News Release

2005-11-06 14:49:36

Waterloo ranks #1 in Maclean's

WATERLOO, Ont. -- The University of Waterloo has retained its position as the #1 "Comprehensive University" in the country, and #1 "Best Overall" ranking by reputation in the nation in Maclean's magazine's annual universities issue. The magazine will hit newsstands tomorrow across Canada.

Waterloo also captured a number of other firsts. It was named "most innovative" in the national reputation survey, and it swept all the reputation categories -- No. 1 Highest Quality, No. 1 Leaders of Tomorrow, No. 1 Most Innovative, and No. 1 Best Overall -- among Comprehensive Universities.

"The University of Waterloo community is very pleased with this wonderful news," said UW President David Johnston. "This is testimony to our people -- our students, faculty, staff and alumni around the world. We couldn't be more proud of them."

Johnston said the rankings reflect a team approach at Waterloo that involves thousands of talented and committed people on several campuses and connected coast to coast and also around the globe.

That includes about 3,500 co-op employers who are partners with UW in the world's largest co-operative work-study program. Waterloo is the world leader in co-op education, which provides students with up to two years of practical experience before they leave with their degrees from its six faculties and four affiliated universities and colleges.

Amit Chakma, Vice-President Academic and Provost, said: "The rankings reinforce the university's strategy of recruiting and admitting the highest quality students -- undergraduate and graduate -- and recruiting splendid faculty members to bring top-quality education to our students, in the classroom and the lab.

"Waterloo has been working very hard the last few years as a university to add even more high-quality individuals to our already strong faculty ranks, bringing in bright young professors who are leaders in their areas of research. If you bring the very best they become a magnet and draw others with similar aspirations, including very accomplished students and staff," Chakma added.

Both Johnston and Chakma also gave credit to the local community for the support it gives UW in helping to achieve this kind of gratifying external recognition.

UW also captured top place in several other individual categories in the Maclean's rankings. Waterloo placed first in six individual measures: student retention, student awards, classes taught by tenured faculty, awards per full-time faculty, alumni support and reputation survey.

The reputation rankings are arrived at by surveying thousands of people across Canada, including high school guidance counselors and principals from every province and territory, chief executive officers and recruiters of companies, heads of organizations and university officials.

Resources

Contact:
Martin Van Nierop, Director, Communications and Public Affairs,
(519) 888-4881; cell: (519) 591-8876; vanierop@uwaterloo.ca
Release no. 245 -- November 6, 2005

2005-11-06 14:49:36