Energy and Environment, Artificial Intelligence, Health Sciences
Founded in 1908, UAlberta is a leading public research university in Canada, offering a wide range of programs and known for its research in energy, health, artificial intelligence, and agriculture.
The University of Alberta is the main research university of the province, with about 44,500 students and 9,100 staff. It sits on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, with a river valley right next to the campus, and a satellite campus in the French-speaking Campus Saint-Jean. The university was founded in 1908, the same year as UBC, and it has always had a strong link to the economy of the province.
Energy is the best-known subject. Petroleum engineering, oil sands research and the Future Energy Systems programme draw on government funding and industry partnerships, and the university works on hydrogen, carbon capture and environmental monitoring as well as fossil fuels. Agriculture is another traditional strength, with extensive field and food science programmes that serve the Prairie economy.
In artificial intelligence the university has an unusually clear record. The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, Amii, grew out of work in reinforcement learning by Richard Sutton and colleagues, who were recognised with the Turing Award for 2024. Computing science also supports strong work in games, bioinformatics and robotics. Richard E. Taylor, a graduate of the university, shared the 1990 Nobel Prize in Physics, and Beverley McLachlin, later Chief Justice of Canada, studied here as well.
Teaching is in English. Domestic tuition is among the more moderate in Canada, and international undergraduate fees are significantly higher. The co-operative education programme is large in engineering, and the university belongs to the U15 group of Canadian research universities and to the Worldwide Universities Network, which supports exchange.
Edmonton is a northern city with cold winters and a large student community, and rents are lower than in Toronto or Vancouver. The Rocky Mountains are about four hours away by road. About 280,000 people have graduated from the University of Alberta.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Chemistry, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Certificate, Diploma, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities and Worldwide Universities Network. Partnerships with industry in energy, agriculture, and AI (Amii – Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute).
Research:
A top research university with strengths in energy research (Future Energy Systems), artificial intelligence (Amii), health and wellness, agriculture, paleontology, and Indigenous research.
Famous Alumnis:
Joe Clark, Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, Richard E. Taylor, Beverley McLachlin, George Stanley
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
9100
Current students***:
44500
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
280000
Pros
Strong research in key Albertan sectors (energy, agriculture), leader in AI research (Amii), comprehensive range of programs, beautiful campus.
Cons
Edmonton can have harsh winters, some older campus facilities, recent provincial budget cuts have impacted some areas.
Best For
Students interested in energy, environment, AI, agriculture or health sciences, at a major research university with strong ties to Alberta’s key industries and a comprehensive academic offering.
University of Manitoba follows much the same lines as this university, with agriculture, ecology and sustainability and life sciences as common ground, and it covers food science as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 31,000 students against roughly 44,500 here.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of chemistry, life sciences and AI and machine learning can consider University of Ottawa, and it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral, certificate, diploma and mba, and covers optics and data analytics as well.
University of Calgary shares the core fields of this university, namely ecology and sustainability, life sciences and AI and machine learning; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral, certificate, diploma and mba programmes.
Among national alternatives, University of Saskatchewan stands out for its focus on agriculture, ecology and sustainability and life sciences, and it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers food science as well.
University of British Columbia works in much the same fields, chiefly ecology and sustainability, life sciences and AI and machine learning, and it covers marine science and data analytics as well, and is larger, enrolling about 70,500 students against roughly 44,500 here.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
If this university is on your list for agriculture, chemistry and life sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison in the United States deserves a comparison, because it does not run the certificate and diploma programmes found here and covers data analytics as well.
On content, Guizhou University in China and this institution are close, as both teach agriculture, chemistry and ecology and sustainability; it has almost the same size, at about 47,944 students, and is also a public institution.
Seen from abroad, La Trobe University (Australia) is a close relative on subject matter, since agriculture, ecology and sustainability and life sciences are central to both, and it does not run the certificate and diploma programmes found here and covers mathematics and data analytics as well.
University of Minnesota Twin Cities in the United States pursues a similar profile in agriculture, chemistry and life sciences, and it covers data analytics as well, and is slightly larger, at about 55,000 students against roughly 44,500 here.
For a study option in the United Kingdom with a comparable spread of agriculture, chemistry and life sciences, University of Nottingham is the reference point: it has almost the same size, at about 46,500 students, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is the University of Alberta?
The main campus is in Edmonton, Alberta, on the south bank of the North Saskatchewan River. The university also has a French-language campus, Campus Saint-Jean.
How large is the university?
About 44,500 students and 9,100 staff.
What is the University of Alberta best known for?
Energy research, artificial intelligence, health sciences and agriculture.
What is Amii?
The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute grew out of reinforcement learning research at the university and works with industry and government.
Who won the Turing Award from this university?
Richard Sutton, a professor at the university, shared the 2024 ACM Turing Award for his work on reinforcement learning.
What language is used for teaching?
English, with some French-language programmes at Campus Saint-Jean.
How much does tuition cost?
Domestic tuition is among the more moderate in Canada, while international undergraduate fees are significantly higher. Check the current schedule.
Does the university offer co-op?
Yes, particularly in engineering, where many students complete paid work terms.
Which networks does it belong to?
The U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities and the Worldwide Universities Network.
What is Edmonton like for students?
It is a northern city with cold winters, lower rents than Toronto or Vancouver and easy access to the Rocky Mountains.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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