Mount Royal finds positives, room to grow in first inclusion in Maclean’s Rankings

For the first time, Mount Royal University was included alongside Canada’s other universities in the annual Maclean’s magazine university rankings, receiving a range of marks highlighted by taking the top spot in student services.

With a change in how the venerable magazine groups Canada’s universities for their rankings, MRU found itself in the 10,000 to 30,000 student category with some of Canada’s heavyweights — much larger, older and more research intensive post-secondaries. That is reflected in MRU’s initial overall position (18th), however there are many positives to build on.

Top marks for student services

Mount Royal ranked No. 1 in student services, for example, No. 4 in library spending and No. 9 in retention, all metrics that reflect what the University does best under its provincial mandate.

“We can take pride in finishing first in student services as that speaks to our core values. The ranking categories often miss the core strengths that make MRU unique: a personalized experience in smaller classes, access to undergraduate research, career outcomes where alumni are in high demand and much more,” said Dr. Tim Rahilly, Mount Royal's president and vice-chancellor.

“That said, I want everyone to know we will take what we can from the rankings and move forward with providing an outstanding undergraduate experience for MRU students. I am proud of Mount Royal University and everyone in our university community.”

Overall, Rahilly emphasized that being included in the national conversation has value and gives Mount Royal a baseline for comparison. At the same time, he said it is a reminder that Maclean’s generic quantitative metrics compare institutions with relatively similar student numbers but very different educational mandates.

Maclean’s methodology

MRU only recently learned it was to be included this year. Maclean’s has compiled its rankings independently since 1990. The rankings have always been contentious and have generated much debate.

New this year, the rankings now sort institutions into either small, mid-sized or large categories, based on student enrolment. Being included in Maclean’s mid-sized university category reflects MRU’s enrolment growth since 2009 and speaks to Mount Royal’s evolution into a mature undergraduate university that combines high-impact teaching and learning, invaluable workplace experiences, and exceptional student support. (The rankings include a positive profile of MRU that reflects this.)

Encompassing institutions with 10,000 to 30,000 full-time equivalent students, the mid-sized category includes two of the top-ranked institutions in the former comprehensive universities category. The rankings also heavily weigh research funding, volume and impact, along with faculty and student research awards, as well as library acquisitions, areas where newer, undergraduate-focused universities are at a comparative disadvantage. The reputation-assessment methodology tends to favour larger universities with long histories, where a high faculty-student ratio may not reflect how much time professors spend with students in the classroom, unlike a teaching-focused institution such as MRU.

At the same time, MRU’s Strategic Plan, Academic Plan and Research and Scholarhip Plans all point to growing MRU’s research footprint. Over time, that will elevate the University in this and other rankings.