University of Alberta

The University of Alberta (U of A), established in 1908 in Edmonton, Alberta, is a leading public research university and one of Canada’s top institutions. Founded by Alberta’s first premier Alexander Cameron Rutherford and first president Henry Marshall Tory, the university operates under the Post-secondary Learning Act. It is classified as a comprehensive academic and research university (CARU), offering a broad range of undergraduate and graduate programs. The university includes four campuses in Edmonton, the Augustana Campus in Camrose, and a staff centre in Calgary. Its original North Campus spans 150 buildings over 50 city blocks near the North Saskatchewan River. With over 37,000 students from Canada and more than 150 countries, U of A offers 400 academic programs across 18 faculties. A significant economic driver, it contributed $19.4 billion to Alberta’s economy in 2022. The university has produced over 260,000 graduates, including Nobel laureates and Rhodes Scholars. Modeled after American state universities and Ontario's University of Toronto Act of 1906, U of A features a bicameral governance system comprising a senate for academic matters and a board of governors for financial policy. The president serves as the institutional leader, bridging both governing bodies.