Heriot Watt University, established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, is the world’s first mechanics’ institute and the eighth-oldest higher education institute in the UK. The university’s annual income for 2021-22 was £243.6 million, with £39.2 million coming from research grants and contracts. However, the institution’s expenditure was £278.7 million. Heriot-Watt is known for its emphasis on science and engineering and is among 23 colleges elevated to university status in the 1960s. It is often regarded as a plate glass university, alongside Lancaster and Warwick. The university has three campuses in Scotland and one each in the UAE and Malaysia.