SACKVILLE, NB — Mount Allison University received first place standing in the undergraduate category of the 2023 Maclean’s University Rankings, published today, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022.
 
“Mount Allison students, faculty, and staff have continued to shine throughout the pandemic, and this is reflected in respected reports such as the Maclean’s rankings. We appreciate the external feedback these reports provide as they give insight and opportunity to continue to build and improve the Mount Allison University student experience,” says University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau. “We’re really proud to receive top rankings for reputation, scholarships and bursaries, and student and faculty awards. This is a testament to the kind of caring, supportive, and innovative community we have on campus as we collectively continue to offer one of the best undergraduate student experiences in Canada and globally. I would like to thank and congratulate the entire Mount Allison community on this well-deserved ranking.”
 
Along with placing first overall in the primarily undergraduate category, Mount Allison was ranked first for reputation, scholarships and bursaries, operating budget, and library expenses. The University also received second place for student awards and third for faculty awards and student to faculty ratio (16:1).
 
Over the past three years, Mount Allison has launched over 20 new or revamped academic programs, bringing its total offerings to more than 50 academic programs. New areas include Computer Science and Music (Bachelor of Arts, Joint Major), Certificate in Arts Administration, and a new Bachelor of Arts and Science in Interdisciplinary Health Studies, which welcomed its first students to campus this fall.
 
Mount Allison has also introduced several new resources to help support students throughout their university experience. Financial aid support for students exceeded $6 million in 2021-22, with many scholarships, awards, and bursaries being supported by Mount Allison alumni and donors. Increases were also made in the areas of academic and student support, particularly for first-generation students, with the establishment of the ScotiaSPARC (Student Peer Academic Resource Centre), additional positions and resources focused on student mental health and wellness and sexual violence education, prevention, and response.  

Students have exceptional opportunities to join businesses and organizations locally and internationally for paid internships — open to all disciplines and academic years. In 2021-22, the University saw nearly 200 students secure internships through the Office of Experiential Learning and Career Development. There are also many students working on campus, with more than $1 million annually spent on student wages.
 
The University has also continued its commitments towards reconciliation and decolonisation. The Mount Allison campus has an Indigenous Ceremonial Space, including a Sweat Lodge, sacred fire pit, tipi, and Indigenous gardens. Elders-in-Residence William and Connie Nevin from Elsipogtog First Nation, as well as two new Indigenous faculty members, Sacha DeWolfe and Marcia Vicaire, joined the campus community in 2021, leading educational and awareness initiatives on campus with the University’s Indigenous Affairs Coordinator and Indigenous Student Support Group. In 2022 Indigenous Studies was added as a degree minor. The University has also made a commitment to support Indigenous artists, recent acquisitions include pieces by Pauline Young and Loretta Gould.
 
Mount Allison is a founding member of the Maple League of Universities with Acadia, Bishop’s, and St. Francis Xavier universities. The group of primarily undergraduate, rural universities all placed in the top seven for overall rankings this year.
 
Mount Allison will be holding its Fall Open House on October 14. The full-day event will include on-campus sessions with campus ambassadors, current students, faculty, and staff members, alumni, as well as campus tours, mini lectures, and on-the-spot admissions. Future students and their families can find a full schedule and registration information at: https://www.mta.ca/openhouse
 
Since the rankings were established in 1991, Mount Allison has been named the number one undergraduate university a record 23 times, more than any other undergraduate school. The Sackville, NB university has never ranked outside the top four and has a student population of approximately 2,300.

The Maclean’s 2023 rankings issue is available online and will be on newsstands shortly: https://www.macleans.ca/hub/education-rankings/