New guide ranks St Andrews among UK’s best

Tuesday 16 May 2017

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The University of St Andrews has again been ranked the best university in Scotland and third in the United Kingdom after Oxbridge, according to a new higher education league table published today (Tuesday 16 May 2017).

The Guardian University Guide 2018 places St Andrews 3rd in the UK and the only Scottish university in the top 20 of the 119 universities ranked.

It’s the second time inside a month that Scotland’s oldest university has been ranked among the UK’s top three universities. The Complete University Guide 2018 gave St Andrews its highest ever ranking on the back of high scores for student satisfaction and high quality academic programmes.

The Guardian’s league tables rank universities according to: spending per student; the student/staff ratio; graduate career prospects; the grades applicants require to be offered a place; a value-added score that compares students’ entry qualifications with their final degree results; and how satisfied final-year students are with their courses, based on results from the annual National Student Survey (NSS).

St Andrews academic schools performed strongly with four subjects placed top in the UK – English & Creative Writing, Philosophy, Physics, and International Relations.

Six subjects ranked 2nd – Biosciences, Business, Management & Marketing, Computer Science & Information Systems, Modern Languages & Linguistics, Psychology, and Divinity.

Three more subjects ranked in the top 5 – Classics & Ancient History, History, and History of Art.

The university’s strong performance in The Guardian ranking came as it revealed it was joining a network of influential European universities with the aim of maintaining vital academic links and cross-border dialogue post-Brexit.

St Andrews is the first Scottish university and second in the UK to join the Europaeum, whose members include the universities of Oxford, Helsinki, Leiden, Munich (Ludwig-Maximilian), Paris I, and Prague (Charles).

The Europaeum is designed to serve as an ‘international university without walls’, in which scholars and future European leaders have an opportunity to share common learning and confront common concerns.

St Andrews Principal, Professor Sally Mapstone, confirmed the University’s membership of the prestigious group.

“St Andrews is, and will remain, a highly connected global university,” she said.

“We are taking practical steps to strengthen our academic networks, in Europe and across the world. We have recently accepted an invitation to join the Europaeum, a network of research-focused European universities, and the Talloires Network, a global body of universities with a focus on civic engagement.

“When governments disagree, diverge or disconnect, academia has an even more important role to play in communication and the maintenance of relationships. This is a time to build bridges, not burn them.”

Dr Andrew Graham, Chair of the Academic Council of the Europaeum, commented: “We are delighted that St Andrews with its long tradition as an excellent university is joining the Europaeum. As Professor Mapstone has indicated, the timing could not be more significant, and we look forward to working with St Andrews to strengthen cross-Europe links.”


Issued by the University of St Andrews Communications Office, contactable on 01334 467310 or [email protected].


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