In its history, the Royal Society of Edinburgh has had 47 presidents in total, including the current holder of the office, Sir John Ball, who was elected in 2021. Each President is elected by the RSE Fellowship.
Presidents of the Royal Society of Edinburgh have included:
| 1783–1812 | Henry Scott, 3rd Duke of Buccleuch |
| 1812–1820 | Sir James Hall, Bart |
| 1820–1832 | Sir Walter Scott |
| 1832–1860 | Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane |
| 1860–1864 | The Duke of Argyll |
| 1864–1868 | Principal Sir David Brewster |
| 1869–1873 | Sir Robert Christison |
| 1873–1878 | Sir William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) |
| 1878–1879 | Rev Philip Kelland |
| 1879–1884 | Lord Moncreiff of Tullibole |
| 1884–1885 | Thomas Stevenson |
| 1886–1890 | Principal Sir William Thomson |
| 1890–1895 | Sir Douglas Maclagan |
| 1895–1907 | Lord Kelvin |
| 1908–1913 | Principal Sir William Turner |
| 1913–1915 | Professor James Geikie |
| 1915–1919 | Dr John Horne |
| 1919–1924 | Professor Frederick Orpen Bower |
| 1924–1929 | Sir Alfred Ewing |
| 1929–1934 | Sir Edward Sharpey Schafer |
| 1934–1939 | Sir D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson |
| 1939–1944 | Professor Sir Edmund Whittaker |
| 1944–1949 | Professor Sir William Wright Smith |
| 1949–1954 | Professor James Kendall, FRS |
| 1954–1958 | Professor James Ritchie |
| 1958–1959 | Professor J. Norman Davidson |
| 1959–1964 | Professor Sir Edmund Hirst, FRS |
| 1964–1967 | Professor J. Norman Davidson |
| 1967–1970 | Professor Norman Feather |
| l970–1973 | Sir Maurice Yonge |
| 1973–1976 | The Hon. Lord Cameron |
| 1976–1979 | Professor R. A. Smith |
| 1979–1982 | Sir Kenneth Blaxter |
| 1982–1985 | Sir John Atwell |
| 1985–1988 | Sir Alwyn Williams |
| 1988–1991 | Professor Charles Kemball |
| 1991–1993 | Professor Sir Alastair Currie |
| 1993–1996 | Dr Thomas L. Johnston |
| 1996–1999 | Professor Malcolm Jeeves |
| 1999–2002 | Sir William Stewart |
| 2002–2005 | Lord Sutherland of Houndwood |
| 2005–2008 | Sir Michael Atiyah |
| 2008–2011 | Lord Wilson of Tillyorn |
| 2011–2014 | Sir John Arbuthnott |
| 2014–2018 | Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell |
| 2018–2021 | Dame Anne Glover |
| 2021-present | Sir John Ball |