University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia has excellent rankings, giving it a place in the top three most prestigious places of higher education in Canada. Structurally, the institution consists of two top universities in Canada. One is located in Okanagan, the other is in Vancouver. The University of British Columbia in Vancouver has the status of a major campus. It is worth noting the internationalism of students receiving education in the walls of this university. Approximately every fifth student is a foreigner.

Year of establishment — 1915.

UBC positions itself as a global center for teaching, learning, and research. The university's strategic plan is called Shaping UBC's Next Century.

The UBC Arts Co-op program gives undergraduate and graduate students hands-on work experience in a variety of organizations.

Almost 13,000 instructors across British Columbia participate in UBC clinical training. 

Major global rankings consistently place UBC among the top 3% of universities in the world. In the 2025 rankings, the university held:

• 41st place globally and 2nd place in Canada according to Times Higher Education,
• 53rd place globally and 2nd place in Canada according to ARWU,
• 38th place globally and 3rd place in Canada according to QS.

UBC's research funding totaled $936.40 million across 10,120 projects. A total of 296 companies were founded on the basis of university research.

UBC is associated with 26 recipients of the 3M National Teaching Fellowship, 319 fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, and 76 Rhodes Scholars. Over the past five years, 4 representatives of the university have become Rhodes Scholars.

The Okanagan campus has 10 residences. Students have access to furnished single and double rooms, four-person suites, studios, and shared one-bedroom apartments. Most first-year students live in the connected single rooms of the Cassiar, Kalamalka, Nicola, Purcell, Valhalla, Skeena, and Nechako residences. All residences include a meal plan and internet access, and each has an information desk.

Some residences require the All-Access Meal Plan, which provides unlimited access to Pritchard Dining Hall. Residents of Lower Cascades, Upper Cascades, and Monashee Place, as well as off-campus students, may purchase an Optional Meal Plan or Swipe Plan.

The Vancouver campus has more than 13,000 students living in 15 residences. Many first-year students can receive a guaranteed spot for the winter session from September through April. Most first-year students with such a spot are placed in Orchard Commons, Place Vanier, or Totem Park. These residences offer furnished shared and single rooms, common areas, dining halls, and spaces for independent study. The Ritsumeikan-UBC House and Walter Gage residential suites include shared kitchens. All residences have support desks.

The mandatory All Access Dining Plan for Orchard Commons, Place Vanier, and Totem Park provides unlimited access to all three dining halls. Students in other Vancouver residences may purchase a UBCcard Value Plan to pay for meals on campus.

Subject list: chemistry, Chromosome and Developmental Biology (DPhil), Community, Culture and Global Studies, Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences, Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, history, Marine & Freshwater Biology (Advanced Entry) (BSc (Hons)), Psychology

Life on the UBC campus includes recreational, social, and cultural events. Students can participate in the following activities:

• intramural sports and lunchtime yoga classes,
• campus-wide events, including Great Trek,
• more than 350 student clubs united under AMS,
• the annual Artivism Festival and International Women's Day event, organized by UBC Arts and Culture District.

List of scientific achievements UBC

• At the university there is a farm occupying an area of ​​24 hectares. It is dedicated to field research and the cultivation of exclusively organic products.
• Many scientific achievements can boast a laboratory in nuclear physics, located within the walls of the University of British Columbia.
• Recently, a team of academic scientists completed the calculation of the mass of the Milky Way galaxies and the Andromeda Nebula.
• The laboratories of the university experimentally proved the relationship between changes in fish size and changing climatic conditions.

Why students choose UBC

The area of ​​the educational institution includes the structure of the Botanical Garden and a unique Center for Plant Research. 8,000 different species of flora grow here. A whole hectare of land is set aside under the original Japanese-style garden.

The university is famous for the Chan Shun Concert Hall. Visiting it, tourists celebrate a beautiful hall, which is made in the style of futurism. We should also mention the dome weighing thirty-seven tons. This acoustic architectural work has the ability to adapt to the sound of any musical works.

UBC students can spend time in different clubs. In total, there are more than 200 such institutions corresponding to the interests of the studying youth. It is also worth noting that the university has its own base at one of the ski resorts.

Curious facts

• The main building of the school more than once became the object of shooting the film. Here were removed such iconic tapes as "88 minutes" and "Harper Island."
• Among the staff and graduates of the university can be counted seven Nobel Prize winners.
• Also, teachers and students of the university were able to win a total of 64 Olympic medals.
• Two graduates, who later became prime ministers of Canada, studied within the walls of this university.
• The university library not only serves to replenish students' knowledge, but also serves as a museum of a famous composer of Russian origin - I. Stravinsky.
• Quite famous among other universities in Vancouver.

Among the notable attractions of the Vancouver campus are the Museum of Anthropology and the Nitobe Memorial Garden. The UBC Arts and Culture District features music, theater, opera, film, contemporary art, and visual arts.

The residential area of the campus covers 100 acres. Pacific Spirit Park is located nearby, and the Pacific Ocean, gardens, and rainforest trails are within walking distance. The bus ride to downtown Vancouver takes about 30 minutes.

Payments for accommodation and meals on the Vancouver campus are spread throughout the academic year.

Smapse specialists will guide you through every stage of the application process.

• To transfer to UBC, the applicant must have completed high school and, at the time of application, be continuing their education at another post-secondary institution,
• all applicants must demonstrate the minimum required level of English proficiency,
• the minimum academic standing for transfer is C, 60% with a passing grade of 50%, or 2.0 on a 4.0 scale; meeting this threshold does not guarantee admission due to competition and subject-specific requirements,
• required documents include a transcript from the current institution showing completed and in-progress courses, transcripts from all previously attended post-secondary institutions, and a final high school transcript,
• translations of transcripts and course descriptions are required where applicable,
• for transfer into second year, it is recommended to have 30 credit units and to fulfill the transition requirements,
• for transfer into third year, it is recommended to have 54–60 credit units and to fulfill the transition requirements; some programs do not admit transfer students at this level,
• if the applicant has fewer than 24 credit units, the university will evaluate final high school results and the results of partially completed post-secondary study,
• GPA, required prerequisite courses, and the full academic history may be taken into account when reviewing an applicant,
• the university may request a personal profile, supplemental application, portfolio, or audition.

The university allocates more than 35 million Canadian dollars annually for awards, scholarships, and other forms of financial support for international undergraduate students.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision