In 2022/2023, there were 48,258 full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities, an increase of 33.9% since 2002/2003. Among them, over one-third (36.7% or 17,718) were full professors, the highest rank a professor can achieve.
Achieving this academic rank can be a significant career goal. It is also associated with job security, tenure, academic freedom, and the opportunity to shape and contribute to a field of knowledge. This Daily article presents a short profile of full professors by examining their key characteristics over the past 20 years.
Although there were more full professors in 2022/2023 than 20 years earlier, their share has declined slightly over time, from 38.6% in 2002/2003 to 36.7% in 2022/2023. While the proportion of full professors who are women has nearly doubled over these two decades, men are still over-represented at this rank.
