The University of Regina maintained its sixth-place ranking in the comprehensive category of this year's Maclean's magazine ranking of Canadian universities.

In 2002 the U of R tied for sixth place with York University. University President David Barnard says he views sole possession of the sixth-place ranking as good news, but adds that it is important to keep the Maclean's rankings in perspective.

"The rankings have some effect on the University's reputation, so scoring sixth - compared to our ranking of seventh two years ago - is welcome news," he said. "But we need to remember that the Maclean's rankings measure us against values and standards that may not necessarily reflect those which drive the U of R.

"Our job is to see that the University of Regina continues to grow and improve in the areas of teaching, research and service to our community," Barnard added. "Our focus has been, and continues to be on serving the needs of our unique community in Saskatchewan. It's nice to see that the Maclean's rankings capture at least some of that effort, but we do not tailor our programs to meet Maclean's standards."

In 2003 the U of R's rankings improved in the areas of students' average entering grade, awards won by full-time faculty, and student scholarships or bursaries as a percentage of budget.