The Principal of the University of Aberdeen is the working administrative head of the university, acting as its chief executive. He is responsible for the overall running of the university, presiding over the main academic body of the university, the Senatus Academicus.^[1] The principal is normally also created Vice-Chancellor of the university, enabling him to perform the functions reserved to the Chancellor in the latter's absence, such as the awarding of degrees.

Professor George Boyne succeeded Ian Diamond as principal on 1 August 2018.^[2]

The office of principal dates to 1858 with the passage of the Universities (Scotland) Act 1858.^[3] The position was created with the amalgamation of the two existing ancient universities in Aberdeen, King's College (est. 1495) and Marischal College (est. 1593) in 1860.^[4]

• 1865—76 The Very Reverend Peter Colin Campbell
• 1876—85 The Very Reverend William Robinson Pirie
• 1885—1900 Sir William Duguid Geddes
• 1900—09 The Very Reverend John Marshall Lang
• 1909—35 Sir George Adam Smith
• 1936—48 Sir William Hamilton Fyfe
• 1948—62 Sir Thomas Murray Taylor
• 1962—76 Sir Edward Maitland Wright
• 1976—81 Sir Fraser Noble
• 1981—91 George Paul McNicol
• 1991—96 Maxwell Irvine
• 1996—2010 Sir Duncan Rice
• 2010—18 Sir Ian Diamond
• 2018—present George Boyne

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (March 2024)

• 1500—34 Hector Boece
• 1569—83 Alexander Arbuthnot
• 1598—1632 Reverend Dr David Rait
• 1632–? William Leslie
• 1640—51 William Guild
• 1652—61 John Row
• 1662–1679 Alexander Middleton
• 1689–1716 George Middleton
• 1729–? George Chalmers
• 1800—15 Roderick MacLeod
• 1815—54 William Jack

• 1593—98 Robert Howie
• 1598—1614 Gilbert Gray
• 1616—19 Andrew Adie
• 1620—21 Reverend William Forbes
• 1621—49 Patrick Dun
• 1649—61 William Moir
• 1661—78 James Leslie
• 1678—1717 Robert Paterson
• 1717—28 Thomas Blackwell (primus)
• 1728—48 John Osborne
• 1748—57 Thomas Blackwell (secundus)
• 1757—59 Robert Pollock
• 1759—96 George Campbell
• 1796—1830 William Laurence Brown
• 1832—60 Daniel Dewar

• Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen
• Rector of the University of Aberdeen
• Ancient university governance in Scotland