Aberdeen University tops poll after rise up rankings

Institution rises up rankings for third year in a row

Aberdeen University has been named as the Scottish University of the Year after jumping up the rankings for the third year in a row.

It was awarded the honour in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 in which St Andrews University was placed in the UK’S top three higher education institutions, behind only Oxford and Cambridge.

Aberdeen meanwhile saw its ranking increase by 14 places, going from 40th best university in the UK to the to 26th.

Alastair Mccall, editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide, noted Aberdeen’s rise in in the table “is the biggest of any university in the top 30 and gives it a ranking commensurate to its status as one of the UK’S leading academic institutions”.

He stated: “It was a clear winner of our Scottish University of the Year award and earned a shortlisting for the UK University of the Year title off the back of improved performances in most of the metrics used in our tables.”

University Principal Professor George Boyne hailed the award as a “major honour”, adding it was “testament to the efforts of our staff and students, as well as the great sense of identity and community that we have at Aberdeen”.

He said: “As an institution we consistently attract students with exceptional ability and potential, and this - along with the quality of our teaching - has been an important factor in our success in areas such as degree outcomes and graduate employability.

“In addition, our strength in research - exemplified by the Queens Anniversary Prize for our contribution to health services research - places us at the forefront of innovation in key areas of economic, environmental and societal importance.

“This University was found- ed in 1495 with the purpose of being open to all and dedicated to the pursuit of truth in the service of others, and this continues to inspire our academic achievements.

“Our focus on widening access and inclusivity, strength in interdisciplinary teaching and research, and international outlook are the modern-day interpretation of our founding principles, which have played a major role in Aberdeen being named Scottish University of the Year. I’d like to congratulate everyone at the University who has worked so hard to help us achieve this honour.”

St Andrews was once again the highest ranked university in Scotland.