University of Victoria

Founded 1963 | Victoria, BC

Not many campuses can offer a 10-minute walk to the beach with surroundings of ocean, mountains and forests, but the University of Victoria has so much green space that students flock outdoors in the springtime—which comes in early March—to study and sunbathe on blankets. The location also influences the identity of UVic, which has research strengths in ocean and climate health, Indigenous knowledge, clean growth, health sciences and sustainable communities.

“UVic is a diverse and welcoming community that cares deeply about driving social, economic and environmental change,” says president Kevin Hall. “Our students experience a huge range of research-enriched and hands-on learning opportunities.”

UVic has multiple research facilities dedicated to environmental change and sustainability. Ocean Networks Canada, a UVic initiative, manages cabled ocean observatories off the west and east coasts of Canada and in the Arctic, producing data that help communities, governments and industry make informed decisions about the ocean. Both the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium and the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions focus on solving climate challenges through collaborative research. Meanwhile, creativity and innovation thrive across campus. The faculty of fine arts is home to programs in music, writing, visual arts and theatre, while entrepreneurial start-ups in business, engineering and computer science extend to community partnerships and boost co-op opportunities.

Standout Programs

• Health Information Science: This program, which includes co-op, spans health care, technology and management. Students learn how to improve health care through information technology.

• Climate Science: This new program covers the foundations of climate science and explores strategies to tackle climate change, focusing on impacts, adaptation and mitigation.

• Indigenous Studies: Students explore Indigenous ways of knowing and learning, as well as the social, political, cultural and historical dimensions of Indigenous existence and resistance.

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)

$6,732

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 80% | Science: 85% | Commerce: 80% | Engineering: 85%

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 14,039 | Part-time: 5,322

Graduates: Full-time: 2,989 | Part-time: 225

International Students: First-year: 6.6% | Graduate: 36.5%

Male-Female Ratio: 45 to 55

Housing Facts

Residence Spaces: 2,539 (2,000 reserved for first-year students)

Residence Costs: Double room with meals: $9,626 to $10,879

Single room with meals: $12,418 to $12,667

Apartment-style: $7,594 to $9,884

Cool Courses

• Sweatshops and the Politics of the Clothing Industry: Topics include labour standards, workers’ rights, fast fashion, consumer patterns and environmental degradation.

• Climate and Society: Examine the role played by science, public policy and the media in societies past, present and future.

Student Life on Campus

Read More