St Andrews students describe class barriers amid debate over wealthy campus culture

Sophie Rose Jenkins said she would not return to St Andrews University for the academic year covered by the Guardian’s September 2026 report, citing classism. Her LinkedIn account drew responses from hundreds of people. Students interviewed described social groups divided by nationality and background, alongside expensive events and status-conscious attitudes. Some associated these experiences with wealthy American undergraduates; others said class prejudice extended beyond nationality.

The university said it had contacted Jenkins to understand her experience, but she had declined to engage for now. It reported only a handful of complaints over five years. Vice-principal Niall Scott acknowledged that some students arrived with classist attitudes, while arguing that universities helped challenge prejudices rooted in wider society.

The report linked these tensions to unequal spending power within Scotland’s university funding system. Government-capped places for tuition-free Scottish students accounted for about 30% of St Andrews enrolment. Americans represented roughly a fifth of undergraduates and paid £33,250 that academic year. Maintenance support covered basic costs but did not eliminate differences in disposable income.