide 2016 – The Times|website=nuk-tnl-editorial-prod-staticassets.s3.amazonaws.com|access-date=26 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112081423/http://nuk-tnl-editorial-prod-staticassets.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/bespoke/university-guide/index.html|archive-date=12 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Aberdeen was also named the 2019 Scottish University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/12263/|title=University of Aberdeen named Scottish University of the Year|website=abdn.ac.uk|access-date=21 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921153227/https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/12263/|archive-date=21 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In early 2022, Aberdeen opened the [[Science Teaching Hub]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Science Teaching Hub {{!}} Study Here {{!}} The University of Aberdeen |url=https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life/sth.php |access-date=17 April 2022 |website=abdn.ac.uk |archive-date=5 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305220906/https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life/sth.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Robert Gordon's College]] (originally Robert Gordon's Hospital) was founded in 1750 by the merchant [[Robert Gordon (philanthropist)|Robert Gordon]],<ref name=EB/> grandson of the map maker Robert Gordon of Straloch, 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 of Aberdeen|burgesses of guild]] and trade in the city, it was reorganised in 1881 as a day and night school for secondary and technical education. In 1903, the vocational education component of the college was designated a [[Central Institution]] and was renamed as the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology in 1965. In 1992, university status was awarded and it became [[Robert Gordon University]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our History {{!}} About {{!}} RGU|url=https://www.rgu.ac.uk/about/our-history|access-date=8 July 2020|website=rgu.ac.uk|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709020959/https://www.rgu.ac.uk/about/our-history|url-status=live}}</ref> The university has expanded and developed significantly in recent years, and was named Best Modern University in the UK for 2012 by ''[[The Sunday Times]]''. It was previously ''The Sunday Times'' Scottish University of the Year for 2011, primarily because of its record on graduate employment. The citation for the 2011 award read: "With a graduate unemployment rate that is lower than the most famous universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, plus a flourishing reputation for research, high student satisfaction rates and ambitious plans for its picturesque campus, the Robert Gordon University is The Sunday Times Scottish University of the Year".<ref>''The Sunday Times'', 12 September 2010 (subscription only).</ref>

[[File:North-East Scotland College, Gallowgate, Aberdeen (geograph 6702928).jpg|thumb|left|North East Scotland College]]

Aberdeen is also home to two artistic schools: [[Gray's School of Art]], founded in 1886, which is one of the oldest established colleges of art in the UK. [[Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment]], was one of the first architectural schools to have its training courses recognised by the [[Royal Institute of British Architects]]. Both are now part of [[Robert Gordon University]] and are based at its Garthdee campus. [[North East Scotland College]] has several campuses in the city and offers a wide variety of part-time and full-time courses leading to several different qualifications in science. The [[Scottish Agricultural College]] is based just outside Aberdeen, on the Craibstone Estate. This is situated beside the roundabout for Aberdeen Airport on the A96. The college provides three services—Learning, Research and Consultancy. The college features many land-based courses such as Agriculture, Countryside Management, Sustainable Environmental Management and Rural Business Management. There are a variety of courses from diplomas to master's degrees. The [[Marine Laboratory Aberdeen]], which specialises in fisheries, [[Macaulay Land Use Research Institute]] (soil science), and the [[Rowett Research Institute]] (animal nutrition) are some other higher education institutions.<ref name=EB/>

The Aberdeen College of Performing Arts also provides full-time Drama and Musical Theatre training at Further Education level.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aberdeencollegepa.co.uk/|title=About us|publisher=Aberdeen College of Performing Arts|access-date=8 October 2022|archive-date=8 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008154730/https://www.aberdeencollegepa.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref>