BURSTThe University of Victoria is officially one of the top schools in the country.
Maclean’s magazine has named UVic the second-best mid-sized university in Canada in its 2027 annual rankings, placing it behind only Simon Fraser University.
Mid-sized institutions are defined as having between 10,000 and 30,000 full-time students.
The publication evaluated universities on four main criteria.
Student resources and support made up 32 per cent of the overall score, followed by student experience and success at 28 per cent, faculty quality at 25 per cent and reputation at 15 per cent.
Vancouver Island University (VIU) in Nanaimo was the only other Island institution to appear in the rankings, placing 22nd among small-sized universities (fewer than 10,000 full-time students).
In its profile of UVic, Maclean’s highlighted the university’s 400-acre campus and 280 undergraduate and graduate programs.
“The school leans into its idyllic Pacific Northwest setting by providing study opportunities in environmental sciences, ocean and climate sciences, and Indigenous studies,” the magazine wrote.
UVic also ranked first in Canada for research impact among mid-sized universities and second for medical-science grants and scholarships and bursaries.
Lisa Kalynchuk, UVic’s vice-president of research and innovation, said the results reflect the strength of the university’s research community.
“Through collaboration across disciplines and with our research partners, our scholars are advancing knowledge and developing solutions for some of society’s most pressing challenges,” Kalynchuk said in a press release.
Acting president Robina Thomas also pointed to the influence of the university’s surroundings on its identity.
“At UVic, we are inspired by our surroundings, by the people, places and communities we hold dear,” Thomas said in the university’s rankings profile.
“We achieve our success by providing unique opportunities for our students, efforts in reconciliation and by making a meaningful impact.”
In addition to their second overall rating for mid-size schools, UVic was also ranked 12th in the magazines consolidates rankings based on reputation.