Best Universities in Scotland

Scotland 2026: frequently asked questions

Which institution is number one in the 2026 scotland ranking?

University of Edinburgh, based in Edinburgh, ranks first with an overall score of 91.4 out of 100.

How is this ranking calculated?

Every entry is scored on the same six weighted indicators — Graduate outcomes (30%), Salary uplift (20%), Faculty & research strength (15%), Selectivity (15%), Employer reputation (10%), Cohort & network reach (10%) — each normalised across the table and combined into an overall score out of 100. Nothing is reweighted table by table.

How many institutions are ranked, and how often is the table updated?

8 institutions appear in the 2026 edition. A new edition is published every year on 30 September, with all six indicators re-collected for that edition.

Can an institution pay to appear or move up?

No. No institution pays to be assessed, to appear in a table, or to change its position, and no score is shown to an institution before publication.