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Universities in Canada are established and operate under provincial and territorial government charters, except in one case directed by First Nations bands and in another by federal legislation. Most public universities in the country are members of Universities Canada (formerly the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)). The title "university" is protected under federal regulation.


Governance


Degree course

, there are 97 universities in Canada, offering education in English and French. Most French-speaking universities are located in Quebec, though outside the province are either francophone or bilingual. 1.8 million students are enrolled in university. Programs are offered to graduating high school students through choice; however, students must maintain specific entering averages, which generally range from 65–85%, depending on criteria set by the chosen university. On campus residences are available at 95% of universities in Canada. Most include a meal plan and general utilities. Residence is optional at all post-secondary campuses. Degree programs generally last three to four years, though some programs may take longer to complete due to cooperative education (Co-op) programs or joint programs with colleges which are touted for offering practical experience. Tuition is based on program material and content, which vary in price. For many programs, more general courses will be taken in first year while "program specific courses" begin in year two. Some universities such as University of Toronto require admission separate from initial admission from high school into specific programs based on internal standards achieved in first year (i.e. a set grade point average). Higher education institutions in Canada are prevented from becoming diploma mills by provincial/territorial legislation and regulation.


Universities by province and territory


Alberta

Post-secondary education in Alberta is regulated by the
Ministry of Advanced Education Alberta Advanced Education (also known as the Ministry of Advanced Education) is a ministry in the Executive Council of Alberta. Alberta Advanced Education is responsible for the public funding of post-secondary institutions in the province, in ad ...
. There are eight public universities in Alberta, eleven public colleges, two polytechnical institutes (which grant degrees), and seven private colleges (all of which grant degrees). Most private universities refer to themselves as "university colleges", and they grant equivalent degrees. One university,
University nuhelotʼįne thaiyotsʼį nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills (University nn Blue Quills, formerly Blue Quills Education Centre and Blue Quills First Nations College (BQFNC)) is a First Nations owned and operated university in Canada, the ...
, is governed not under provincial legislation, but controlled directly by a consortium of seven First Nations band governments. Edmonton, the province's capital city, is home to the University of Alberta, the province's oldest and largest university; MacEwan University; The King's University; and Concordia University of Edmonton (not to be confused with Concordia University of Montreal). The French-language Campus Saint-Jean is part of the University of Alberta, offering programmes to francophone and francophile students. There are five universities in Calgary: the University of Calgary, Ambrose University, Mount Royal University, St. Mary's University and the Alberta University of the Arts. The University of Lethbridge is based out of
Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 Alberta municipal censuses, 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...
but also has a campus in Calgary.
Athabasca University Athabasca University (AU) is a Canadian public research university that primarily operates through online distance education. Founded in 1970, it is one of four comprehensive academic and research universities in Alberta, and was the first ...
, a distance learning university, has been based out of
Athabasca Athabasca (also Athabaska) is an anglicized version of the Cree name for Lake Athabasca in Canada, āthap-āsk-ā-w (pronounced ), meaning "grass or reeds here and there". Most places named Athabasca are found in Alberta, Canada. Athabasca may a ...
since 1970. Established in 1907 in Leduc, the independent publicly funded Burman University in
Lacombe Lacombe may refer to: Places * Lacombe, Alberta, Canada * Lacombe County, Alberta, Canada * Lacombe, Louisiana, United States * Lacombe, Aude, France People * Albert Lacombe (1827–1916), oblate missionary to the Cree and Blackfoot * Bernar ...
is the oldest university in Alberta. Formerly a university college, the Alberta Government granted the institution permission to change its status from "university college" to "university" in 2014. In 2009, a bill was passed by the Alberta legislature which allowed the two public colleges that offered degrees ( MacEwan College in Edmonton and Mount Royal College in Calgary) to change their status to universities. Mount Royal College was renamed Mount Royal University on September 3, 2009 and Grant MacEwan College became Grant MacEwan University on September 24, 2009 (renamed MacEwan University in September 2013). Most recently, The King's University and Concordia University of Edmonton (2014) have obtained the right to change their respective names from University-College to University.


