The inaugural Scholasticide Response University Rankings has ranked responsiveness of universities across Canada to the genocide in Gaza.

Windsor University tops the list, followed by the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. The University of British Columbia and Concordia University rank last.

“We had to grade on a curve to show the relative differences between the institutions. Otherwise it is clear all Canadian universities have failed to fulfill their obligations in this time of profound moral crisis.”
— Frank Wilson, a quantitative researcher leading the ranking initiative

Findings

Canadian universities are ranked below, from most responsive to scholasticide to least:

1. Windsor University
2. Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
3. Emily Carr University of Art and Design
4. McMaster University
5. McGill University
6. Memorial University
7. University of Ottawa
8. University of British Columbia
9. Concordia University

Rationale and methodology

Students worldwide are demanding universities take a stand against the ongoing genocide in Palestine—not just based on empty words, but in measurable action. The Scholasticide Response University Rankings evaluates institutions on six critical categories to expose complicity and highlight ethical leadership. Data for these six critical categories was collected through a survey completed by Palestine solidarity student organizations at each university. The survey was tabulated quantitatively with weighted categories and subcategories.

1. Divestment from Complicit Corporations (25%)

Does the university fund Israel’s war machine? Students demand full disclosure and withdrawal from investments companies profiting from arms manufacturing and illegal occupation.

2. Cutting Ties with Complicit Universities (20%)

Does the university hold partnerships with institutions on illegally occupied land or implicated in the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians? Students do not want institutional ties with universities complicit in human rights violations.

3. Police Repression & Student Rights (20%)

Does the university silence students’ Charter Rights to protest? Crackdowns on pro-Palestine activism reveal where administrations truly stand: with authoritarianism, not democracy.

4. Palestine Scholarships & Academic Support (15%)

Are Palestinian voices uplifted or erased? Funding for Palestinian students, faculty, and research is a litmus test for academic justice in the face of scholasticide.

5. Public Acknowledgement of International Law Violations (10%)

Does the university name the genocide? Neutrality enables slaughter. We rank moral cowardice.

6. Student Wellbeing & Anti-Discrimination Policies (10%)

Is the campus safe for all students? Anti-Palestinian Racism thrives where policies are weak. Survivors and those in solidarity with them deserve protection.

The breakdown of the rankings by category is summarized below:

This ranking provides prospective incoming students at Canadian universities with greater knowledge about policing, racism, and institutional complicity at their target universities so that they can make an informed choice over their admission offers. For many such students, social justice and the upholding of student rights at a time of increased deportation risk is a critical component to their decision making. Consequently, the ranking also included ‘best of’ and ‘worst of’ lists, as related to university interactions with students. The ‘worst of’ category listed universities that employed overt police repression and violence, including tear gas, flash bang grenades, batons, and aggressive tackling against unarmed students.

Worst police repression and violence against students:

• University of Calgary
• University of Alberta
• York University
• McGill University
• Concordia University

The ‘best of’ list included universities that focused on dialogue and have been most responsive to students:

Most responsive to student concerns:

• University of Windsor
• Thompson Rivers University
• Ontario Tech University

In general, smaller, more nimble universities are leading the way for scholasticide responsiveness in Canada; however, the Scholasticide Response University Rankings show that all universities in Canada need to do far more to show moral leadership and combat perceived hypocrisy. The double standards between institutional responses to Ukraine and Palestine are clear for all to see. University administrations need to understand that their inaction fuels reputational damage and impacts recruitment, and that taking action to combat genocide and racism is a moral, legal as well as financial imperative.

This ranking is being circulated internationally and will be updated periodically to track progress made by Canadian universities.