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Engineering at Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt University is ranked 29th of 112 universities for engineering on our measures. 84% of students are positive about the course, and graduates earn a median £32k after 15 months, rising to £37.5k after five years.

Typical offer BBCEdinburghCampus, Scotland20 courses

#29 of 112 for engineering54
Engineering to your shortlist

Will my grades get me in?

We compare your grades with the typical offer above. Offers can change, so always check the university’s course page.

How it compares with other engineering courses

  • Student satisfaction84%About average (average 83%)
  • Stay on course86%About average (average 85%)
  • Graduate-level jobs86%Above average (average 78%)
  • Salary after 15 months£32kAbout average (average £31.5k)
  • Entry points (median)176More competitive than average (average 108)

The marker shows the typical (median) engineering course. How we measure

Who gets in

UCAS points of students who started, with the A-level grades worth the same points. These totals include every qualification students had (a fourth A-level, EPQ, AS levels and so on), so many people here had a lower offer than their total suggests.

  1. Under 96 ptsbelow CCC1%
  2. 96–111 ptsCCC–BCC2%
  3. 112–127 ptsBBC–BBB7%
  4. 128–143 ptsABB–AAB11%
  5. 144–159 ptsAAA–A*AA16%
  6. 160+ ptsA*A*A or more63%

Most students here apply with Highers and Advanced Highers, which earn more UCAS points than A-levels, so these figures look higher than A-level offers usually are.

What graduates earn

  1. 15 months£32k£31.5k average
  2. 3 years£30.5k£30.4k average
  3. 5 years£37.5k£37.7k average

The 15-month figure comes from the Graduate Outcomes survey and covers graduates in full-time work. The 3 and 5-year figures come from tax records and include everyone in work, including part-time, so they can be lower than the 15-month figure.

Compare the 20 engineering courses here

Each course has its own satisfaction, drop-out and entry figures where enough students answered. Add your grades above to see your fit for each one.

  • Typical offers range from DEE (Technology with Foundation) to BBB (Aerospace Engineering).
  • Highest student satisfaction: Chemical Engineering (MEng, 5 years, placement year, year abroad) (97%).
  • Least competitive entry: Civil Engineering (BEng, 4 years, placement year, year abroad). Half of the students who started had more than 155 UCAS points, against 211 on the most competitive course here.
  • Most students stay on: Aerospace Engineering (MEng, 5 years) (100%).
  • Placement year: 13 of the 20 courses offer one.
  • Year abroad: 14 of the 20 courses offer one.
  • Courses last between 4 and 5 years.
  • Degrees awarded: BEng, BSc, MEng.

  • Aerospace Engineering

    BEng · 4 years

    Typical offerBBC

    Satisfied
    85%*
    Stay on
    90%
    Entry points
    162
    Graduate jobs
    85%*
    Salary
    £32k*

    Accredited: Royal Aeronautical Society

    Course pageWrong offer?

  • Aerospace Engineering

    MEng · 5 years

    Typical offerBBB

    Satisfied
    85%*
    Stay on
    100%
    Entry points
    211
    Graduate jobs
    85%*
    Salary
    £32k*

    Accredited: Royal Aeronautical Society

    Course pageWrong offer?

  • Architectural Engineering

    BEng · 4 years

    Optional placement yearOptional year abroad

    Typical offerBCC

    Satisfied
    76%
    Stay on
    85%
    Entry points
    171
    Graduate jobs
    95%*
    Salary
    £32k*

    Accredited: CIBSE (building services), Energy Institute

    Course pageWrong offer?

  • Architectural Engineering

    MEng · 5 years

    Optional placement yearOptional year abroad

    Typical offerBCC

    Satisfied
    86%
    Stay on
    90%
    Entry points
    165
    Graduate jobs
    90%
    Salary
    £32k*

    Accredited: CIBSE (building services), Energy Institute

    Course pageWrong offer?

  • Chemical Engineering

    BEng · 4 years

    Optional placement yearOptional year abroad

    Typical offerBBC

    Satisfied
    96%*
    Stay on
    95%
    Entry points
    160
    Graduate jobs
    85%*
    Salary
    £32k*

    Accredited: Institution of Chemical Engineers

    Course pageWrong offer?

  • Chemical Engineering

    MEng · 5 years

    Optional placement yearOptional year abroad

    Typical offerBBB

    Satisfied
    97%
    Stay on
    80%
    Entry points
    211
    Graduate jobs
    85%*
    Salary
    £32k*

    Accredited: Institution of Chemical Engineers

    Course pageWrong offer?

  • Civil Engineering

    BEng · 4 years

    Optional placement yearOptional year abroad

    Typical offerBBC

    Satisfied
    84%
    Stay on
    80%
    Entry points
    155
    Graduate jobs
    85%
    Salary
    £32k*

    Accredited: Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation, Institution of Civil Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers

    Course pageWrong offer?

  • Civil Engineering

    MEng · 5 years

    Optional placement yearOptional year abroad

    Typical offerBBC

    Satisfied
    86%
    Stay on
    95%
    Entry points
    196
    Graduate jobs
    100%
    Salary
    £32k*

    Accredited: Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation, Institution of Civil Engineers, Institute of Highway Engineers

    Course pageWrong offer?

  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

    BEng · 4 years

    Optional placement yearOptional year abroad

    Typical offerBBC

    Satisfied
    81%*
    Stay on
    60%
    Entry points
    177
    Graduate jobs
    95%*
    Salary
    £32k*
    Course pageWrong offer?

* When a course is too small to publish its own figure, we show the figure for similar courses at this university. Highlighted figures are the best of this university’s own course figures. Entry points are the middle UCAS score of students who started, counting all their qualifications, so they’re usually higher than the offer.

Typical offers are taken from each university’s own course page (checked October 2026). Offers change each year and some courses ask for specific subjects, so always check the course page before you apply.

Links go to the university’s own course pages, where you’ll find current entry requirements and fees.

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Living in Edinburgh

Most first-year students live in university halls, and many universities guarantee a place if you apply on time. Start with Heriot-Watt University’s own accommodation page for halls, prices and deadlines.

Heriot-Watt University accommodation
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