University of the Highlands and Islands
A Scottish public university operating a 48-campus partnership network across the Highlands, Islands, Moray and Perthshire, serving roughly 40,000 students with undergraduate, postgraduate, further education, and professional courses delivered in-person and online via Brightspace.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersInverness, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What University of the Highlands and Islands does
The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), trading as UHI and headquartered at UHI House in Inverness, Scotland, is a public tertiary education institution established under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 and registered as a Scottish charity. It operates a distinctive partnership model, delivering further and higher education through a federated network of wholly-owned academic partners and specialist institutions—including UHI Argyll, UHI Inverness, UHI Moray, UHI North West and Hebrides, UHI Orkney, UHI Perth, UHI Shetland, Highland Theological College, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (Gaelic language and culture), and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). The institution spans 48 campuses and learning centres across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire, serving approximately 40,000 students from 51 countries across more than 350 courses.
UHI's product portfolio covers undergraduate degrees, postgraduate taught and research programmes, Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNC/HND), and continuing professional development, short courses and graduate apprenticeships, organised into nine subject areas ranging from business and computing to Gaelic, marine science, adventure studies, archaeology and golf management. Delivery combines in-person teaching across its campus network with online and distance learning enabled by the Brightspace virtual learning environment (licensed from D2L), which allows fully online study of certain programmes from anywhere in the UK. The technology stack is third-party rather than proprietary; no external developer API exists.
The business model is funded principally through tuition fees and public/government funding. Fees are tiered by domicile and set per academic year: Scottish/EU full-time undergraduate (HNC/HND) at £1,285, Rest of UK at £7,440 (2025-26) rising to £7,886 (2026-27), and international students at £8,925 (2025-26) rising to £9,460 (2026-27), with part-time study charged per HN credit. Go-to-market is direct-to-student via UCAS applications, open days, UCAS Discovery events, school engagement for senior-phase pupils, and organic social channels. The university also serves regional employers and businesses through workforce training and apprenticeships, and pursues government skills funding, exemplified by a £1.17m award under the Scottish Government's Offshore Wind Skills Programme.
University of the Highlands and Islands firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of the Highlands and Islands
- Legal name
- University of the Highlands and Islands
- Website
- https://uhi.ac.uk
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- A Scottish public university operating a 48-campus partnership network across the Highlands, Islands, Moray and Perthshire, serving roughly 40,000 students with undergraduate, postgraduate, further education, and professional courses delivered in-person and online via Brightspace.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where University of the Highlands and Islands is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Inverness
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices11 records
Markets served
University of the Highlands and Islands business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Tuition Fees - Scottish/EU Students: Full-time Higher National Awards (HNC, HND) at £1,285 per year for Scottish and EU domicile students.
- Tuition Fees - Rest of UK Students: Full-time fees at £7,440 (2025-26) and £7,886 (2026-27) for students from England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Tuition Fees - International Students: Full-time fees at £8,925 (2025-26) and £9,460 (2026-27) for non-UK domicile students.
- Part-time HN Credit Fees: Part-time study charged per HN credit: Scottish/EU £86, Rest of UK £496-£526, International £595-£630.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Scottish/EU full-time undergraduate (HNC/HND) |
| Subscription | Annual | Rest of UK (England, Wales, N. Ireland) full-time undergraduate |
| Subscription | Annual | International students full-time undergraduate |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
University of the Highlands and Islands product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The University of the Highlands and Islands is a public higher education institution offering undergraduate degrees, postgraduate taught and research degrees, Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNC/HND), continuing professional development (CPD) short courses, and graduate apprenticeships. Courses are delivered across 48 campus locations and online via the Brightspace Virtual Learning Environment across nine subject areas including business, computing, sciences, health, Gaelic, marine science, adventure studies, and creative industries.
Product overview
University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) is a multi-campus higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The offering operates as a platform-plus-partners model comprising: (1) Undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes across nine specialist subject areas; (2) Further education qualifications including HNCs and HNDs; (3) Continuing professional development and short courses including graduate apprenticeships; (4) The Brightspace Virtual Learning Environment for online learning delivery; and (5) A network of 48 campus locations across Scotland operated through academic partner institutions. The university serves approximately 40,000 students and provides flexible learning options combining in-person teaching with online technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Undergraduate Degree Programmes
Quantifiable outcome
- 4th in Scotland for student satisfaction
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use University of the Highlands and Islands
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
University of the Highlands and Islands technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
University of the Highlands and Islands partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Point and Sandwick TrustminorPoint and Sandwick Trust, a community-owned renewable energy charity in the Outer Hebrides, partnered with UHI North, West and Hebrides to provide international students from the University of Saskatchewan with experiential learning about island life, language, culture, and community-owned renewable energy. Students participated in peat cutting, ceilidhs, and community visits to understand connections between renewable energy, culture, and place.
