2024 Maclean's University Rankings: Undergraduate Schools

Find out what universities that are primarily focused on undergrad education have ranked in the top 20 for 2024.

Are you in high school looking ahead to your bachelor’s degree from a university in Canada? Are you currently in undergrad? In either case, it’s always good to know where universities rank in comparison to one another, especially for your undergraduate degree. Luckily, Maclean’s has released their 2024 rankings for Canada’s best primarily undergraduate universities.

Maclean's rankings are based on 12 performance indicators like student/faculty ratio, scholarships/bursaries, operating budget, reputation, and more. Check out Maclean’s University Rankings 2024: Methodology for more information.

Check out the top five universities that are primarily focused on undergraduate education:

1. Mount Allison University

Last year’s ranking: 1

Mount Allison University, located in Sackville, New Brunswick, is a primarily undergraduate liberal arts and sciences university. Mount Allison prides itself on providing a high-quality academic experience mixed with hands-on learning opportunities and a close-knot community.

2. University of Northern British Columbia

Last year’s ranking: 2

The University of Northern British Columbia, or UNBC, is one of Canada’s best small universities. UNBC’s mission is to ignite, inspire, and lead change amongst their students through teaching and research.

3. Saint Mary’s University

Last year’s ranking: 3

Saint Mary's University is in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The university offers a close-knot campus with a world of possibilities where you won’t have to choose between big opportunities and small classes. The average class size is 30 students.

4. Bishop’s University

Last year’s ranking: 5*

Located in Sherbrooke, Québec, Bishop’s University offers students a liberal education in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, business, and education. This type of education encourages our students to ask questions, be excited in their learning, and confident in their abilities.

5. Acadia University

Last year’s ranking: 5*

Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, is one of the oldest and most respected liberal arts universities in Canada. Acadia’s liberal arts curriculum helps their students with their future aspirations — travel, grad school, careers, and family. There are also 22 degrees with the option of co-op..

Now, check out the full list of Canada’s top primarily undergraduate universities of 2024:

There you have it! The best undergraduate universities in Canada, according to Maclean’s! This year, the University of Lethbridge climbed five spots from 11 to rank sixth!

Remember, rankings aren’t everything, and they don’t give you the full picture of a school. So, if you don’t see a school you’re interested in on the list, then don’t worry! You should choose a school based on what is important to you and how it makes you feel.

Since this list only included schools mainly focused on undergraduate education, you can also explore Maclean’s other rankings to learn about more schools, like the best comprehensive universities for 2024 or the best universities based on funding for sponsored research.