Université Laval—famous for its successful Rouge et Or football team—is a large, research-intensive institution in Quebec City. It hosts four Canada Excellence Research Chairs—in optics and photonics, Arctic climate change, cardiometabolic health and neurophotonics—as well as the Centre for Northern Studies. Laval’s law school and faculty of social sciences have produced some of Canada’s leading politicians, including former prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien, as well as former Quebec premier Lucien Bouchard.

Entrepreneuriat Laval, a business incubator that helps students create personalized business plans, has contributed to the creation of more than 1,000 companies and raised more than $22 million in funding in the past five years. “At Université Laval, we redefine what it means to be a student and what it represents beyond graduation,” says rector Sophie D’Amours. “Our approach is centred around pedagogical innovation, supported and strengthened by an active and engaged community.”

The student body has approximately 8,000 international students from 120 countries, as well as non-francophones polishing their French-language skills at the École des langues vivantes. The university hosts around 220 student associations. Most of Laval’s nearly 40 buildings are connected by underground walkways—handy during winter—and eight kilometres of cycling lanes. Off-campus, students will find Quebec City is one of the most culturally rich spots in Canada. The town is known for its vibrant Winter Carnival and the historic Plains of Abraham.