St Andrews top in Scotland for languages and linguistics

The University of St Andrews has been ranked 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK for languages and linguistics by the Guardian University Guide 2026.

The ranking reflects the excellence of language, cultural, and comparative literature studies at the School of Modern Languages.

The Guide ranks universities by the strength of student satisfaction, expenditure per student, student to staff ratio, career prospects, entry tariff, value-added and continuation. The School of Modern Languages' ranking matches the ranking for the University of St Andrews as a whole which was named as the top university in Scotland and second to the University of Oxford in the UK.

About the School of Modern Languages

The School of Modern Languages at the University of St Andrews is one of the largest and most diverse of its kind in the UK - the School offers degree programmes in eight languages as well as dynamic cross-disciplinary programmes in comparative literature and digital humanities.

The School is consistently rated among the best in the UK by major national rankings and prides itself on being a vibrant, diverse, inclusive and engaging academic community that welcomes all students wishing to pursue the study of foreign languages and cultures.

Learn more about the School of Modern Languages' undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.