Across the Atlantic in New York’s SoHo, GCU was the first foreign university to be granted a charter to award its own degrees in fashion and business. The institution has helped to set up the African Leadership College in Mauritius, where the first students embarked on GCU degrees in 2017. It also co-founded the Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing in Bangladesh, and has links with institutions across the world, including in Oman, China, India and South America.

With a stated mission to be a “university for the common good”, CGU has set out a vision to be a world leader in social innovation in its Strategy 2030 document and aims to drive sustainable economic and social development in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The university is ranked 70th out of 1,406 institutions globally in the Times Higher Education’s Impact rankings 2022, and first in the UK for promoting gender equality. 

It is already setting an example in the UK for social inclusion and ranks fourth among Scotland’s 15 universities. In the latest social inclusion data, GCU records 96.4 per cent of its intake from non-selective state schools and is third in Scotland for its proportion of white working-class male students (8.4 per cent), the most underrepresented demographic in universities.  

Outreach initiatives target local communities and schools with a low progression rate to university, providing campus visits, skills training, careers guidance and taster days. Improving completion rates — with a projected dropout rate of 6.6 per cent, below the 7.9 per cent expected, based on the course and student profile — show that the university’s academic, social and financial support for those at risk of dropping out is bearing fruit. 

GCU is one of the largest providers of graduates to the NHS in Scotland and its facilities include a virtual hospital. It trains 90 per cent of the country’s eyecare specialists and is the only Scottish university offering optometry degrees. 

Nursing and allied health subjects produced some of GCUs best work in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). GCU moves up 11 places in our research quality index to rank 66th. 

The School of Engineering and Built Environment teaches three-quarters of Scotland’s part-time construction students. The Glasgow School for Business and Society offers highly specialised degrees, having pioneered subjects such as entrepreneurial studies and risk management, with its first cohort of economic policy undergraduates welcomed in September 2021. A new degree in artificial intelligence and data sciences began in September 2022.  

GCU is Scotland’s leading provider of graduate apprenticeships (known as degree apprenticeships south of the border). So far there are nine programmes and GCU expects more than 750 apprentices to have enrolled by September 2023. Subject areas include civil engineering, cybersecurity and accountancy — a new addition from 2022. The university’s Mint (mentoring, internships, networking and talks) employment programme pairs students with GCU alumni, offers paid internships and industry talks. 

GCU’s graduate prospects remain in the top 40 according to our analysis tracking those in highly skilled work or further study 15 months after leaving university (39th).

Student satisfaction with the wider undergraduate experience has slipped 21 places to 57=, according to our analysis of the latest National Student Survey.Fashion courses are a flagship programme and GCU’s British School of Fashion has teamed up with companies including Marks & Spencer, which has a design studio at the London campus and funds scholarships. The university’s purpose-built studio in Glasgow, the Fashion Factory, has industry-standard machinery for designing and making clothing.  

Known for its friendliness and culture, Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city. GCU facilities include the Arc sports centre and 24-hour computer labs. There are only 654 residential places, with priority given to those aged under 19, international or disabled students. The historic West End’s redbrick flats are popular for off-campus student living.