DCU heralded University of the Year 2021 just days after securing top 200 position globally for Arts & Humanities

This is a momentous week for DCU and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences which claims two accolades in one week! Breaking today, DCU has been chosen as University of the Year 2021 by the Sunday Times Good University Guide.

The Guide will be published in the Irish Edition on Sunday, 1st November 2020 with DCU taking pride of place and it will also be available online where you can read more detailed profiles of Ireland’s third level institutions.

The latest announcement is hot on the coattails of the Times Higher Education World University Subject Rankings earlier this week, which ranked DCU in the top 200 universities in the world for Arts and Humanities for the first time.

Professor John Doyle, Executive Dean with the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences said: “This is fantastic news for Dublin City University and I wish to extend my congratulations to colleagues right across the college and across our faculty. Here in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, we believe in a fully rounded student experience that is truly transformative and while we don’t do this for the accolades, it is undoubtedly a good feeling to see the dedication, talent and genuine caring for our students recognised in this prestigious University of the Year Award by the Sunday Times Good University Guide.

“Our highly expert academics and support teams are passionate about developing skills and abilities in our graduates that will benefit society and organisations - skills that are vital in any career or pursuit such as communication, critical thinking and data analysis. Furthermore, we are committed to the provision of research-led teaching that echoes the university’s commitment to social justice and equitable societal development. So, it is particularly welcome to see the university recognised for delivering Ireland’s largest access programme delivering educational opportunities to almost 2,000 students, that otherwise would have been denied to them.”

Diversity is central to the DCU ethos which was further noted by the Sunday Times, given the university’s intake of 17,500 students drawn from 55 countries across the world. Our Faculty plays an active part in the development of the DCU Global Village through our School of Applied Languages and Intercultural Studies, drawing on our successful experience of running the LanguaCulture Space.

Other key highlights from the University of the Year Awards include:

• No other university in the country awards more top-grade degrees than DCU with current figures showing 78.4% of students achieving a first or a 2.1 degree

• DCU is top-ranked in the country for providing a supportive environment for students and gained points for its handling of the pandemic

• One in five students who go on to third-level education through the High Education Access Route now study at DCU

DCU’s response to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic further impressed the Sunday Times judging panel which you can read about here.