Bishop's University
Founded 1843 | Lennoxville (Sherbrooke), QC
Founded when many of the area’s residents were anglophones, Bishop’s University offers an English-language, liberal education in the bilingual Eastern Townships. Today, about a quarter of students are native French speakers and, while all classes are taught in English, students can write exams and assignments in French. Bishop’s offers a close-knit student community, and it’s not uncommon to see faculty and students sharing a drink at the local pub. “Bishop’s is a student-centred university on a human scale,” says principal Michael Goldbloom. “We are committed to providing a sound and liberal education in an intellectually vibrant, ambitious, caring and inclusive community.”
In a suburb of Sherbrooke, Que., the university sits at the confluence of the Saint-François and Massawippi rivers. The campus has several Victorian-era red-brick buildings surrounded by groves of pine trees. The region, flanked by heavily wooded mountains, features boundless outdoor activities, including excellent cross-country ski trails.
Recent developments include renovations to the Library Learning Commons and a revamp of the Johnson Science Building, which includes a rooftop greenhouse. A new 93-room residence is scheduled to open this fall. Bishop’s will transform historic Divinity House into Kwigw8mna, an Indigenous student centre, slated to open next year. It will feature space for classrooms and offices, apartments for visiting Elders and a dedicated space for the Indigenous Cultural Alliance student club.
Standout Programs
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems: The focus is on social, economic and environmental aspects of agriculture. Topics include global food security and climate change.
• Musical Theatre: This concentration can be added to a major in drama or music, and offers training in voice, acting and dance, as well as musical theatre history.
• Indigenous Studies: Students explore the world from the perspectives of Indigenous peoples of various countries and across disciplines, including history, geography, and religious and political studies.
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary expenses)
$4,485 ($10,266 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 80%; R score 24 · Science: 80%; R score 24 · Commerce: 80%; R score 24
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 2,391 · Part-time: 324
Graduates: Full-time: 162 · Part-time: 44
International Students: First-year: 12.6% · Graduate: 95.1%
Male-Female Ratio: 42 to 58
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 562 (approx. 420 reserved for first-year students)
Residence Costs: Single room: $4,896 to $5,568 · Single room with meals: $10,096 to $10,984 · Apartment-style: $5,592
Cool Courses
• Motivation and Emotion: Explore the underlying causes of human behaviour, the role of emotions and higher-level behaviours such as self-regulation.
• Remembering Atrocities: Truth and Reconciliation in Global Context: Surveys truth and reconciliation commissions throughout the world.