University of Lethbridge sign. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Macleans: University of Lethbridge is Canada’s 5th best university

Oct 4, 2019 | 6:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The University of Lethbridge once again ranks highly in national surveys.

Macleans ranked 19 universities across the country on a wide range of factors, naming the U of L the fifth-best in Canada.

“We know who we are and what we are trying to accomplish, and that’s to provide an accessible, quality educational experience for our students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels,” says U of L President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon. “These sorts of rankings can offer a glimpse at aspects of a university’s operation and while we continue to fare extremely well comparatively across the country, data alone cannot define the experience we provide and the impact our students and faculty are making in the world.”

Lower numbers in each category are better.

The top category for Lethbridge is medical/science grants, which got a score of 1.

Nighttime construction on Hwy 3 in Lethbridge starts April 17

Apr 17, 2025

SASHA launches #BuyABed fundraiser to support vulnerable Lethbridge residents

Apr 04, 2025

$20K grants available: TELUS STORYHIVE Pan-Asian Edition opens applications April 1

Mar 18, 2025

The U of L also fared well with library acquisitions (3), student services (4), and operating budget (6).

Student-faculty ratio, total research dollars, and library expenses each got a 7, while social science and humanities grants was awarded a 9.

On the lower end are faculty awards (13), citations (15), and the worst-ranked criterion is scholarships and bursaries (18).

“Our faculty members are amongst the world’s leading researchers in a breadth of fields and what sets us apart is that they are not just working in the lab, they are also in the classroom, teaching their students and involving their students in that research work from the time they are undergraduate students through their graduate programs,” adds Mahon. “The opening of Science Commons this fall will further enhance this experience and allow even more students the opportunity to be involved in hands-on research from the beginning of their academic journey.”

Macleans also put out a separate survey where they polled more than 18,000 Canadian students on a variety of things related to student satisfaction.

The University of Lethbridge got an overall ranking of 10th place, scoring best on experiential learning and steps to prevent sexual assault (both got a score of 7).

For local news delivered daily to your email inbox, subscribe for free to the Lethbridge News Now newsletter here. You can also download the Lethbridge News Now mobile app in the Google Play and the Apple App Stores.