Membership in ACURA is open to any Canadian university that is a degree-granting member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada having a commitment to astronomical research in astronomy. Each member institution has a member representative on the ACURA Institutional Council, which meets at least annually. The ACURA member institutions and their affiliated departments are:
- Athabasca University
- Centre for Science
- Bishop’s University
- Physics
- Brandon University
- Physics and Astronomy
- McGill University
- Physics
- McMaster University
- Physics and Astronomy
- Queen’s University
- Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy
- Saint Mary’s University
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Trent University
- Physics and Astronomy
- University of Alberta
- Physics
- University of British Columbia
- Physics and Astronomy
- University of Calgary
- Physics and Astronomy
- Université Laval
- Physique, Génie Physique et Optique
- University of Lethbridge
- Physics and Astronomy
- University of Manitoba
- Physics and Astronomy
- Université Montréal
- Physique
- University of Toronto
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- University of Victoria
- Physics and Astronomy
- University of Waterloo
- Physics and Astronomy
- University of Western Ontario
- Physics and Astronomy
- York University
- Physics and Astronomy
Member institutions pay an annual membership fee that is based on the total NSERC discovery grant funding for astronomy to the institution over the previous three years.