University of St Andrews halls cost from £5,847 for a shared studio to £12,976 for a catered en suite at Whitehorn Hall for the year, on 34 or 38-week contracts. First-year undergraduates who come alone and study full time are guaranteed accommodation if they apply by 30 June and accept an unconditional offer by 31 August of their entry year. This guide covers fees by hall, catered and self-catered options, the guarantee, summer stays, private renting and what I could not verify.
Fees come from the university’s undergraduate accommodation fees page, checked on 9 November 2026. The page does not name the academic year, but it says a rental cost review will adjust “2026-2027” fees, so I treat the figures as indicative for 2026–27 and you should confirm the current fee. Costs are annual totals rather than weekly rents.
Cost at a glance: what to add up
Before you compare the prices on this page, check what each figure actually covers:
- Rent period: per week, month or semester, and per person or per room.
- What is included: utilities, internet, contents insurance and any meal plan.
- One-off costs: deposit, application or booking fee, and any first-month payment.
- Getting to campus: travel passes, or the extra cost of living further out.
- Currency: prices here are in the local currency. Convert them at your bank’s current rate and add the transfer fee. Rates change daily, so we do not publish rupee figures.
Anything we could not confirm from an official source is flagged on this page as “could not verify”, so read those notes before you rely on a figure.
St Andrews halls and fees
The undergraduate fees page lists these annual fees. Catered totals include catering.
| Type | Hall and room | Fee | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-catered standard | Gannochy House, single | £6,246 | 34 weeks |
| Self-catered standard | Fife Park, single | £6,709 | 38 weeks |
| Self-catered standard | Whitehorn Hall, single | £7,256 | 38 weeks |
| Self-catered en suite | Agnes Blackadder or David Russell Apartments, shared | £8,001 | 38 weeks |
| Self-catered en suite | Agnes Blackadder, David Russell Apartments or Fife Park, single | £9,286 | 38 weeks |
| Self-catered en suite | Powell Hall, single | £9,652 | 38 weeks |
| Self-catered studio | David Russell Apartments, shared occupancy | £5,847 | 38 weeks |
| Self-catered studio | David Russell Apartments, single occupancy | £11,598 | 38 weeks |
| Catered standard | Seven halls including St Salvator’s, Andrew Melville and McIntosh, shared | £8,709 including £3,324 catering | 34 weeks |
| Catered standard | The same seven halls, single | £9,570 including £3,324 catering | 34 weeks |
| Catered en suite | University Hall, shared | £10,378 including catering | 34 weeks |
| Catered en suite | David Russell Apartments, shared | £10,450 including £2,449 catering | 38 weeks |
| Catered en suite | John Burnet Hall or University Hall, single | £11,509 including catering | 34 weeks |
| Catered en suite | Agnes Blackadder Hall, shared | £11,326 including catering | 38 weeks |
| Catered en suite | David Russell Apartments, single | £11,735 including £2,449 catering | 38 weeks |
| Catered en suite | Agnes Blackadder Hall, single | £12,611 including catering | 38 weeks |
| Catered en suite | Whitehorn Hall, single | £12,976 including catering | 38 weeks |
The seven catered standard halls are Andrew Melville, John Burnet, McIntosh, St Regulus, St Salvator’s, Gannochy House and University Hall. Catering is compulsory in catered halls, at 19 meals a week for most and 14 at David Russell Apartments. The inter-semester break is self-catered, and at Whitehorn Hall the spring break is too. Fees include gas and electricity, internet and contents insurance, and the page lists a non-refundable hall committee subscription of £100 in most residences.
University-managed properties average £180 a week over 38 or 50 weeks and do not include utilities, internet or hall subscriptions. Our guide to university halls versus private student housing explains how halls compare with private options.
Accommodation guarantee
According to the university’s accommodation guarantee page:
- First-year undergraduates who come alone and study full time for the full academic year are guaranteed a room if they apply by 30 June of their entry year, accept an unconditional offer by 31 August and accept the accommodation offer within seven days of it being emailed.
- In high-demand years, students living within reasonable commuting distance may not be offered a room until one becomes available, possibly after semester starts.
- Care-experienced and estranged students and sanctuary students are guaranteed accommodation for the length of their course.
- Home taught and research postgraduates are not guaranteed a room.
How to apply for halls
- Deadline: you must apply by 30 June in your year of entry to meet the guarantee.
- Ranking: you rank four residence types in order of preference: catered standard, catered en suite, self-catered standard and self-catered en suite.
- Offers: the university sends offers regularly, in batches. Rejecting an offer ends the allocation process, and no further offer is made.
- Contact: Student Accommodation Services, accommodation@st-andrews.ac.uk, +44 (0)1334 46 2510, Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm.
The university’s own pages disagree on some details. The application page says the form opens on 28 January and that you must wait 48 hours after accepting a place to study, while the accommodation FAQ says applications open on 15 March, can be made 24 hours after accepting, and that offers must be accepted within 10 days. Neither page names its entry year, so confirm the dates with Student Accommodation Services before you rely on them.
