St Andrews keeps top spot in UK university ranking

The University of St Andrews is the top university in the UK, according to The Guardian University Guide 2024 published today (Saturday 9 September).

It is the second year in succession that St Andrews has led the Guardian ranking, which assesses the performance and strengths of all 130 UK universities.

St Andrews made history in 2019 when it became the first UK university to break the longstanding Oxbridge duopoly at the top of UK university league tables, unseating Oxford to take second place. It rose to the top spot in 2022.

Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Sally Mapstone FRSE said: “To be ranked top last year for the first time was very special. To upset the old order two years in succession may be habit forming.

“It is a great compliment to all of our fantastic academic and professional services staff, and our remarkable students.

“The Guardian ranks on the factors which, it argues, combine to demonstrate a strong academic student experience. Our preeminent position is as much about the commitment of our staff to deliver a very special blend of research-led teaching as it is about the hard work and achievements of St Andrews students.”

Matt Hiely-Rayner, who compiled the Guide, said: “St Andrews has consolidated the lead it took last year and has even extended it.”

St Andrews’ individual academic schools also performed very strongly in the Guardian Guide subject tables.

Art History, Chemistry, English, History, International Relations, Management, Modern Languages, Neuroscience and Psychology were all ranked first in the UK.

In total, 20 subjects taught at St Andrews were ranked in the top five.

The Guide ranks universities by the strength of student satisfaction, expenditure per student, student/staff ratio, career prospects, entry tariff, value-added and continuation.

The Guardian Guide is one of three national league tables, publishing annually alongside the Complete University Guide; the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide; and the new Daily Mail University Guide 2024, which also published today.

The University is top in the UK for Teaching Quality in the Daily Mail guide.