Times Good University Guide: The top 14 Scottish universities as Edinburgh University moves up in rankings

St Andrews University has taken the number one spot in Scotland in a national league table, with Edinburgh in second place.

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The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide, to be published on Sunday (September 18), covers 135 UK universities. St Andrews is second in the UK-wide rankings, slipping from first place last year as Oxford took back that position, with Cambridge still in third place.

Edinburgh University was second in Scotland and tenth in the UK, up from 13th place last year. Glasgow came third in Scotland and 14th in the UK, down from 12th last year.

A total of 14 Scottish universities feature in the 96-page 2023 edition of the guide, which ranks universities using data published in the last two months.

Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University was placed ninth in Scotland and 57th equal in the UK, down from 30th equal last year. Edinburgh Napier was tenth in Scotland and 59th in the UK, down two places from last year. And Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University was 12th in Scotland and 67th in the UK, down one.

Edinburgh University had the second highest proportion of graduates going on to high-skilled jobs or graduate-level study – 84.6 per cent, behind St Andrews with 86.9 per cent.

But Edinburgh’s scores in the national student survey were below some other universities for teaching quality (68.6 per cent) and student experience (67 percent).

Edinburgh University moved up to second place in Scotland and 10th in the UK in the latest university rankings. Picture: Scott Louden.

Zoe Thomas, principal author of the guide, said: "St Andrews is the best performing university in Scotland and is second-top across the UK, keeping Cambridge in third place.

"It scores exceptionally well on student satisfaction and graduate employment, and has earned the well-deserved accolade of Scottish University of the Year."

In fourth and fifth place in Scotland came the University of Strathclyde and the University of Aberdeen, respectively.

In the UK-wide table, the London School of Economics and Political Science was in fourth place and Imperial College London was placed fifth.

The Times Good University Guide: Top 10 universities in Scotland

- St Andrews

- Edinburgh

- Glasgow

- Strathclyde

- Aberdeen

- Dundee

- Stirling

- Glasgow Caledonian

- Heriot-Watt

- Edinburgh Napier

- Robert Gordon

- Queen Margaret

- Abertay

- West of Scotland