Fast Facts
- Ranked in the top 20 universities in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2021)
- In the top 180 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021)
- Scottish University of the Year 2019 (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019)
- Community of more than 130 nationalities, with 15,000 students
- Five Nobel Laureates are associated with the University of Aberdeen
- 75% of research classified as world leading (REF 2014)
- Global international networks: campus in Qatar, Alliance with Curtin University and Partnerships in Sri Lanka
- 1st in the UK for dentistry (Guardian University League Table 2021)
- 2nd in the UK for medicine (Guardian University League Table 2021)
- 2nd in the UK for sports science (Complete University Guide 2021)
- Top 25 in the world for Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies, top 100 for Anthropology, Archaeology and Agriculture (2020 QS World University Rankings by subject)
- The University was presented with the 2018 Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its world-class health services research
- Outstanding sports facilities include Olympic-standard Aberdeen Sports Village and Aquatic Centre
- Top 60 in the world for our positive impact on society (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021)
- The University marked its 525th birthday by celebrating its rich and diverse achievements of the past and the launch of a new strategic vision – Aberdeen 2040
League Tables
The national and global league tables are calculated using different criteria and weighting but all include; student satisfaction, student to staff ratio, graduate prospects, and entry grades.
| League Table | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complete University Guide (UK) | 44 | 40 | 42 | 40 | 28 | 29 | 26 |
| Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide (UK) | 44 | 45 | 44 | 40 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
| Guardian University League Table (UK) | 41 | 41 | 36 | 46 | 51 | 34 | 20 |
| Times Higher Education (UK) | 26 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 22 | 25 | 25 |
| Times Higher Education (World) | 178 | 172 | 188 | 185 | 158 | 168 | 178 |
| QS World Rankings (UK) | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
| QS World Rankings (World) | 137 | 137 | 141 | 158 | 172 | 194 | 207 |
| Shanghai Rankings (UK) | =22 | =22 | =21 | =22 | =22 | =21 | - |
| Shanghai Rankings (World) | 201-300 | 201-300 | 201-300 | 201-300 | 201-300 | 201-300 | - |
Subject Rankings
- The Complete University Guide 2021
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Sports Science 2nd Accounting & Finance 4th Medicine 4th Linguistics 5th Law 6th Electrical & Electronic Engineering 8th Education 9th Civil Engineering 10th Business & Management Studies 11th Geology 12th General Engineering 13th Dentistry 13th English 14th Theology & Religious Studies 14th History of Art 14th Anatomy & Physiology 14th Music 16th Anthropology 16th Pharmacology 16th Economics 17th Mathematics 20th Psychology 20th History 21st Chemical Engineering 21st Geography & Environmental Science 23rd - The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021
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Linguistics 3rd Computer Science 5th French 5th Sports Science 5th Anatomy and Physiology 6th Medicine 6th Chemical Engineering 9th Electrical and Electronic Engineering 9th Iberian Languages 9th Law 9th Anthropology 11th Philosophy 12th Psychology 14th Archaeology and Forensic Science 15th General Engineering 15th Business Studies 16th Geography and Environmental Science 16th Music 16th Chemistry 17th Education 17th History 18th Accounting and Finance 20th Biological Sciences 20th - Guardian University League Table 2021
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Dentistry 1st Medicine 2nd Physics 7th Computer Science & Information Systems 9th Law 10th Music 10th Sociology 10th Sports Science 10th Anthropology 12th Anatomy & Physiology 13th General Engineering 13th - Leiden Rankings 2020
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The Leiden University Rankings use bibliometric indicators to measure the performance of universities across the world.
Scientific Impact
Ranked 29th in the UK for the scientific impact of its research.
Research Collaboration
The University is ranked 8th in the UK and 1st in Scotland for collaborative research that takes place with partners across the world.
Open Access Publishing
The University is ranked 49th in the world for the number of Open Access publications. 78.5% of publications by University of Aberdeen researchers are Open Access.
Research Gender Diversity
This year, the university is ranked 8th in the UK for gender diversity. The University has consistently been ranked highly in the UK for the gender diversity of its researchers.