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 manages cabled ocean observatories off the west and east coasts of Canada and in the Arctic to 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 Fine Arts building is home to programs in music, writing, visual arts and theatre, while entrepreneurial startups in business, engineering and computer science extend to community partnerships and boost co-op opportunities.

Standout Programs

• Civil Engineering: Emphasizing sustainability and civic engagement, this program teaches students to use civil engineering principles to address today’s most pressing challenges.Visual Art and Computer Science: Explore computer-based creativity and digital media in this combined major. It applies visual arts, such as painting, sculpture and photography, to computer science.

• 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)

$6,600

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 80% • Science: 82%

Commerce: 80% • Engineering: 83%

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 13,220 · Part-time: 5,785

Graduates: Full-time: 2,779 · Part-time: 228

International Students: First-year: 6.6% ·

Graduate: 34.6%

Male-Female Ratio: 45 to 55

Housing Facts

Residence Spaces: 2,006 (1,890 reserved for first-year students)

Residence Costs: Double room with meals: $10,362

Single room with meals: $11,828 to $12,264

Apartment-style: $7,232 to $9,068

Cool Courses

• Conspiracies, Hoaxes and Moral Panics: Topics include witchcraft persecutions, 17th-century anti-Catholicism, Tulip-mania, McCarthyism and alien abduction.

• Conceptions of Justice and Engaged Pedagogy: Examine the theory and practice behind social justice. Classes take place on campus and at a correctional facility.

Student Life on Campus

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