‘No surprises’ for Brandon University in annual Maclean’s ranking

Brandon University places 18^th overall among primarily undergraduate universities, as ranked by Maclean’s magazine in their annual survey of Canadian post-secondary institutions.

This year’s ranking is about the same as last year, with BU continuing to shine with strong library, student supports, and a good student/faculty ratio.

“There are really no surprises any year with rankings like these — they are a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said BU President David Docherty. “The raw data shows quite a few bright spots for BU, and we’re staying focused on doing what’s best for our community.”

The numbers collected by Maclean’s show that BU continues to burnish traditional strengths in supports for students, including library resources, support staff, and small class sizes. Brandon University continues to be overlooked on measures such as national reputation, a survey of Canadian administrators and businesspeople that makes up the largest single measure in the rankings.

“This year more than most, we’ve had other things on our mind than our vanity,” Docherty said. “The main thing to remember is that Canadians are extremely well-served by a university sector that is excellent everywhere — rankings like these are a bit like asking which is the roundest bowling ball.”

On some measures, BU continues to be penalized for valuing things differently than they are ranked. For example, BU ranks poorly for having a low per-student budget, despite that being in part a direct outcome of having an affordable tuition rate and being located in an affordable community. Brandon University is also listed as one of the universities with the highest percentages of students whose high-school averages are less than 70%.

“The number-one thing we could do to juice our national rankings would be to accept fewer students and charge them more. That’s not who we are,” Docherty said. “We believe in the value of an education that is more accessible, not less.”

Docherty added that BU’s distinguished history and bright future as a strong regional university was core to its ongoing success.

“Here at Brandon University, we remain laser-focused on the mission that matters to us: serving Brandon, Westman, and Manitoba with the quality education, career preparation, and innovative research that this region needs, and that no one else provides,” Docherty said. “I’m extraordinarily proud of all our students, our faculty, and our staff for the energy, enthusiasm and dedication they bring to campus every single day. That’s the measurement I care about most.”

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