The University of Stirling is a modern university with an excellent reputation for research, teaching and the quality of the learning opportunities it provides. It is designated, by the Scottish Government, as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence.
The main campus is two miles outside Stirling city centre. The university is responsible for the teaching of nurses in the Forth Valley.
Courses and students
The university offers over 170 single and combined courses through five academic faculties:
The university has agreements (formal and informal) with a number of further education colleges including Forth Valley College, enabling students to move from a specific HNC or HND to the second or third year of a degree programme.
Students can also study abroad at over 70 partner universities in countries including Spain, USA and Japan.
The university has over 17,500 students globally, with over 140 nationalities represented on campus and 1,500 staff.
Facilities and Services
Facilities include a modern library with a dedicated Study Zone next to it, which is open 24 hours a day. In terms of accommodation, there are more than 2,800 rooms on campus, as well as easy to reach off-campus residences.
The university has outstanding sporting facilities and is Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence. It is home to national swimming and tennis centres, as well as a golf course and a football academy. It also has a wide range of arts and leisure facilities including a theatre, cinema, bars and a nightclub.
The university has over 120 sports clubs and societies.
Ranking
In the Subject League Tables in the Complete University Guide 2026: 1st in Scotland and UK for Heritage Studies; 1st in Scotland and 2nd in the UK for Paramedic Science; 2nd in Scotland for Marketing, and 3rd in Scotland for Sports Science, and Communication Studies.
In this same guide, also ranked in the top 5 in Scotland for: Education, French, Geography and Environmental Science, Mathematics, Nursing, Philosophy, Politics, Social Policy, Sociology, and Spanish.
In the Guardian University Guide 2026: 1st in Scotland for Criminology, Journalism, Marketing and Public Relations; 2nd in Scotland for Social Work; 3rd in Scotland for Economics (top 10 in the UK), and Media and Film Studies.
Video
Courtesy of University of Stirling
