At the core of our University is our mission to transform people and communities through the delivery of teaching excellence, the impact of our research, our focus on enterprise and to contribute to economic, social and cultural development, and environmental sustainability.
Our community
Our community of staff, students and alumni are the driving force behind our mission. Their commitment, diversity and vibrancy broadens our creativity, innovation and curiosity.
- 18,000 students studying on campus and online.
- 152 student nationalities represented.
- We have a diverse staff of over 1,800 employees.
- An international graduate community of 80,000 across the globe.
Teaching, learning and the student experience
First class learning environment
We’ve invested £120 million into the development of state-of-the-art buildings, facilities and workspaces to inspire innovation and help prepare our students in their future career.
Delivering teaching excellence
From undergraduate to postgraduate and short courses, we offer over 300 subjects developed in close collaboration with industry to ensure they are demand driven and tailored to current and future skills needs.
- 2nd in Scotland and top 10 in the UK for teaching quality (The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024).
- 2nd in Scotland for learning opportunities and assessment and feedback (National Student Survey 2023, excludes colleges, small, specialist and private providers).
- 3rd in Scotland and top 10 in the UK for satisfaction with teaching (Good University Guide 2024).
An unforgettable student experience
Our students are at the heart of everything we do, and their time at RGU stretches far beyond the lecture theatres and library.
- 2nd in Scotland and top 10 in the UK for student satisfaction (THE's positivity measure, NSS 2023).
- Top 3 in Scotland and top 10 in the UK for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2024).
Leading employability
We are committed to ensuring that when our students graduate, they’re ready for whatever path they take into the future.
- 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for employability and/or further study (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2022, excludes
small, specialist institutions). - 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK in the Graduate Employment Rate measure (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022).
- 2nd in Scotland for graduate outcomes: on track (Complete University Guide 2024).
- 96.5% graduate employability, latest national Graduate Outcomes Survey.
- RGUplus, a dedicated scheme launched to optimise students’ employability and role as global citizens of the future.
Widening access to higher education
- We work with communities across Scotland to inspire, support and enable people from all backgrounds to pursue their ambitions through degree education and professional employment.
- We partner with 26 schools, working alongside teachers and pupils from S1 to S6 to support and encourage a positive journey to higher education. As a result, we have over 1,000 pupils registered to attend our widening access programme in the 2023/24 year.
- We welcome hundreds of students each year from North East Scotland College (NESCol) and other colleges across Scotland.
Research and knowledge exchange
Solving global challenges
Our inclusive research culture fosters high quality, globally recognised research, and close collaboration between public, private and third sector organisations to solve some of society’s most pressing issues and global sustainability challenges.
- Four key research themes: Environment, Energy and Sustainability; Health and Wellbeing; Living in a Digital World; and Inclusive and Creative Societies.
- 541 scholarly outputs in the 2022/23 year to sustain research of public value.
- £4.7m in research revenue in the 2022/23 year, delivering projects that address global sustainability challenges.
An inclusive research culture
Fostering an inclusive research culture is integral to our research strategy and enables us to grow our interdisciplinary research expertise.
- 9 Chancellor Fellowships appointed for 5 years to advance research expertise.
- 4 Research Champions appointed to lead four interdisciplinary themes. Ambition to increase size and diversity of RGU’s doctoral research community through new appointments and PhD staff.
- RGU Orkney Strategy launched to help islands thrive, socially and economically, over the next five years.
Our research culture is recognised by AdvanceHE in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) 2022.
- 1st for research skills and research culture.
- 2nd for supervision, resources and support.
- We ranked 5th in the UK nationally for overall satisfaction, with an 86% satisfaction rate.
Sharing our knowledge and expertise
We pursue partnerships and deliver knowledge exchange across all sectors and support organisations, to address business and service challenges through access to our expertise and facilities.
- Multi-million-pound National Subsea Centre (NSC) established January 2023, created in partnership with the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC).
- £1.2m Hydrogen Testing Facility at the NSC (Scottish Government funding).
