Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) is one of Scotland’s largest universities.

Tracing its origins back to 1875, this modern, innovative and forward-thinking university has a large, self-contained campus in the city centre, as well as a postgraduate campus in London. The university has many purpose-built facilities making it one of the best learning environments in the UK.

Courses and students

The university has three academic schools:

• Glasgow School for Business and Society
• School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment
• School of Health and Life Sciences.

Glasgow Caledonian University is the only institution in Scotland to offer the integrated masters MOptom (IP) Optometry with Independent Prescribing and BSc (Hons) Orthoptics. The university has its own eye clinic providing clinical training facilities. The clinic is open to the public, and patients are examined by students under the direct supervision of experienced and qualified clinical staff.

The university has over 1,600 staff teaching nearly 23,000 students from around 119 countries.

You could spend part of your undergraduate course abroad as the university has partnership links with universities across the world.

Facilities and services

The Sir Alex Ferguson Library is home to the university library and student support services hub, based in the Saltire Centre. It offers flexible study spaces for 1,200 students and access to over 500,000 books.

The Arc Health and Wellbeing facility is a multi-purpose sport and exercise centre which has fitness classes, a well-equipped gym, and 30 sports clubs. There are a wide range of societies you can join too.

The university has a simulated hospital ward, a high-tech broadcasting suite and a fashion factory.

There is on-campus accommodation for 660 students, in self-contained, fully furnished flats.

Ranking

GCU is ranked 3^rd in the UK for Complementary Medicine, and 4^th in the UK for Optometry, Ophthalmics and Orthoptics (Complete University Guide 2025). 

GCU is ranked 1st in the UK for Social Work, and 3^rd in the UK for 3D Animation and Visualisation; Digital Design; and Games Development. (Guardian University Guide 2025).

In the Daily Mail University Guide 2025 it is ranked 40^th out of 129 universities in the UK, climbing four places from last year, and ranks 1^st in the UK as Modern University of the Year.

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