- Shetland UniversityminorShetland University collaborated as part of the 'Catch to Batch' pilot project for Scottish pelagic seafood traceability, working with pelagic fishing vessels, processors, retailers, and software providers to demonstrate end-to-end digital traceability for wild-caught mackerel and herring from sea to distribution.
- CefasminorCefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) participated in the 'Catch to Batch' traceability pilot, providing scientific data for stock assessment from catch and biological sample data collected through the system.
- Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB)minorECITB received £372,842 as part of the £3.85m Offshore Wind Skills Programme (2026-2027) to build the skilled workforce needed for offshore wind projects in Scotland, alongside UHI's £1.17m award.
- North East Scotland CollegeminorNorth East Scotland College received £135,162 as part of the £3.85m Offshore Wind Skills Programme, working alongside UHI and ECITB to boost training and skills for the offshore wind sector.
- Scottish Government (Energy Minister Stephen Gethins)coreEnergy Minister Stephen Gethins announced grants as part of the £3.85m Offshore Wind Skills Programme through 2026 and 2027, designed to attract similar levels of private investment to build the offshore wind workforce pipeline.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
University of the Highlands and Islands competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SRUC (Scotland's Rural College): Scotland's land-based college with multiple campuses and research centres delivering higher education, vocational training and applied research. Comparable to UHI on multi-campus rural delivery and industry-aligned upskilling.
- Robert Gordon University: Modern regional Scottish university in Aberdeen with strong vocational, professional and applied programmes. Comparable to UHI as a regionally anchored institution competing for similar domestic student segments in Scotland.
- University of Stirling: Mid-sized Scottish university with strengths in applied research, sport and postgraduate satisfaction. Comparable to UHI on profile as a smaller, alternative-to-traditional Scottish university focused on student experience.
- Open University: UK's largest flexible/distance-learning university with a national footprint and blended online delivery model. Directly comparable to UHI on the dimension of pioneering non-traditional, multi-modal learning for geographically dispersed and mature students.
- Heriot-Watt University: Edinburgh-based Scottish university with substantial online/distance-learning arm (Approved Learning Partner network) and international campuses. Comparable to UHI on flexible delivery and global reach from a Scottish base.
- University of the West of Scotland: Multi-campus regional Scottish university with four sites serving west-central Scotland, focused on vocational and applied programmes. Highly comparable structure to UHI's partnership college model and regional access mission.
- Edinburgh Napier University: Scottish post-92 university with three campuses, large international intake and applied/professional courses. Comparable to UHI on mission of widening access and serving career-oriented learners in Scotland.
- University of the Highlands and Islands itself is excluded - using University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Welsh university with a federated multi-campus model across several sites including Lampeter, Carmarthen, Swansea and London. Structurally very similar to UHI's partnership/college network operating across a wide geographic region.
Broad incumbents
- University of Aberdeen: Major traditional research-intensive Scottish university in the broader Highlands and Islands catchment. Overlaps with UHI on regional student pool and research collaborations, but operates at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.
Regional players
- Cardiff Metropolitan University: UK regional post-92 university focused on professional and applied programmes with strong employer engagement. Comparable to UHI on mission, scale and applied teaching profile, though operating in Wales rather than Scotland.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
University of the Highlands and Islands social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of the Highlands and Islands financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of the Highlands and Islands leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
University of the Highlands and Islands subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
University of the Highlands and Islands funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University of the Highlands and Islands M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about University of the Highlands and Islands
What does University of the Highlands and Islands do?
The University of the Highlands and Islands is a public higher education institution offering undergraduate degrees, postgraduate taught and research degrees, Higher National Certificates and Diplomas (HNC/HND), continuing professional development (CPD) short courses, and graduate apprenticeships. Courses are delivered across 48 campus locations and online via the Brightspace Virtual Learning Environment across nine subject areas including business, computing, sciences, health, Gaelic, marine science, adventure studies, and creative industries.
Is University of the Highlands and Islands a public or private company?
University of the Highlands and Islands is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was University of the Highlands and Islands founded?
University of the Highlands and Islands was founded in 2011. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is University of the Highlands and Islands based?
University of the Highlands and Islands is headquartered in Inverness, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does University of the Highlands and Islands make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition Fees - Scottish/EU Students are the primary driver. The others are tuition Fees - Rest of UK Students, tuition Fees - International Students and part-time HN Credit Fees.
Who are University of the Highlands and Islands's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SRUC (Scotland's Rural College), Robert Gordon University, University of Stirling, Open University, Heriot-Watt University, University of the West of Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University and University of the Highlands and Islands itself is excluded - using University of Wales Trinity Saint David. University of Aberdeen is listed as a broad incumbent. Cardiff Metropolitan University is listed as a regional player.
Does University of the Highlands and Islands have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of the Highlands and Islands.