The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in Saanich and Oak Bay within Greater Victoria, 5.71 km northeast of downtown Victoria, British Columbia. It was founded as Victoria College in 1903 and affiliated with McGill University, which is also credited with the beginnings of the University of British Columbia. A non-denominational institution, it transitioned to its current status as the University of Victoria in 1963.