St Andrews faces renewed classism debate as students point to wealthy US influx
A former St Andrews University student's viral LinkedIn post about classism has sparked wide discussion, with many students linking campus divisions to the growing presence of wealthy American undergraduates.
A debate over classism at St Andrews University has resurfaced after former comparative literature and classical studies student Sophie Rose Jenkins shared a LinkedIn post explaining why she would not return this academic year. Within two weeks, her account drew responses from hundreds of others who described similar experiences.
Jenkins wrote that working-class students often feel ashamed of their home lives at university, pointing to an unacknowledged gap between having access to higher education and having unobstructed access to it.
Funding model and student mix
Part of the tension stems from how Scottish universities are funded. Places for Scottish students, who study free of charge, are capped by the Scottish government and make up roughly 30% of St Andrews' student body. Students from lower-income backgrounds, despite maintenance loans and bursaries, often have less disposable income than wealthier peers, including international students paying far higher fees.
St Andrews, ranked second in the Guardian's 2026 university league table, admits one of the highest shares of privately educated students in the UK. American undergraduates now make up about a fifth of the student body — the highest proportion of any UK university — each paying £33,250 this year, more than three times the fee for British students.
Student accounts
Several students described social groups splitting along nationality and wealth lines, with fraternity- and sorority-style traditions blending into existing upper-class British university customs such as black-tie dinners, alongside new fashion shows and exclusive societies. The university said it had contacted Jenkins to learn more about her experience, though she has chosen not to engage for now. Vice-principal Niall Scott said classism reflects broader societal attitudes rather than a problem specific to St Andrews, adding that the university has a complaints system that has received only a small number of cases over the past five years.
