Abertay ranked top Scottish modern university in Guardian University Guide 2026

Three female graduates in gowns and hats pose with a large photo frame.

Abertay University has been ranked the top modern university in Scotland in the Guardian University Guide 2026.

Strong scores across a wide range of programmes and satisfaction measures saw Abertay rise 24 places in the national table, ranking 11th in the UK and second in Scotland on the key 'value added' metric which measures entry grades against degree outcomes to gauge how effective teaching has been.

Our Marketing programmes ranked top in the UK for value added, with Mental Health Nursing, Psychology, Food Science, Law, Criminology and Sports Sciences all ranking top in Scotland on the same measure.

The University also ranked top in Scotland for Mental Health Nursing and top Scottish modern for Animation, Psychology, Law, Criminology and Sports Sciences.

The Guardian University Guide 2026 success follows a strong performance in the Complete University Guide 2026, which saw Abertay register a top Scottish modern hat-trick in the areas of student satisfaction, research intensity and facilities investment.

Earlier this year the University was named the top International School for video games design by the Princeton Review, with programmes ranked in the global top 10 at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Professor Liz Bacon, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Abertay University, said:
“Being named Scotland’s top modern university in the Guardian University Guide 2026 is a fantastic achievement and reflects the hard work and dedication of our staff and students. Rising nationally and achieving such strong scores across teaching quality, student satisfaction and value added demonstrates the strength of our academic community and the outstanding experience we provide. This recognition, alongside our recent global and national successes, underlines Abertay’s position as one of the UK’s most innovative and student-focused universities. We will continue to build on this momentum to ensure every student has the opportunity to thrive.”

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