November 7, 2005 for immediate release

The University of Northern British Columbia has achieved itshighest-ever ranking in the annual Maclean’s magazine ranking ofCanadian universities. UNBC has placed 4th in the PrimarilyUndergraduate category. Previously, its best-ever ranking was 7th,achieved twice before, including last year.

As in other years, the faculty, the Library, and the quality of students are the main reasons for the strong showing:

•    The average entering grade of students coming toUNBC directly from high school is 82%, sixth best in Canada. UNBCplaced fourth for the number of students who have won national awards.
•    UNBC’s class sizes are among the smallest inwestern Canada. For example, 30% of first and second-year students arein classes of fewer than 25 people.
•    This year, UNBC rose in all of the categories thatmeasure the quality of the faculty. In fact, for research in the socialsciences and humanities, UNBC placed first in Canada.
•    Similarly, UNBC retained its #1 ranking for theproportion of the Library budget that is earmarked to acquiring newacquisitions. UNBC is top-10 in Canada for the number of Libraryholdings per student.

“It was a pleasant surprise to see that we’ve achieved our highest-everranking in Maclean’s, but as in other years, it’s the numbers behindour overall ranking that really tell the story,” says UNBC PresidentCharles Jago. “Those numbers simply confirm that we have excellentfaculty, terrific students, an increased number of scholarships andbursaries, small class sizes, and a Library that continues to put greatemphasis on always updating and expanding the collection.  Theseare the factors that are important to students.”

The universities placing ahead of UNBC this year are all from AtlanticCanada: St. Francis Xavier, Mount Allison, and Acadia.  Each isalso more than 150 years old.

UNBC first appeared in the Maclean’s ranking in 1998, when it debuted in ninth place.

Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC - 250.960.5622