Contract, guests and parking
- Vacations: self-catered en suite contracts include the Christmas and spring vacations. Standard catered contracts do not include Christmas, and catered residences provide no meals in the spring vacation.
- Bedding: not provided. Each study bedroom has a bed, mattress, wardrobe, desk, chair and lamp.
- No-shows: your room is held until the first Saturday after the contract start date, after which you are liable for the full residence fees.
- Guests: a maximum of 3 days in any week and no more than twice in a four-week period, with none in freshers’ week.
- Cars: the university does not encourage students to bring cars. Permits are needed, and parking is extremely limited outside a few sites.
The FAQ does not state a deposit amount, so I have not quoted one. Accommodation is not guaranteed after first year, and space for returning undergraduates is limited.
Summer and holiday stays
You can ask Student Accommodation Services to stay over the inter-semester break, and summer stays need a summer application form, available from March. I found no summer rates or holiday lets for visitors.
Private rental in St Andrews
Many students move into private shared houses after first year, in a small town where supply is limited. The university says that if you are unsuccessful in securing a university-managed property, you must find accommodation in the private sector. I could not verify prices for individual lets, so compare total rent, bills and contract length.
- Rent guarantor scheme: the university may act as guarantor for eligible students who have no UK-based guarantor. It covers rent only, up to £1,200 a month and up to 12 months, not bills or damages. The university does not sign tenancy agreements, and in shared tenancies it covers only your share of the rent. The page does not list the eligibility criteria.
- Deposit protection: in Scotland a landlord must protect your deposit in an approved scheme within 30 working days of the tenancy starting, and must tell you in writing within 30 days. The approved schemes are Letting Protection Service Scotland, mydeposits Scotland and SafeDeposits Scotland.
- Deposit size: Shelter Scotland says private landlords and letting agents can ask for up to two months’ rent, and that student accommodation providers are covered by the protection rules.
- Council tax: accommodation wholly occupied by students is normally exempt during the academic session, according to the university’s FAQ. Ask Fife Council to confirm.
What to check before you book
- Whether you want catered or self-catered, since the totals differ by thousands of pounds.
- The contract length of 34 or 38 weeks, and what it includes over Christmas.
- The 30 June application and acceptance deadlines, confirmed directly with the university.
- Whether you live within commuting distance, which can delay an offer.
- Safety basics. See our student accommodation safety guide and checklist.
What I could not verify
The fees page does not name its academic year, so 2026–27 is my inference. The university’s pages give conflicting application-opening dates, waiting times and offer-acceptance windows, and I could not say which is current. I found no deposit amount for halls, no summer rates, no eligibility criteria for the rent guarantor scheme and no reliable private rent figures for St Andrews. The Scottish deposit rules come from government and Shelter Scotland guidance, not from the legislation itself.
Talk to us about your budget and city
Not sure which option suits you or your family? Send us your city, budget and room type, and we will point you to the right guide and the next steps to check. Students and parents are both welcome to ask.
Frequently asked questions
How much does St Andrews accommodation cost?
Self-catered standard rooms are about £6,246 to £7,256 a year, en suites about £8,001 to £9,652, and catered rooms £8,709 to £12,976 including meals, depending on the hall. The university does not name the fee year, so treat them as indicative for 2026–27.
Does St Andrews guarantee accommodation?
Yes, to first-year undergraduates who come alone, study full time, apply by 30 June and accept an unconditional offer by 31 August. It is not guaranteed after first year.
Is catering compulsory?
In catered halls, yes. Catering is included and not optional, at 19 meals a week in most halls and 14 at David Russell Apartments.
What does the rent include?
Gas and electricity, internet and contents insurance. University-managed properties do not include utilities or internet.
When should I apply for St Andrews halls?
By 30 June of your entry year to meet the guarantee. The university’s pages give different opening dates (28 January and 15 March), so confirm the current window with Student Accommodation Services.
Can I stay in halls over summer?
Summer stays need a separate application form, available from March, and you can ask to stay over the inter-semester break. I found no summer rates.
Does my deposit have to be protected in Scotland?
Yes, in most private lets. The landlord must lodge it in an approved scheme within 30 working days of the tenancy starting and tell you in writing.
For the wider costs, read our student budgeting tips. Comparing places? See our guides to Dundee, Aberdeen and Cambridge, or browse all UK city guides.
Sources
- University of St Andrews: undergraduate accommodation fees
- University of St Andrews: accommodation guarantee
- University of St Andrews: how to apply for undergraduate accommodation
- University of St Andrews: undergraduate accommodation FAQs
- University of St Andrews: rent guarantor scheme
- mygov.scot: when your tenancy deposit must be protected
- Shelter Scotland: paying a tenancy deposit
Checked 18 October and 9 November 2026.
