St Andrews University 2nd only to Oxford in UK league

THE University of St Andrews has been crowned the top university in Scotland – and is second only to Oxford in the whole of the UK.

The prestigious Fife institution has overtaken Cambridge, which sits in third place, according to a new university league table.

It is the second year that St Andrews has split the ‘Oxbridge’ duopoly at the top of the UK’s university rankings.

For decades, Oxford and Cambridge held firm in their positions of first and second place in every UK university league table.

But in 2019, St Andrews squeezed its way into second place – a position it has managed to maintain. In recent years, no other university has ever finished higher than third place.

The league ranks universities by the strength of teaching, student satisfaction, expenditure per student, student/staff ratio, career prospects, entry tariff and academic feedback.

It prides itself as one of the most accurate predictors of employability, as it uses data which gauges graduate jobs 15 months after graduation rather than after six months.

Last night, Professor Sally Mapstone, St Andrews principal and vice-chancellor, said: ‘For a small Scottish university to be competing among the very best in the United Kingdom reflects our commitment to the highest standards of learning, teaching and student experience.

‘Our warmest congratulations to Oxford on securing the top spot this year.

‘This ranking is significant because it comes at a difficult period for students across the country who have experienced a year like no other, and are facing a very different university experience.

‘It’s so important that while we encourage students to observe safe behaviour, we empower and support them to show what they can do during these enormously restrictive times.’

A number of Scottish universities have climbed the ranks this year, according to the Guardian University Guide 2021, which was published yesterday.

Strathclyde, based in Glasgow, jumped up the table from 51st position to 15th, making it one of six universities north of the Border to make it into the top 20 in the listings.

Others include Glasgow which comes in 12th, Edinburgh which is 13th, and Dundee and Aberdeen, which secure the 19th and 20th positions respectively.