Great moments in UVic's history: Maclean's rankings

The first of firsts

On Nov. 14, 1994, media calls kept President David Strong’s phone ringing. Maclean’s magazine’s university rankings issue had just hit the stands and UVic was first in the comprehensive category (tied with Waterloo). It was UVic’s first (but far from its last) first-place finish in the magazine’s annual rankings. Maclean’s had launched its updated university rankings two years before, and UVic had occupied fourth, and then third place. Over the 30 years since then, UVic has never dropped below fourth place, finishing consistently in a tightly grouped top pack along with Waterloo, Guelph and SFU. Over the decades, the traits that have led to UVic’s success in the Maclean’s rankings include its comfortable size and sense of community, strong experiential learning programs, ability to attract research funding, and support for libraries and for student financial aid. UVic’s consistent high ranking is a testament to the top calibre of faculty, students and staff at UVic. And although it is only one measure of success (the university uses a wide array of measures such as a regular survey of students and graduates to determine quality of experience), the Maclean’s rankings serves as a useful resource for students in choosing a post-secondary education.

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