Check out the 2022 rankings now
Primarily Undergraduate universities are those that are mainly focused on undergraduate education with less graduate programs and students. If you want to focus first and foremost on your bachelor's degree over the next four years, these schools could be great choices for you.
Maclean's rankings are based on the school's reputation and student satisfaction. The rankings for 2021 are as follows:
Student satisfaction: 2
Reputational survey: 3
Mount Allison is a liberal arts and science university with approximately 2,100 full-time students. It offers degrees in Arts, Commerce, Science, Fine Arts and Music. Students can choose from over 45 programs of study. Mount Allison has a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio to ensure students receive one-on-one attention. To date, 55 Mount Allison students have become Rhodes Scholars.
Student satisfaction: 8
Reputational Survey: 6
Lethbridge was founded in 1967 and is one of Canada's top-ranked universities and leading research institutions. They are one of Alberta's four comprehensive academic and research universities. The university is home to more than 8,900 students and they rank in the top 6% worldwide in Research Performance.
Student Satisfaction: 5
Reputational Survey: 2
Acadia was founded in 1838 and is located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. It is one of the oldest and most respected liberal arts universities in Canada. The university offers over 200 degree combinations in Faculties of Arts, Pure & Applied Science and Professional Studies. Acadia is home to over 3,700 full- time undergraduate students and has an average class size of 32.
Student Satisfaction: 16
Reputational Survey: 5
Saint Mary's is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The university offers high-quality programs in Arts, Science, Business, Education as well as Graduate Studies and Research. Saint Mary's has over 7,000 full-time and part time students and their average introductory class size is 40. It is the only Canadian university to offer a BA in Entrepreneurship.
Student Satisfaction: 9
Reputational Survey: 10
The University of Northern British Columbia or UNBC prides itself on being a university "in the North — for the North." UNBC is in the top 5% of universities worldwide according to the Times Higher Education Rankings. The university has over 2,800 undergraduate students. Its mission is to "inspire leaders for tomorrow by influencing the world today."
Student Satisfaction: 4
Reputational Survey: 1
St. Francis Xavier, or StFX, was founded in 1853 and is one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious universities. It is the first university in Canada to offer a formal Service Learning program. StFX offers programs in the faculties of Arts, Science and Education and within the Gerald Schwartz School of Business.
7. Bishop's University
Student Satisfaction: 1
Reputational Survey: 8
Bishop's University is located in the beautiful Eastern Townships in Sherbrooke, Quebec. BU prides itself on having some of the smallest class sizes in the country. It has over 2,300 undergraduate students. Their goal is to offer students a quality education in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, business and education.
Student Satisfaction: 16
Reputational Survey: 9
Founded in 1965, Lakehead University is situated in the heart of the City of Thunder Bay. The University has over 9,700 full-time students and offers over 57 fields of study such as Business, Engineering, Forestry and Nursing. It also proudly hosts 9 Canada Research Chairs and facilities like the world-renowened Paleo-DNA Laboratory. Lakehead also boasts a campus in Orillia, near Toronto.
Student Satisfaction: 7
Reputational Survey: 7
Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Founded in 1964, Trent now has over 11,000 students. They have a 18:1 student to faculty ratio and offer 100+ academic programs in the arts, sciences, social sciences and professional programs. Trent also has a campus in Durham, in the Greater Toronto Area.
Student Satisfaction: 12
Reputational Survey: 11
The University of Prince Edward Island or UPEI was formed in 1969 and is located in Charlottetown. It is the home to Canada Research Chairs. UPEI has over 4,900 students and it houses eight faculties: Arts, Business, Education, Nursing, Science, Sustainable Design Engineering, Graduate Studies and Atlantic Veterinary College.
Student Satisfaction: 10
Reputational Survey: 4
Ontario Tech University has a foundation in technology, the sciences and professional practice. It has seven faculties, 53 undergraduate programs and 10k+ students. The university has several areas of study such as Business, Education, Engineering, Health Science and many more.
Student Satisfaction: 19
Reputational Survey: 15
Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Laurentian University offers more than 175 undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral programs. It is also home to over 9,500 students. They offer flexible degree structures which allows students to customize major and minor degrees to create a "modular degree" that is unique to the student.
Student Satisfaction: 13
Reputational Survey: 13
The University of Moncton was founded in 1963 and is located in New Brunswick. It is made of three exclusively French-language campuses. The university aspires to become the best generalist university of comparable size in La Francophonie and to see graduates play leadership roles. They offer 165 study programs such as Administrations, Nursing, Nutrition, Social Work etc.
Student Satisfaction: 11
Reputational Survey: 17
St. Thomas University is located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The university is dedicated to excellence in liberal arts education. They offer more than 30 programs in the areas of humanities and social sciences with an average class size of 26 students.
Student Satisfaction: 3
Reputational Survey: 19
Nipissing University was founded in 1992 in North Bay, Ontario. The university is home to more than 3,300 full time undergraduate students in programs such as Biology, Commerce, Fine Arts and Nursing, Nipissing has a student-to-faculty ratio of 23:1.
Student Satisfaction: 15
Reputational Survey: 12
The University of Winnipeg offers undergraduate degrees in the fields of Arts, Science, Business and Economics, Education, Theology and Kinesiology. The university is home to more than 9,400 undergraduate students. University of Winnipeg is noted for academic excellence, Indigenous scholarships, environmental commitment, small class sizes and campus diversity.
Student Satisfaction: 18
Reputational Survey: 18
Founded in 1899, Brandon University has the lowest student to faculty ratio of all schools on this list. They offer undergraduate degrees in arts, sciences and pre-professional programs, and runs the Rural Development Institute, a research centre devoted to rural affairs. The university has over 3,600 students.
Student Satisfaction: 14
Reputational Survey: 14
Mount Saint Vincent (MSVU) is located in downtown Halifax and was formed in 1873. Its 4,000 students take advantage of MSVU's small class sizes and personalized approach to learning. MSVU is committed to nurturing socially responsible global citizens.
Student Satisfaction: 6
Reputational Survey: 16
Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia, is home to approximately 5,500 students from more than 40 countries around the world. They offer programs inliberal arts, science, business, health and professional programs on the first energy self-sufficient campus in North America. The university is committed to sustainability programs and Indigenous learning leadership.
Check out the 2022 rankings now