Thousands of students have returned to - or arrived for the first time at - universities across Scotland in the last few weeks - hoping that their degrees will see them bag a job after graduating.
They’ll be interested in the findings of the Sunday Times’ recent Good University Guide, an annual publication that ranks the institutions according to a range of factors, from graduate salaries to student-to-staff ratio.
This year has seen St Andrews University drop down from the top spot it held in 2023, being replaced by London School of Economics, with Oxford, Cambridge and Durham completing the top five.
A total of five Scottish universities appear in the top 20, with St Andrews joined by Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Strathclyde.
The guide also tells us which universities perform the best when it comes to how happy students are - using the percentage of positive feedback when it comes to “student experience” in the annual National Student Survey.
Here’s how Scotland’s 14 universities perform.
1. University of St Andrews
A total of 86.4 percent of students at the University of St Andrews reported they had a positive experience while studying there - the highest figure in Scotland. The institution also came top in Scotland in the overall rankings. | Jean-Marie MAILLET - stock.adobe.com
2. University of Aberdeen
A total of 83.3 percent of students at the University of Aberdeen reported they had a positive experience while studying there. The institution came 2nd in Scotland in the overall rankings. | popovj2 - stock.adobe.com
3. Abertay University
A total of 82.8 percent of students at Dundee's Abertay University reported they had a positive experience while studying there. The institution came 12th in Scotland in the overall rankings. | Google Maps
4. University of Strathclyde
A total of 80.2 percent of students at the University of Strathclyde reported they had a positive experience while studying there. The institution came 5th in Scotland in the overall rankings. | GraemeJBaty - stock.adobe.com