British Columbia

There are eleven public universities and five
private universities Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...
in British Columbia. Eight of these universities – Capilano University, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, University of the Fraser Valley, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Trinity Western University, Simon Fraser University, the
University Canada West University Canada West (UCW) is a Private university, private, For-profit education, for-profit university in British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 2005 by David F. Strong, the former president of the University of Victoria. UCW was purc ...
and the University of British Columbia (with the exception of the University of British Columbia Okanagan, the major UBC campus located in the Okanagan Valley) – are in the Metro Vancouver region, the most populated region of British Columbia, and three of them – Vancouver Island University, Royal Roads University and the University of Victoria – are on Vancouver Island. The University of Northern British Columbia houses a main campus in Prince George, with regional campuses in Quesnel, Terrace and Fort St. John. Three public universities, Capilano University, University of the Fraser Valley and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, along with the private
Quest University Canada Quest University (officially Quest University Canada) is a private, not-for-profit, secular liberal arts and sciences university. The university opened in September 2007 with an inaugural class of 73. The university has an enrolment of around ...
, are primarily undergraduate institutions. Two US-based private university campuses in Vancouver, namely the
New York Institute of Technology The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT or New York Tech) is a private research university founded in 1955. It has two main campuses in New York—one in Old Westbury, on Long Island, and one in Manhattan. Additionally, it has a cybersecu ...
and Fairleigh Dickinson University, both are in Vancouver, primarily for undergraduate and graduate students. The oldest university in the province is the University of British Columbia, established in 1908, with its newest major campus in Okanagan established in 2005. Five institutions in British Columbia were officially designated as universities on September 1, 2008: Capilano University, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the University of the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Island University. University enrolment in British Columbia ranges from
Quest University Canada Quest University (officially Quest University Canada) is a private, not-for-profit, secular liberal arts and sciences university. The university opened in September 2007 with an inaugural class of 73. The university has an enrolment of around ...
with 700 students to the University of British Columbia with 45,484 students. The biggest provider of online and distance education in BC is Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning. With over 400 individual courses and more than 57 programs available for completion by distance and online learning, students can take a variety of programs such as: adult secondary school completion; certificates and diplomas, including advanced and post-baccalaureate; associate degrees; and bachelor's degrees. Considering distance students, Thompson Rivers University's enrolment is 22,036 (8964 of which is distance).


Manitoba

There are five public universities and one private university in Manitoba, which are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Literacy. Three of the public universities—the University of Manitoba, which is the oldest university in western Canada, the University of Winnipeg, and Université de Saint-Boniface—are in Winnipeg, the capital and largest city in the province. Université de Saint-Boniface, established in 1818, is the oldest post-secondary institute in the province and is the only French-language university in western Canada.
Brandon University Brandon University is a university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, with an enrollment of 3375 (2020) full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon Co ...
is located in the western Manitoba city of Brandon. Canadian Mennonite University is a private
Anabaptist Anabaptism (from New Latin language, Neo-Latin , from the Greek language, Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re- ...
university in Winnipeg. The province also has three university colleges:
Booth University College Booth University College (Booth UC or BUC)—incorporated as the Salvation Army William and Catherine Booth University College—is a private, Christian liberal arts university college located in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is affilia ...
, formed in 1982 in Winnipeg, Providence University College in Otterburne, Manitoba, and the University College of the North, which serves the communities of The Pas and
Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...
. Smaller satellite campuses serve 12 other smaller centers, 9 of which are on First Nations land. University enrolment in Manitoba ranges from Booth University College with several hundred students to the University of Manitoba with 26,800 students.


New Brunswick

There are eight chartered universities in New Brunswick; four public universities, governed by the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, and four private institutions including an online university,
Yorkville University Yorkville University is a private for-profit university established in 2003 in New Brunswick, Canada. The university accepted its first students in the fall of 2004 for the programs offered out of Fredericton, New Brunswick, which was at the t ...
. New Brunswick holds the distinctions of having the first English-language university in Canada and the first public university in North America, (the University of New Brunswick); and also the first university in the British Empire to award a bachelor's degree to a woman, (
Mount Allison University Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MtA) is a Canadian primarily undergraduate liberal arts university located in Sackville, New Brunswick, founded in 1839. Like other liberal arts colleges in North America, Mount Allison does not parti ...
) in 1875.
St. Thomas University St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: * Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...
and University of New Brunswick have campuses in the province's capital of
Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...
and UNB also maintains a campus in Saint John. Established in 1785, the University of New Brunswick is the oldest public in the province, and the Université de Moncton is the newest, formed in 1963, though dating back to 1864 through one of its three predecessor institutions. Public university enrolment ranges from Mount Allison University with 2,486 students to the University of New Brunswick with 10,587 students. Of the three private universities, Crandall University has an enrollment 800. Another private university, St. Stephen's University is located in St. Stephen, NB.
Kingswood University Kingswood University is an evangelical Christian University associated with the Wesleyan Church, located in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada. It is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Association for Biblical Higher Education. It ...
is an evangelical Christian University associated with the Wesleyan Church, located in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada.


