Maclean’s recently released a comprehensive ranking of Canadian universities, and several BC institutions ranked highly in various categories, with SFU taking a top spot.
“Canada’s magazine” ranked Canadian universities in categories such as the best doctoral universities, the best primarily undergraduate universities, the best comprehensive universities, the best universities according to national reputation, and the best universities based on student services.
While we won’t examine every category, here are some examples of how BC universities stood out in several of them.
Best universities by national reputation
Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock
University faculty and senior administrators from across Canada were surveyed and asked about their views on quality and innovation at Canadian universities.
“These charts display the results of the survey, combining all the universities from the Primarily Undergraduate, Comprehensive and Medical Doctoral categories into one group,” Maclean’s says.
UBC ranked #2 for the best overall, just behind the University of Toronto, which did well across all categories. Simon Fraser University came in at #10, and the University of Victoria ranked #16.
For the highest quality, UBC came in at #4, followed by Simon Fraser at #10. UBC was also named the fourth-most innovative university, while Simon Fraser ranked #11.
Under the “leaders of tomorrow” category, UBC again came in at #2 behind the University of Toronto. Simon Fraser came in at #8.
Best comprehensive universities
Sutey Ahir/Google Maps
“These universities have a significant amount of research activity and a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs,” Maclean’s noted about this category.
Simon Fraser University received heaps of praise, earning the top spot for best comprehensive university in Canada.
“In addition to the original Burnaby campus—known for its stunning mountain views and Arthur Erickson–designed buildings—Simon Fraser University has well-established campuses in Vancouver’s downtown core and in the suburb of Surrey,” Maclean’s said.
Simon Fraser was also applauded for its new Student Union Building and the $22 million outdoor sports stadium, which included updated athlete locker rooms.
“SFU is the only Canadian school with sports teams competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). A three-semester system provides flexibility, and the university has extensive co-op offerings; 8,800 students are placed with companies such as Tesla and Google,” the ranking reads.
Maclean’s added, “One of the factors that put SFU on top: ample resources and support available to its 37,000 students across three campuses. Among them are a robust health and counselling service.”
The University of Victoria also fared well in this category, earning the #2 spot.
While UBC didn’t rank among the best comprehensive universities, Times Higher Education named it the second-best university in Canada last week.
For the full rankings and list of categories by Maclean’s, click here.