Where Did Charles Darwin Go to School?
From 1818 to 1825, Charles Darwin attended the renowned Anglican institution Shrewsbury School, and at age 16, he went to Edinburgh University to study medicine. In 1828, he transferred to Christ’s College, Cambridge, to pursue Anglican divinity studies and become a parson.
In 1809, Darwin was born into a wealthy family driven by scientific endeavors. His father was a doctor, his paternal grandfather was a free-thinking botanist and his maternal grandfather was a famous industrialist. As a child, Darwin was unsatisfied with the Shrewsbury School curriculum, which focused heavily on religion and classical education and discouraged exploratory science.
Darwin’s medical education at Edinburgh was cut short because he strongly detested studying human anatomy, handling blood and performing surgery. In 1831, he graduated from Christ’s College with a bachelor’s degree and left on the famed HMS Beagle expedition shortly thereafter.
