The school has a wide range of societies, many of them student-led. Some are academically-based but others are interest-based.

One of the longest established is the Political Society run by Mr McDowell that brings top-ranking politicians to Fettes to speak on the topics of the day. Other societies also invite speakers, including the History and Science Societies, but others tend to attend lectures at Edinburgh institutions such as the Royal Scottish Geographical Society and the Royal College of Physicians.