About
We're Canada's engaged university
We move beyond tradition. We go where others won’t. And we deliver a world-class education.
Making an impact
Our distinctive west coast spirit challenges conventions, celebrates new ideas and embraces diversity. Established in 1965, we have become Canada’s leading comprehensive university, with three vibrant urban campuses and deeply rooted partnerships at home and around the world.
Named to the Times Higher Education list of 100 world universities under age 50, we are also the first and only Canadian member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the world’s largest college sports association.
Statistics
- 37,000+ students
- 6,500 faculty and staff
- 170,000 proud alumni in 143 countries
- Canada’s first Fairtrade Gold campus
- World’s #1 university for impact on sustainable cities and communities (Times Higher Education 2020 University Impact Rankings)
- #7 among world’s top universities for our entrepreneurial spirit (World’s Universities with Real Impact 2020)
See current “fingertip statistics” from Institutional Research and Planning.
Campuses
BURNABY
8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C.
Canada V5A 1S6
SURREY
250-13450 102nd Avenue, Surrey, B.C.
Canada V3T 0A3
VANCOUVER
515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Canada V6B 5K3
History
Located in Canada on British Columbia's west coast and named for an early explorer, Simon Fraser University opened on September 9, 1965 with 2,500 students.
Noted Canadian architects Arthur Erickson and Geoffrey Massey designed the original Burnaby Mountain campus to foster interdisciplinary contact between students and researchers. That same openness and desire to innovate informs SFU’s current vision: to be Canada's most community-engaged research university.
Our three campuses reside on the traditional, unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples, including Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Kwantlen, q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), Qayqayt, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen.