Manitoba ranks best in higher education: Sask. takes fourth spot in quality study

Manitoba has overtaken Quebec as the leader in a ranking of provincial post-secondary education systems, while Nova Scotia ranks at the bottom just below Ontario, a new study concludes. British Columbia, meanwhile, continues to slip -- to sixth place this year -- after earning top spot in the inaugural ranking five years ago. Saskatchewan improved from seventh to fourth place in the 2004 rankings, just ahead of New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island slid from fifth to ninth position, tied with Ontario. Newfoundland remains steady in third place. There is no change in Alberta's seventh-place finish. The annual ranking, to be released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, is based on four key indicators: quality, accessibility, equity, and accountability. It's dubbed the "alternative" guide to Canadian post-secondary education relative to the yearly Maclean's magazine rankings because it places institutions in a broader context of provincial records.