2026 Community Report
We’re now consistently cited in the top 1% of universities worldwide.
UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university. We’ve reached a new level of excellence setting records by launching new programs, raising new buildings, and creating more startup companies than any other university in Canada.
Ed McCauley
President and Vice-Chancellor
60 years of growth
In 1966, a quiet patch of Alberta grasslands became a hive of innovation and impact as 4,000 students joined the brand-new University of Calgary.
Today, we've grown to 38,000 learners. We’re now consistently cited in the top 1% of universities worldwide. In just 60 years, we’ve outpaced universities centuries in the making.
Alberta needs more than 40,000 additional post-secondary spaces in the coming years. UCalgary has committed to grow by 10,000 more students by 2030 as the province continues to diversify into new and emerging sectors.
of graduates are employed
within six months
Economic Powerhouse
For 60 years, the University of Calgary has helped shape this city's growth and prosperity. The true power of a great research university is that impact grows exponentially—and we've shown it repeatedly.
Our $1.85 billion annual budget is focused where it should be: teaching, learning and research.
No university does more to build businesses or attract new industries. UCalgary is a major driver of Alberta's economy—and a force in Canada's growth.
I’ve always believed in supporting the university and Calgary. Post-secondary institutions are one of the most important anchors to have in any community.
Don Taylor, Hon. LLD
Taylor Family Foundation
Launching Careers
With strong academics and hands-on experience, UCalgary grads are sought after by hiring managers across industries. 95% of graduates are employed within six months.
Work-integrated learning opportunities like co-op, internships and career classes prepare students for future employers. UCalgary also offers 1,100 international learning experiences each year.
Continuing Education remains focused on meeting the needs of our community and economy, offering more than 80 programs and over 1,000 courses and seminars for professional and personal development.
Increasing Access to Education
UCalgary’s First-Generation Scholars Program is the most comprehensive in Canada for students whose families have never attended post-secondary. With wraparound services and financial support for students already accepted into our programs, we ease the transition to university.
In the past decade, UCalgary doubled Indigenous student enrolment to 4.3% of the student population—1,500 students. We also doubled Indigenous-earned degrees and boosted Indigenous-funded research.
It's thanks to the ii’ taa’poh’to’p Indigenous Strategy and guidance from our Circle of Elders who are helping us walk parallel paths towards reconciliation.
increase in scholarships in last 10 years.
of undergraduate and 53% of graduate students come from Alberta
UCalgary graduates report their experience is as good or better than students in other research universities on every core metric.
Developing Talent
UCalgary is educating the workforce of tomorrow and responding to labour shortages as they emerge. Targeted enrolment expansions help train more doctors, engineers, nurses, computer scientists and veterinarians than ever before. New programs in quantum computing and data science support Alberta’s growing tech sector, while laddered programs from nursing to information security enable mid-career professionals to upskill.
"We rely on bright young minds from schools like the University of Calgary to fuel our long-term success, both as a company and an industry. Opportunities where students can apply theory in a meaningful way give them practical insight before entering the workforce.”
Jeff Lawson
Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development & Chief Sustainability Officer, Cenovus Energy
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
At UCalgary, entrepreneurship is a mindset shared across every faculty. We’re building solutions that improve health, strengthen communities, support learners and open new possibilities, turning curiosity into action and ideas into life-changing outcomes.
Entrepreneurship is our core brand, rooted in Calgary’s famous can-do spirit. Every program offers opportunity for entrepreneurial thinking. UCalgary supports entrepreneurs at every stage to grow our economy and solve real-world problems.
Top Startup Creator in Canada
UCalgary is a launchpad for innovation, helping bold ideas become thriving ventures through entrepreneurial education, investment, mentorship and world‑class commercialization support. From student founders to global moonshots, this ecosystem accelerates discovery into startups, jobs and economic impact.
Over the past five years, UCeed has evolved to perform a vital role in UCalgary’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. As a provider of genuine risk capital to early stage, university-derived companies, UCeed helps founders by investing in their funding rounds while training them to understand investor expectations. As an evergreen fund, UCeed will play this important role for many years to come.
Derrick Hunter
UCeed Health Fund Investment Review Group, UCalgary donor
Top 5 Research University
Research excellence attracts top talent, draws industries to Alberta, creates jobs and trains future talent.
As one of Canada’s Top 5 research universities, we have the country’s fastest research funding growth rate to reach our goal of attracting $750 million in annual research revenue.
We outperform our peers in private, donor and industry-funded research, such as leading in Canadian Space Agency funding.
Research Impact
Great research universities shape the world around them. Our academics are guiding policy — testifying before government committees, publishing research and leading expert panels. Their insights are featured regularly in local and global media including the BBC, New York Times and Globe and Mail.
Research funding 2024/25
A Federal Government $221.0 M
B Provincial Government $85.0 M
C Other Government $28.4 M
D Industry $97.1 M
E Non-Profit $135.6 M
F Endowment and other income $65.3 M
Transformative Research Leads to Brighter Futures
By uniting deep expertise with transdisciplinary collaboration across industry, government and community, UCalgary transforms bold ideas into real-world impact. From advancing technologies to reimagining health research across lab, classroom and community settings, this integrated approach drives innovation that strengthens economies, improves health outcomes and safeguards our shared future.
“Being part of the 2025 Global Braintrust and discussing the key issues the world must address was a new and memorable experience for me. Watching experts from academia and industry present their ideas at the Science Conclave gave me a valuable chance to reflect on where the world should be heading in the digital and robotics fields.”
Dr. Jihyun Lee, PhD
Associate Professor, Schulich School of Engineering and member XPRIZE 2025 Global Braintrust
Campuses Near You
The University of Calgary’s campuses extend across the city and beyond, creating a network of spaces that support learning, research and collaboration in different environments.
From urban and health‑care hubs to innovation districts and regional sites, UCalgary’s footprint is as expansive and dynamic as the work it advances.
More Than Calgary’s University
Alberta’s towns and villages need skilled professionals. UCalgary delivers community-based programs that train nurses, doctors, teachers, engineers and social workers.
A. Slave Lake, AB Werklund S School of Education, BEd
B. Edmonton, AB Faculty of Social Work, BSW, MSW, PhD
C. Cochrane, AB W.A. Ranches, Veterinary Medicine
D. Kananaskis, AB University of Calgary Kananaskis Centre
(formerly the Biogeoscience Institute)
E. SE Calgary, AB Advancing Canadian Water Assets (ACWA)
F. Priddis, AB Rothney Astrophysical Observatory
G. Lethbridge, AB Southern Alberta Medical Program
H. Bamfifield, BC Bamfifield Marine Sciences Centre
I. Kluane Lake, YK Kluane Lake Research Station
Location of major UCalgary research stations and community-embedded educational programs only. Teaching, learning and research projects are embedded throughout Alberta and beyond.
We Are All Dinos
From football and hockey to swimming and wrestling, UCalgary is a powerhouse in any arena. In the past decade, we’ve added varsity teams in golf, curling and women’s rugby to expand opportunities on campus.
Our 730 athletes are students first. A third of all Dinos are Academic All-Canadians, seizing titles and smashing records while excelling at their studies.
Internationally recognized as the Fastest Ice in the WorldTM, our Olympic Oval is home to 26 Olympic medallists and 300+ world records. It generates an estimated $21.8 million annually from visiting athletes and guests.
Sometimes, people say it’s generous of us to have created scholarships at UCalgary. In fact, it’s actually generous of the university, with its place in the community, to allow us to associate our parents with it and to allow other generations to remember them the way we do.
Paul Major
UCalgary donor