Carleton University

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Carleton University, located in Ottawa, Ontario, is an English-language public research institution founded in 1942 as Carleton College to serve returning World War II veterans. Initially a non-denominational evening college, it was granted university status in 1952 and renamed in 1957. Named after the former Carleton County, the university spans a 150-acre campus bordered by the Rideau River and Canal. It offers over 65 degree programs across five faculties and includes specialized institutions like the Arthur Kroeger College and the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. With over 30,000 students enrolled annually and 180,000 alumni worldwide, Carleton boasts achievements such as Rhodes Scholars, Pulitzer and Academy Award winners, Killam Prize recipients, and Canada Research Chairs. The Carleton Ravens, particularly the basketball team, have won 20 national titles in the past two decades. Initially operating in rented Ottawa classrooms, Carleton moved to its first permanent location in The Glebe in 1946 before beginning development of its current campus in the 1950s, with major support from community fundraising and land donations. The university adopted a bicameral governance system modeled after the University of Toronto and was led early on by Henry Marshall Tory, whose efforts helped stabilize and grow the institution.