The GSA has been ranked in the top 10 of specialist educational institutions in "The Guardian" University Guide, ranking it the top specialist visual arts institution in the UK. Its degrees are validated by the University of Glasgow. Of its 1,900 students, almost 20 per cent are international, 20 per cent from the rest of the UK and approximately 20 per cent are postgraduate. The GSA is placed 8th in the 2019 QS World Rankings for Art and Design and 2nd in the nationally ranking 2016 Complete University Guide league table for Art and Design. HESA statistics show the GSA to have one of the lowest student drop-out rates in the UK.