Three Scottish universities in QS world top 100 list

Three Scottish universities are among the top 100 in the world according to new international rankings.

Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews are in the latest QS World University Rankings. Edinburgh University was ranked 17th in the world.

Glasgow University was 55th with St Andrews University at 88th - down five places on last year's 83rd place.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States was first overall in the rankings.

Imperial College London was ranked in joint second place with Cambridge, and Oxford tied with University College London (UCL) in fifth.

Professor Louise Richardson, St Andrews University's principal and vice-chancellor, said: "St Andrews is smaller in size and endowment, and more focused on ensuring that a focus on research does not distract from the highest quality teaching, than the typical top 100 institution.

"To have been able to maintain a place at the top for eight years in succession is a testament to the talents of all who work and study here, particularly at a time of significant growth in overseas competition and uncertainty about the future of higher education in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom."

The rankings are based on performance in a number of areas, including academic reputation, employer reputation, staff to student ratios, research citations and international students and faculty.