St Andrews makes history by topping uni ranking list ahead of Oxbridge
17 September 2021, 10:35
The University of St Andrews has made history by pipping Oxford and Cambridge to the top of the definitive ranking of the UK's higher education institutions.
St Andrews University, in Fife, Scotland was ranked top by The Times and Sunday Times Good University guide 2022.
For the first time in the guide's history that a university other than Oxford or Cambridge has topped the rankings.
The university, which both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended, was commended by the guide for student satisfaction, research, teaching quality, entry standards and graduate outcomes.
University Chancellor, Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, said: “This welcome and deserved achievement reflects the outstanding nature of the student experience at St Andrews University.
“Under the inspired leadership of the Principal, Professor Sally Mapstone, and her senior team, the standards set in these difficult times in teaching, research, and management at every level are truly remarkable.”
President of the St Andrews Students’ Association, Lottie Doherty, said: “It’s amazing news. It’s brilliant that St Andrews has made number one, not just for the University and its staff but for all the students here as well.
“It really is a testament to how well the last year has gone despite the difficult conditions."
Guide Editor Alastair McCall, said: “St Andrews’ achievement in topping our institutional table should not be underestimated. Never before has any university other than Cambridge and Oxford finished top of our – or any other – domestic ranking of universities.
“It is no fluke. The University has been closing in on the Oxbridge duopoly for several years."
The University also tops seven of the subject league tables. St Andrews is top in the UK for Business Management, Computer Science, English, Middle Eastern and African studies, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, and International Relations.
Top ranked universities this year
- St Andrews
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- Imperial College London
- London School of Economics and Political Science
