Its mission is to be the “university for the common good” and Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) has added a 21st-century focus to make its graduates career-ready. More than half of its undergraduate programmes are accredited by professional bodies and most include a work placement, and it is Scotland’s leading provider of graduate apprenticeships (equivalent to degree apprenticeships in England), including civil engineering, cybersecurity and accountancy. GCU is also one of the largest providers of graduates to NHS Scotland and has been responsible for training most of Scotland’s non-medical eyecare professionals for more than 50 years.
Based mainly on a single campus in the centre of one of the UK’s buzziest student cities, GCU has a postgraduate campus in London which focuses on seven courses including fashion and luxury business.
What is Glasgow Caledonian University’s reputation?
GCU traces its roots to two historic institutions: the Queen’s College, Glasgow (formed out of the Glasgow School of Cookery, founded in 1875), and Glasgow Polytechnic (which began as Glasgow College of Technology in 1971). The two merged in 1993 to form Glasgow Caledonian University, nicknamed Cally by its students — though the spelling is a moot point (Calley, Cali or Caley are all in use).
The results of the latest National Student Survey (NSS) keep the university on an even keel, up four places for both measures: satisfaction with teaching quality (65th) and the wider student experience (53rd).
Courses are organised within three schools: computing, engineering and built environment; business and society; and health and life Sciences. Helping to fuel its league table ascent is an improved research profile. Nursing and allied health subjects produced some of the best work in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), contributing to a rise of 11 places in our research quality index (66th).
GCU’s School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment is one of Britain’s leading teaching centres for building and surveying. The Glasgow School for Business and Society offers highly specialised degrees such as entrepreneurial studies and risk management.
GCU was the first foreign university to be granted a charter to award its own degrees in fashion and business in America in 2014 when it opened a branch in New York, but it struggled to attract students and was sold in 2024 to the Spanish institution IE University. GCU also helped to set up the African Leadership College in Mauritius in 2017 and co-founded the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing in Bangladesh in 2010. The university also has links with institutions in Oman and China.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
BScs in ophthalmic dispensing management, and biosciences degrees paired with food bioscience and microbiology are in the pipeline for 2025. The university’s degree in food science will be withdrawn at the same time.
What are Glasgow Caledonian University’s entry requirements – and my chances of getting in?
Offers for undergraduate degrees range from 147 Ucas tariff points (AAA at A-level) to 96 (CCC), and in Scottish Highers it is BBCC up to AABBB. Minimum entry requirements apply for those eligible for contextual offers, which were made to about a fifth of new entrants in 2023. Clearing accounted for 16 per cent of admissions in 2023.
What are the graduate prospects?
In our analysis of the latest Graduate Outcomes survey, GCU slips back into the top 40 (34th) based on the proportion of graduates in high-skilled jobs or further study 15 months on. The university’s career focus is sharpened by initiatives such as the Mint (mentoring, internships, networking and talks) employment programme, which pairs students with GCU alumni, offers paid internships and industry talks. GCU’s British School of Fashion has teamed up with companies including Marks & Spencer, which has a design studio for postgraduate study in London and funds scholarships.
What is Glasgow Caledonian University campus like?
The Heart of the Campus building is the centrepiece of GCU’s site, near Queen Street station. Another standout facility is the Sir Alex Ferguson Library, providing study spaces for 1,800 students as well as a “relax and renew zone”.
Hands-on learning facilities include a virtual hospital; the Vision Centre — where student optometrists carry out eye tests and dispense glasses and contact lenses; and the Fashion Factory, a purpose-built studio in Glasgow with industry-standard machinery for designing and making clothing. There is also a postgraduate campus for fashion students in London.
Everything you need to know about student life and wellbeing support
Friendly in terms of social life and the student purse, Glasgow is a fun city to be a student. The Arc health and wellbeing centre on campus has three gyms and two large sports halls, and an outdoor area provides facilities for tennis and football.
In 2023 a new student partnership agreement was brought in to encourage a sense of belonging and change for the common good. The student wellbeing team comprises counsellors, wellbeing and mental health advisers, and a disability service. GCU is one of ten universities to hold the Student Minds University Mental Health Charter Award. It also has accreditation from the National Autistic Society in recognition of its support for autistic students and has introduced a transgender support policy.
What do the students say?
“The university's dedication to fostering a sense of global citizenship resonates deeply, inspiring students and staff to embrace diversity and inclusion. The university is uniquely situated at the centre of the city, providing students the experience of Glasgow’s rich culture and also access to career opportunities. My time at Glasgow Caledonian has been nothing short of transformative, shaping me into a conscientious leader ready to make meaningful difference in the world.”
Chidozie Nwaigwe, students’ association president, MSc environmental management graduate
What about student accommodation at Glasgow Caledonian University?
Early application is advised: there are only 655 residential places, and only 70 per cent of applicants were housed in halls in 2024. Off campus, private rentals are stretched in Glasgow due to a shortage of properties. The historic West End’s red-brick flats are popular — if you act fast.
How diverse and inclusive is Glasgow Caledonian University?
GCU sets a high bar for social inclusion, ranking fourth among Scotland’s 15 universities. With 22.1 per cent of its intake from deprived areas, it is second among its Scottish peers. Outreach activities target local communities and schools with low progression rates to higher education, providing campus visits, skills training, careers guidance and taster days.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Glasgow Caledonian University
Between 48 per cent and 60 per cent of new students received some form of financial assistance in 2024 — an already high proportion that GCU expects to increase. Awards are funded from a £2 million pot per year and include a £6,000 cash-back bursary for RUK (Rest of the UK) students, paid over three years followed by a fourth-year fee waiver. Fifteen students who qualify under criteria to widen participation in higher education are awarded Common Good scholarships of up to £1,500 per year of study. Subject-specific scholarships go to high achievers in a range of fields.
