Although its manufacturing- and steel-based economy gave Hamilton its “Steeltown” moniker, students need not be deterred by images of an industrial wasteland. McMaster is actually a green campus with ivy-covered buildings blending in with modern glass and steel. Pedestrians rule the school grounds, which are located near lakefront conservation areas; cars are not allowed beyond the parking lots located along the campus perimeter. Students are as enthusiastic and engaged as the forward-thinking professors, thanks to the university’s innovative teaching methods.

The inquiry approach—a form of self-directed, problem-based learning—originated at McMaster’s well-respected medical school. Universities around the world, including Harvard, continue to use Mac as a model. The university’s state-of-the-art facilities include a low-powered nuclear reactor, which is used for research and to produce medical isotopes for cancer treatment. Meanwhile, students can take a break at the on-campus planetarium or check out the university’s art gallery and archives. “McMaster’s success is rooted in taking chances,” says president David Farrar. “Our greatest leaps forward have happened when people came together and imagined something totally new, like problem-based learning. Even more importantly, they were encouraged to exercise their creativity, take a chance and do something astonishing.”