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How University Canada West is using QS Stars to strengthen institutional performance and reputation
21 October 2026
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University Canada West (UCW) is using QS Stars to guide institutional improvements, strengthen governance and showcase its academic strengths, achieving its second consecutive 5 Star Overall Rating.
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The challenge: Maintaining quality in a changing higher education landscape
Like many Canadian institutions, University Canada West has faced significant challenges following changes to the country's higher education regulations.
These changes prompted the university to undertake a strategic review of its operations, with a focus on protecting student services and support while managing tighter financial resources.
A key priority was understanding where resources could have the greatest impact and identifying opportunities to maintain the quality of teaching and the student experience.
UCW needed a structured way to assess its performance, identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions about institutional priorities.
The solution: Using QS Stars to guide strategic improvements
To support these priorities, University Canada West used the QS Stars evaluation framework to assess its performance across key areas of institutional activity.
Indicators within the Teaching category, including faculty-student ratios, retention, graduation and student satisfaction, provided guidance on where to prioritise services and programmes.
The Online Learning category also helped the university evaluate student-faculty engagement, student interaction, student services and technology.
Beyond teaching and student support, the introduction of the Good Governance category provided an opportunity for UCW to review its institutional policies and governance structures.
An initial gap analysis identified areas where additional policies were needed. The 2026 QS Stars audit helped secure internal support for developing and adopting several new policies, including Policy 2500 – Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
The policy was moved to the top of the university's priorities and introduced alongside an implementation plan, marking an important step in its ongoing efforts to strengthen equity and inclusion.
Strengthening academic quality and graduate employability
UCW's Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme received a 5 Star rating for Programme Strength, recognising its approach to preparing students for professional careers.
Work-integrated learning is embedded throughout the MBA curriculum, with company partnerships providing students with opportunities to undertake consulting projects as part of their studies.
The programme is also closely aligned with professional organisations, including the Digital Marketing Institute, Project Management Institute, Supply Chain Canada and Chartered Professionals in Human Resources.
This approach allows students to develop practical experience while making progress towards recognised professional certifications.
According to UCW, these curriculum developments have been reflected in alumni employment outcomes and satisfaction with the programme, both of which are important indicators within the QS Stars Programme Strength category.
The impact: Strengthening institutional performance and reputation
University Canada West achieved its second consecutive 5 Star Overall Rating, alongside 5 Star ratings in Teaching, Employability, Online Learning, Global Engagement and MBA Programme Strength.
The evaluation has supported the university's approach to institutional planning while providing independent recognition of its academic strengths.
Key outcomes include:
- More informed strategic decisions: Using Teaching and Online Learning indicators to guide the prioritisation of student services and programmes.
- Stronger institutional governance: Identifying policy gaps and supporting the adoption of new policies, including an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy.
- Recognition of academic strengths: Achieving 5 Star ratings across key areas, including Teaching, Employability and MBA Programme Strength.
- Greater visibility of institutional performance: Featuring QS Stars ratings across the university's website, brochures, social media and other marketing materials.
- More accurate audit preparation: Producing an internal estimate of QS Stars points within 1% of the final audited results, helping build confidence in the evaluation process.
The ratings have also become an important part of how UCW communicates its strengths to prospective students and alumni, providing a measure of institutional quality that can be used when comparing universities.
As Adrian Mitescu, Director, Institutional Accountability at University Canada West, explains:
"The QS Stars rating is seen as a strong indicator of the quality of our institution and our academic offerings. The 5 Star ratings for Teaching, Employability, Online Learning, Global Engagement and MBA Program Strength validate our strengths and send a clear message to students and alumni about our growing reputation."
UCW also highlighted the importance of preparing early for the QS Stars evaluation, conducting a thorough gap analysis and working closely with QS experts to understand the requirements.
This approach helped the university identify areas for improvement, engage relevant staff and build confidence in its assessment results.
Evaluate and showcase your institution's strengths with QS Stars
University Canada West's experience demonstrates how QS Stars can help universities identify opportunities for improvement, inform institutional priorities and communicate their strengths to prospective students and stakeholders.
Through a comprehensive evaluation of institutional performance, QS Stars provides universities with insights to support continuous improvement and independent recognition of their achievements.
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