St Andrews top in new university rankings

The University of St Andrews is Scotland’s top university and one of the top three in the UK, according to a new league table published.

The Complete University Guide 2021 ranks St Andrews as the top university in Scotland, a few points behind rivals Oxford and Cambridge who take second and first place respectively, in the annual assessment of universities’ teaching and research strengths.

St Andrews is one of a trio of Scottish universities that make up the top 20 in the Complete University Guide 2021. Edinburgh rises one place to 15th from last year, while Glasgow is placed 19th.

Success in The Complete University Guide 2021 also includes an impressive rise of 17 places in subject rankings for Medicine, which sees St Andrews enter the top ten, ranked at eight, for the first time in five years. Dundee and Glasgow ranked joint top for Medicine, climbing five and two positions respectively, strengthening Scotland’s position as a global leader in medical excellence.

Welcoming the news, St Andrews’ Principal, Professor Sally Mapstone, said:

“These are encouraging and very cheering results for St Andrews and a testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff and students across the University. For a small Scottish university to be competing amongst the very best says much for the strengths of research-led teaching and student experience on offer at St Andrews

“It’s an honour to be top in Scotland in such a competitive and high-quality field north of the border. The global strengths of our universities in Fife and Tayside are something of which we should be proud.

“I am particularly delighted at the remarkable gains made by our School of Medicine especially at a time when strengths in medicine and medical research are now more crucial than ever.

“It is, however, vital, at a time of global change and unrest, that St Andrews and other Scottish universities are able to continue to compete on a world stage and use our collective expertise for a better world.

“The future of universities has never been so fragile in light of the current coronavirus pandemic, but this is also a time when universities can demonstrate their true value to society.”

Jamie Rodney, President of the St Andrews Students’ Association, said:

“This has been a tough year for universities everywhere, but I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved. These results are not just statistics, but testament to the incredible dedication shown by our students, academic and professional services staff towards the high standards and unique sense of community we have in St Andrews. Obviously we still have huge challenges ahead of us, but these results, and the huge human potential they show, prove that we’re really well suited to meet them.”