Awards & Recognition

Study hall at the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre

Acadia's stylized "A" depicts crossed axes to remind us of the determination and pride that is the Acadia Spirit. That spirit has sparked many successes for Acadia. The university has the distinction of being the only Canadian university inducted into the Smithsonian Institution for its pioneering use of technology in the classroom. Acadia professors continue to set the standard for innovative classroom instruction today. Acadia is also the only university to have placed first in all four categories (best overall, highest quality, most innovative, and leaders of tomorrow) in Maclean's annual reputation survey. In the 19 years that Maclean's has done this survey, Acadia has ranked as the most innovative undergraduate institution 15 times.

It’s “A” Fact . . .

Maclean’s

Acadia is the highest ranked university in Nova Scotia in the 2009 MacLean’s rankings, placing us among the top 2 in Canada in our class of small, primarily undergraduate universities.

Out of 21 institutions across Canada, Acadia placed:

•       Student Awards: 2nd

•       Student/Faculty Ratio: 4th

•       Awards per fulltime faculty: 9th

•       Operating Budget: 3rd

•       Scholarships and Bursaries: 7th

•       Reputational Survey: 5th

Globe and Mail’s University Report

Our grades are solid too, according to the Globe and Mail’s Canadian University Report*:

•       Safety: A+

•       Computer access: A+

•       Attractive campus: A

•       Faculty availability, interaction, and knowledge: A

•       Overall satisfaction: A

* Largest Canadian survey of undergraduate students.

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

•       Level of Academic Challenge: first-year: 51.4/ senior year: 57.4

•       Student-Faculty Interaction: first-year:30.2/senior year: 42.6

•       Supportive Campus Environment: first-year: 63.3/senior-year: 60.4

* A student survey comparing hundreds of universities—American and Canadian—in five key areas. Responses are percentages.