Facts & Figures

The University continues to grow and develop without losing sight of its key mission -

"to advance and diffuse knowledge, wisdom and understanding by teaching and research and by the example and influence of its corporate life".

In achieving these aims, three key touchstones help to focus our progress and provide a measure of our successes in the continuing improvement and development of the University. Recent successes and achievements in each of these areas of focus are provided here:

Achieving excellence in teaching and learning

• First in the UK in teaching quality - The Times and Times Higher Education Supplement 2005
• Scottish University of the Year 2004-2005 - Sunday Times Good Universities Guide
• 54% of the University's research is achieving 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' standards in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (2008)
• Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design is one of the leading art schools in the UK - six of 36 artists specially selected for the 2006 Tate triennial were Dundee graduates.

Promoting pure and applied research and scholarship at international levels of excellence

• The University of Dundee has the highest impact in molecular biology/genetics and biology/biochemistry of all UK universities (Thomson Scientific, 2006)
• Awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize 2005 for work in drug discovery and development
• Awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2004 for work at the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy
• The University is home to the UK's first UNESCO Centre of Excellence: the UNESCO Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science
• The University will soon house the UK's first interface science institute, The Institute for Medical Science and Technology
• Home to Scotland's first interdisciplinary gender research centre
• The University has spun out more than a dozen companies and drives one of the UK's fastest growing life sciences clusters, having quadrupled in size in the past decade

Enabling staff and students to develop to the full in an environment of equal opportunity

• Voted one of the world's best places for postdoctoral scientists in an international poll by The Scientist magazine (2005)
• Named as the most cost effective Scottish city for students by the Royal Bank of Scotland Student Living Index 2005.
• Voted best place to work in Europe in an international poll by The Scientist magazine (2004 and 2005)
• Three out of 20 of the UK's most cited scientists are based at the University of Dundee - Professor Sir David Lane (cancer), Professor Sir Philip Cohen (diabetes, cell signalling) and Professor Peter Downes (cell signalling)
• The University graduates more students into the professions including law, accountancy, architecture, dentistry, education, social work and nursing than any other Scottish university

Background

• Dundee became an independent University in 1967 following a 70 year relationship with the University of St Andrews
• The University's origins date back to 1881 when University College, Dundee was founded
• The University is made up of four Colleges:
  • Art & Design, Architecture, Engineering and Physical Sciences
  • Arts and Social Sciences
  • Life Sciences
  • Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing
  Please see Organisation of the University for more information.
• The University has more than doubled in size since 1994
• The University has an annual turnover of £160 million

People

The University is home to 17883 students and more than 3000 staff.

More than 12506 of the students are involved in undergraduate studies.

Distance learning students account for almost 20 per cent of all students (including undergraduate and postgraduate).

Find out more detailed breakdown of student numbers across departments.