- £3.36m in knowledge exchange grants in the 2022/23 year to support organisation develop new products, services and processes.
- Highest number of knowledge exchange awards secured by the University with 59 recorded in the 2022/23 year, and of these 44 were new companies collaborating with RGU for the first time.
- Scottish Government Just Transition Funding awarded in 2022/23 to develop cross-sector Digital Innovation Lab for North East of Scotland.
Economic, social and cultural development
Our commitment to economic, social and cultural development aims to enhance employability, harness talent and skills, and drive forward innovation to support a transition to a prosperous and greener economy.
- Outstanding Business Engagement in Universities 2023 winner, Herald Higher Education Awards.
- £8.56m in engagement in the 2022/23 year to work with organisations as part of our contribution to economic and social development.
Developing skills and workforces
We develop workforces and individuals, and address skills needs with our demand-led portfolio of upskilling courses.
- 28 Upskilling courses covering a wide range of subject areas delivered to more than 450 individuals in the 2022/23 year.
- With over 1,000 apprentices, we work with more than 400+ businesses covering the length and breadth of Scotland.
- RGU is a key partner in the National Energy Skills Accelerator, a partnership with University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, North East Scotland College, Skills Development Scotland and ETZ Ltd.
- We are a leading provider of Graduate Apprenticeships in Scotland, offering a high value, work-based option for employers to develop their workforce.
- We taught 185 Graduate Apprentices from 101 companies in the 2022/23 academic year.
- £1m secured from the Just Transition Fund for an Energy Transition Skills Programme, including an additional £280k for upskilling programmes at RGU.
We are the main provider of Nursing, Midwifery & Paramedic education in the North East of Scotland.
- 1st in Scotland for graduate prospects in Nursing: on track (Complete University Guide 2024).
- 2nd in Scotland for overall student satisfaction in Midwifery (National Student Survey 2023, excludes colleges, small, specialist and private providers).
Driving entrepreneurship
We promote entrepreneurship and innovation in recognition of the important role that entrepreneurial business growth plays in economic development and diversification.
- Our Startup Accelerator has helped more than 218 entrepreneurs launch 120 companies since 2018, providing 70+ full-time roles. This includes 26 new businesses launched and 19 full time jobs created in the last 12 months.
- Nominated one of the UK’s most entrepreneurial universities at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards, London (2023).
- We play a leading role in the economic diversification and regeneration of the region. Working with economic development body Opportunity North East (ONE) and other partners, we are strengthening support for entrepreneurship and contributing to the creation of a regional mentor pilot programme.
- RGU Sustainable Futures programme launched in 2023 with funding of £100,000 from the Scottish Government’s Local Economic Covid Recovery Fund (LACER) to help futureproof Aberdeenshire businesses amid challenging economic landscape.
- Three Women in Business programmes delivered in 2022/23 to help support women with children to start their own business or enter self-employment.
Creating inclusive and creative societies
We are committed to enhancing Scotland’s prosperity and wellbeing, and work in partnership with community groups and third sector organisations to improve the quality of life for all.
- We have established Scotland’s first holistic, student-led law clinic at the medical practice in Torry, Aberdeen.
- Mobile Art School outreach programme delivered to schools across the North East of Scotland to improve awareness of creative industries.
- Expanding our strategic footprint in Orkney to support social and economic development across the island. The RGU Orkney strategy launched in 2023 to help the islands to thrive over the next five years.
- Working in partnership to deliver clinics in the community to offer vital services free of charge - Climate Clinic, Physiotherapy Clinic and Orkney Community Clinic.
- We are a pivotal partner in the North East of Scotland’s creative sector & community. Led by Gray’s School of Art, ranked 1st in Scotland for graduate prospects in Art (Guardian University Guide 2022) and its dedicated creative unit, Look Again.
- Engaging young people across the region through delivery of free sport and creativity sessions to reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour while improving health and wellbeing, encouraging inclusivity through sport and developing aspirations of youngsters – Streetsport in partnership with Denis Law Legacy Trust.