But there is concern about the performance of several newer universities north of the border.

BBC Scotland's Eleanor Bradford reports

The guide is regarded by many as the definitive list for prospective students.

But although Edinburgh comes out 11th in the UK as a whole, former students do not have the best job prospects - 6% are unemployed six months after graduation.

In the same time period all but 2.5% of St Andrews graduates have found a job.

'Highly satisfactory'

The overall number one spot again went to Cambridge but three of Scotland's newer universities languish at the other end of the table.

Abertay was 85th, Napier 88th and Paisley 96th, or third bottom, failing to achieve a grading of "excellent" for a single subject.

However, all the newer universities did have a number of subjects which were rated as "highly satisfactory".

That grading was drawn up by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, but the Sunday Times' poll was compiled on the basis of universities' "excellent" ratings for teaching.

Paisley University is, according to the survey, a poor bet on research and also for job opportunities.

Polytechnics upgraded

But Professor Alex MacLennan, the director of corporate communications, defended the university's record and stressed its policy of trying to widen access to higher education.

"Obviously we are not celebrating, but we have no desire to be St Andrews or Edinburgh or any of the ancients. We want to be who are," he told the newspaper.

"We are very proud of our wider access programme and all the people we have coming into higher education without the traditional collection of qualifications."

In 1992 the new universities in Scotland were created when university status was conferred on a number of polytechnics like Napier in Edinburgh.