- Highest Retention in Scotland: 97% of students from the most deprived areas continue their studies – the highest rate across all Scottish universities
- 22.9% of GSA’s new students came from Scotland’s 20% most deprived areas in 2024/25
- The GSA has met or beaten the national 20% benchmark every year since 2019/20
- Ranks third highest across Scotland, alongside institutions known for accessibility
- 20.9% of GSA graduating students came from the most deprived areas in 2024/25 – second highest in Scotland and outperforming the Scottish university average of 13.8% by nearly 7 percentage points
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) today, 7 August 2026, announced outstanding results in supporting students from disadvantaged communities, with new data showing the institution has achieved the highest retention rate among all Scottish universities for students from the most deprived areas. A remarkable 97% of students from the most deprived areas continued with their studies – the highest rate across all Scottish universities. Additionally, 22.9% of the GSA’s new students came from Scotland’s 20% most deprived areas in 2024/25, exceeding the institution’s own target.
This announcement follows the Scottish Funding Council’s annual report on Widening Access – the national effort to ensure students from lower-income backgrounds have fair opportunities to attend university. The report measures progress against goals set by the Commission on Widening Access (CoWA), a cross-party body that set out sector-wide targets in 2015 to make Scottish higher education more inclusive.
The Commission recommended that by 2030, students from the 20% most deprived backgrounds should represent 20% of university entrants. Whilst this target is set for 2030, the GSA has already attained this benchmark every year since 2019/20, demonstrating early leadership in widening access. The GSA’s ability to balance high access numbers with exceptional retention outcomes places the institution among Scotland’s leaders in widening access.
The GSA supports this success through a range of targeted outreach initiatives including work through the National Schools Programme, offering free courses for secondary schools including a fifteen-week portfolio preparation course for targeted schools in the West of Scotland. The School has also forged strong links with Glasgow Clyde College and Forth Valley College to offer pre-admission courses and support for advanced progression to GSA.
Professor Penny Macbeth, Director and Principal of The Glasgow School of Art said
“These figures are a powerful testament to the talent that exists in every community in Scotland. At the GSA, we have shown for over five years now that when you open doors to students from the most deprived backgrounds, they don’t just succeed – they lead. A 97% retention rate for students from our most disadvantaged areas, alongside exceeding our access target once again, sends a clear message that excellence and opportunity go hand in hand.”
Shona Paul, Head of Professional & Continuing Education at The Glasgow School of Art said, ” We believe that everyone should be able to fulfil their creative potential. The success of this commitment is reflected not only in the GSA surpassing the Scottish Government’s 20% by 2030 target since 2019, widening access at the point of entry – we are sustaining that access right through to graduation. Being ranked first in Scotland for retention and second for those graduating shows that our support systems, from contextual admissions through to student support, are working.”
For any further information, contact press@gsa.ac.uk.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
About the Data
This analysis is based on the Scottish Funding Council’s annual Widening Access report for Entry 2024 (Academic Year 2024-25), covering Scottish-domiciled undergraduate students at Scottish universities and colleges.
About The Glasgow School of Art
The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines – ranking 8th in the world and 5th in Europe in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world.
Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3,500 students and staff across architecture, design, digital, fine art and innovation in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands) and a thriving Open Studio programme delivering non-degree provision to over 1,500 students annually.