Newfoundland and Labrador

The Degree Granting Act of Newfoundland and Labrador regulates degree-granting universities in the province. The only university in Newfoundland and Labrador,
Memorial University of Newfoundland Memorial University of Newfoundland, also known as Memorial University or MUN (), is a public university in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, based in St. John's, with satellite campuses in Corner Brook, elsewhere in Newfoundland and ...
, has campuses in three cities, in St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, on the west coast of the province, in Corner Brook, and in Harlow, U.K. With 18,172 enrolled students, it is the second largest university in
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
.


Nova Scotia

There are 10 universities in Nova Scotia. Six of these –
Atlantic School of Theology Atlantic School of Theology (AST) is a Canadian public ecumenical university that provides graduate level theological education and undertakes research to assist students to prepare for Christian ministries and other forms of public leadership. ...
,
Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
, Mount Saint Vincent University, the NSCAD University, Saint Mary's University, and the University of King's College – are located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the provincial capital and largest city in
Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
. The oldest university in the province is the University of King's College, established in 1789, while the newest is
Cape Breton University , "Diligence Will Prevail" , mottoeng = Perseverance Will Triumph , established = 1951 as Xavier Junior College 1968 as NSEIT 1974 as College Of Cape Breton 1982 as University College of Cape Breton 2005 as Cape Breton ...
, established in 1974. University student enrolment in Nova Scotia ranges from 150 students at Atlantic School of Theology to more than 18,000 at
Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...
. Several universities in Nova Scotia have religious connections. The University of King's College, founded in Windsor, was the first college to obtain university powers in British North America, at a time when Upper Canada had no government of its own. It has always remained under the control of the Church of England. Dalhousie University, originally known as Dalhousie College, was established in Halifax in 1818 with the help of the
Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
, and Acadia University was founded by
Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
. Catholics formed Saint Mary's University, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Saint Francis Xavier University. Université Sainte-Anne, the tenth university, is located in Pointe-de-l'Église and instructs its academic courses in French.


Ontario

There are 22 publicly funded universities in the Canadian province of Ontario that are post-secondary education institutions with degree-granting authority. Each of these institutions were either established through an Act of the Legislative Assembly or through a Royal Charter. With the exception of Royal Military College of Canada, students apply to public universities in Ontario through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre. Ontario also has 24 publicly funded
colleges A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
, most referred to as Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology and five as Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning, all of which are commonly referred to as colleges. 12 colleges offered 74 bachelor's degree programmes, -13. The University of Toronto was established in 1827 making it the oldest university in Ontario. The newest university in Ontario is the Université de l'Ontario français, incorporated by legislation in 2018 but accepting its first cohort of full-time students in 2021. The next newest,
Algoma University Algoma University, commonly shortened to Algoma U or Algoma, is a public university with its main campus located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. With a particular focus on the needs of Northern Ontario, Algoma U is a teaching-focused and s ...
, was established in 2008 after gaining independence from
Laurentian University Laurentian University (french: Université Laurentienne), officially the Laurentian University of Sudbury, is a mid-sized Bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, incorporated on March 28, 1960. Lau ...
. The largest university in terms of enrolment is the University of Toronto, which has 84,000 students across campuses in three locations. York University in Toronto has over 50,000 students, the second largest university in terms of enrolment. The U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities is headquartered in Ottawa.


Prince Edward Island

There is one university in Prince Edward Island that is authorized to grant degrees. Higher education in the province falls under the jurisdiction of the Higher Education and Corporate Services Branch within the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. The only university in the province, the University of Prince Edward Island, is in the province's capital of
Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...
. The institution resulted from an amalgamation of
Prince of Wales College Prince of Wales College (PWC) is a former university college, which was located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. PWC merged with St. Dunstan's University in 1969 to form the University of Prince Edward Island. PWC traces its hist ...
, a former university college founded in 1834, and Saint Dunstan's University, founded in 1855. UPEI hosts the Atlantic Veterinary College, funded by the four Atlantic provincial governments.


