Living in University Highlands, Squamish
University Highlands grades C overall (53/100), #15 of 15 residential areas in and around Squamish. Its strongest categories are quiet streets, nature & outdoors and road safety; its weakest are health care and shops & food.
University Highlands has about 199 home addresses across 0.9 km². Out of 15 residential areas, University Highlands ranks #7 for families, #14 for seniors and #14 for commuters. It grades A for kids at home, road safety, nature & outdoors, quiet streets.
Explore University Highlands on the mapGrades by category
| Category | Grade | What we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | D (44) | Homes within 1 km of a public elementary school and 2 km of a public middle/secondary school |
| Kids at home | A (94) | Share of households that are families with children at home (2021 Census). Used in the Families score only |
| Road safety | A (80) | ICBC-reported crashes per km² per year, 2021–2025 |
| Parks | C (49) | Homes within 400 m of a park, plus 500 m of a playground |
| Nature & outdoors | A (82) | How close homes are to a trail, natural area or shoreline the public can reach, to a bigger one for a bike ride (a river, lake or long trail), and to a major destination for a drive (a big lake, large park or the ocean) |
| Childcare | D (32) | Homes within 800 m of a licensed group centre or preschool, and 1 km of care for under-3s (home daycares alone don’t count) |
| Quiet streets | A (87) | How close homes are to traffic: right beside a highway counts most, fading out by 300 m; arterial roads fade out by 150 m and collector roads by 100 m (OpenStreetMap road types) |
| Shops & food | D (30) | Homes within 1 km of a grocery store or pharmacy, and 800 m of a café or restaurant |
| Transit | D (38) | Homes within 400 m of a bus stop, and of a stop with 40+ weekday departures |
| Health care | E (0) | Homes within 1.5 km of a walk-in clinic or hospital, and 1 km of a pharmacy |
| Commute time | B (65) | Workers with a commute under 15 minutes, less a penalty for commutes of an hour or more (2021 Census) |
| Highway access | B (75) | Average straight-line distance from homes to the nearest Highway 99 interchange |
Who lives here
About 570 people live in University Highlands (2021 Census), with a median age of 38 (city: 38). 68.3% of households own their home and 31.7% rent. 43.3% of households are families with children at home, 20.9% of residents are under 15 and 9.2% are 65 or older. 65% of homes are houses and 17% are apartments.
Schools
67.3% of homes are within 1 km of a public elementary school, and 0% are within 2 km of a public middle or secondary school. Across Sea to Sky School District (School District 48), 95.3% of students graduate within six years of starting Grade 8 (BC: 92.5%, 2024/2025); the Province doesn't publish this for single schools.
| School | Beats % of BC schools | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Coast Mountain Academy independent elementary | 52 | FSA reading beats 64% of BC schools; FSA math beats 39% |
Provincial test results (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025) compared with every BC school. They don't count toward any grade, because scores follow family income closely. How we work these out.
Nature & outdoors
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Mamquam River, Stl'lhalem Sintl', Word of Mouth, Pseudo-Tsuga and Mojo. A bike ride away: Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park, Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area, Squamish River, Sea to Sky Trail and Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. A short drive away: Tantalus Provincial Park, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Cheakamus River, Brohm Lake Interpretive Forest Trails and Brohm Lake Day Use Recreation Site.
Parks
5 city parks covering 1.1 hectares. 69.3% of homes are within a five-minute walk (400 m) of a park.
Transit
3 bus stops with 64 weekday departures on routes 2, 9. 75.4% of homes are within 400 m of a stop.
Road safety
ICBC recorded 11 crashes inside University Highlands from 2021 to 2025, 2 of them with injuries or deaths.
Crime
No public crime data exists at the neighbourhood level, so we don't estimate it.
Common questions about University Highlands
Is University Highlands a good place to live?
University Highlands grades C overall (53/100), #15 of 15 residential areas in and around Squamish. Its strongest categories are quiet streets, nature & outdoors and road safety; its weakest are health care and shops & food. For families it ranks #7, for seniors #14 and for commuters #14. Grades come from public data only, never from reviews or opinion.
What outdoor spots are near University Highlands?
100% of homes are within 1 km of a trail, natural area or public shoreline. Close to home: Mamquam River, Stl'lhalem Sintl', Word of Mouth, Pseudo-Tsuga and Mojo. A bike ride away: Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park, Skwelwil'em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area, Squamish River, Sea to Sky Trail and Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. A short drive away: Tantalus Provincial Park, Ocean or tidal shoreline, Cheakamus River, Brohm Lake Interpretive Forest Trails and Brohm Lake Day Use Recreation Site. Nature & outdoors grades A.
What schools are in University Highlands?
Public schools inside the boundary: Coast Mountain Academy. 67.3% of homes are within 1 km of an elementary school. Check catchments with Sea to Sky School District (School District 48).
Are the schools in University Highlands good?
On provincial tests, Coast Mountain Academy beats 52% of BC schools (FSA 2023/2024–2025/2026, graduation assessments 2022/2023–2024/2025). SD48 graduates 95.3% of students within six years (BC 92.5%). Test scores follow family income closely, so visit and talk to the school too.
How many people live in University Highlands?
About 570 people (2021 Census), with a median age of 38. 68.3% of households own their home.
Is there good transit in University Highlands?
75.4% of homes are within 400 m of a bus stop; 3 stops get 64 BC Transit departures on a weekday. Transit grades D.
Compare Squamish neighbourhoods
Best overall · Best for families with young kids · Best for seniors and retirees · Best for commuters
- Downtown A · 85
- Waterfront A · 84
- Hospital Hill A · 83
- Dentville B · 79
- Garibaldi Estates B · 78
- Valleycliffe B · 73
- Mamquam B · 71
- Crumpit Woods B · 65
- Garibaldi Highlands C · 62
- Business Park C · 60
- Brackendale C · 60
- Tantalus C · 58
- North Yards C · 58
- Loggers East C · 58
Data last built 2026-11-06. How these grades are calculated