Quebec

There are 19 universities in the largely French-speaking province of Quebec, 10 of which form the Université du Québec network. In Québec, universities are independent from government and autonomous in managing their affairs. By means of legislation or constitutional charters, lawmakers have granted each university the freedom to define its own curriculum and develop its own teaching and research programs. The university has full responsibility for setting admission standards and enrolment requirements, awarding degrees and recruiting its personnel. Of the nineteen universities, three are anglophone:
Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...
, McGill University and Bishop's University. One, the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, is bilingual (between French and English). The rest are
francophone French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
: five of them –
École de technologie supérieure École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) is a public engineering faculty in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974, the École de technologie supérieure is a constituent of Université du Québec system. Specialized in applied teaching in ...
, Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal, Université de Montréal and Université du Québec à Montréal – are located in Montreal, the most populated city in Quebec, and four of them – École nationale d'administration publique, Institut national de la recherche scientifique, TÉLUQ and Université Laval – are based in Quebec City, the province's capital. The Institut national de la recherche scientifique and École nationale d'administration publique do not offer undergraduate level programs, while TÉLUQ is a distance learning university. The oldest university in the province is Université Laval, established in 1663. The most recent institutions are: Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (1983),
Concordia University Concordia University ( French: ''Université Concordia'') is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University, Concordia is one of the t ...
(1974), École de technologie supérieure (1974), TÉLUQ (1972, merged with UQÀM in 2005, split in 2012). University enrolment in the province of Quebec ranges from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique with 480 students to the Université de Montréal with 55,540 students (but this figure actually includes HEC and Polytechnique, which are legally distinct universities).


Saskatchewan

There are two universities in Saskatchewan with degree-granting authority. The Government of Saskatchewan must establish statutes individually to degree-granting universities; these statutes outline the authority of each institution, their regulations, and bylaws. The University of Regina is based Regina, the province's capital, and the University of Saskatchewan is in Saskatoon, the most populous city in Saskatchewan. The University of Saskatchewan is the oldest university in the province, founded in 1907. The University of Saskatchewan is also the largest university in Saskatchewan with 18,620 students, and the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) is the smallest with 840 students. The First Nations University of Canada is another post-secondary institution that is federated with the University of Regina, and caters to the needs of First Nations students. It was originally called the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, and once formed, it entered into a federated agreement with the University of Regina to create the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (SIFC). This Agreement allowed FNUC to become an independently administered university-college that served First Nations students. The First Nations University of Canada is the only university in the province that does not offer graduate-level programs.


Yukon

Yukoners have proposed the college become a university in some form or other since 2004. In December, 2019, the Yukon Legislature passed a bill that would transform Yukon College into Yukon University. The university officially opened in May 2020, making
Yukon University Yukon University (formerly Yukon College) is a public university in the Canadian territory of Yukon. The university main campus is based in Whitehorse, although the institution also operates 12 campuses throughout the territory. The university c ...
the only public university in
northern Canada Northern Canada, colloquially the North or the Territories, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada#Territories, territor ...
.


List of public universities

The following is a list of public universities (by province/territory) that are authorized to issue degrees. The following list does not include affiliated institutions and seminaries, whose degrees are typically awarded by the affiliate's parent institution.


Alberta


British Columbia


Manitoba


New Brunswick


Newfoundland and Labrador


Nova Scotia


Ontario


Prince Edward Island


Quebec


Saskatchewan


Yukon


List of private universities

The following is a list of private universities that are authorized to issue degrees by a provincial authority. The following list does not include satellite campuses and branches in Canada for universities based in the United States. All of them are English language institutions.


See also

* U15 (universities) * Higher education in Canada * List of business schools in Canada *
List of Canadian universities by endowment This list of Canadian universities by endowment groups the universities in Canada according to their endowments. As of the end of the 2021/2022 fiscal year, the total value of endowments at Canadian universities was nearly $21 billion. Some uni ...
*
List of colleges in Canada This is a list of colleges in Canada. Colleges are distinct from universities in Canada as they are typically not degree-granting institutions, though some may be enabled by provincial legislation to grant degrees using joint programs with univer ...
* List of law schools in Canada * List of universities and colleges by country * Lists of universities and colleges * List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning *
Rankings of universities in Canada Rankings of universities in Canada are typically published annually by a variety of nationally, and internationally based publications. Rankings of post-secondary institutions have most often been conducted by magazines, newspapers, websites, gov ...


Notes


Footnotes


References

*


External links


Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada

Times Higher Education Canadian University rankings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canada, Universities * Lists of universities and colleges by country