Click here to discover the 10 highest ranked Canadian universities for graduate employability in 2019.
The results of the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2018 are in, and 18 Canadian universities are featured among the world’s best for producing the most employable graduates. The ranking aims to highlight the institutions leading the way in graduate employability, based on a methodology which assesses employment rates, alumni outcomes, employer reputations and more. Read on for an overview of the 10 highest ranked Canadian universities for graduate employability in 2018.
1. University of Toronto
Up four places this year to now rank 15th in the world for graduate employability, the University of Toronto receives the highest rank of any Canadian university for the Alumni Outcomes indicator. Many former students of the university have gone on to make their mark in the arts, sciences, politics, business and other ventures, with four Canadian prime ministers among its alumni, plus other notable figures such as Donald Sutherland and Margaret Atwood.
2. University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is ranked 24th in the world for graduate employability and achieves an impressive score for the Partnerships with Employers category (fourth in the world), an assessment of both research and employment-related partnerships. Waterloo has been named Canada’s most innovative university for 25 years, and considers itself a model of co-operative education, offering more than 120 accredited co-op programs to allow students to combine their studies with work experience.
3. University of British Columbia
Another of the best Canadian universities for graduate employability is the University of British Columbia, up six places this year to rank 35th in the world, with its highest score for the Employer Reputation category (37th in the world). Like Waterloo, the university has a number of co-op programs available, and the university also has a venture accelerator, entrepreneurship@UBC, to help students and recent graduates launch their own start-ups.
4. McGill University
Ranked 42nd in the world for graduate employability, McGill University receives scores within the global top 50 for Employer Reputation and Alumni Outcomes. McGill has graduated many notable alumni, such as 12 Nobel Laureates and 142 Rhodes Scholars (both the most among Canadian universities), plus three Canadian prime ministers (including incumbent Justin Trudeau), and other successful figures such as Leonard Cohen, William Shatner, and the president of Médecins Sans Frontières, Joanne Liu.
5. University of Alberta
Next in our look at the best Canadian universities for graduate employability, the University of Alberta is ranked 94th globally, and receives its highest score for its Graduate Employment Rate. The university’s employability programs and events include a career mentoring program, internship and work experience programs, career fairs, employer information sessions, and a Job Shadow week, which matches students and alumni with professionals in the community.
6. McMaster University
McMaster University is ranked in the 101-110 band for graduate employability this year, achieving its highest score for its Partnerships with Employers. Located in Hamilton, Ontario, the university is part of a thriving entrepreneurship community in the local area, and runs The Forge, an on-campus start-up initiative, and the award-winning McMaster Innovation Park, which aims to “transform ideas from vision to commercial reality”.
7. Queen's University
Ranked 111-120 for graduate employability, Queen’s University has graduated some of Canada’s most prominent politicians, business leaders and academics, as well as 57 Rhodes scholars. Queen’s runs a range of careers fairs throughout the year to allow students to meet employers, and also secures paid internships of up to 16 months in length for both domestic and international students.
8. Université de Montréal
The French-speaking Université de Montréal is featured in the 121-130 range of this year’s Graduate Employability Rankings. The university is one of the largest in Canada and has produced many notable alumni, including the 15th prime minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau, and Louise Arbour, the fifth United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Among its employability initiatives are student placements, designed to promote the integration of students into the labor market.
=9. University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is featured in the 151-160 range for graduate employability, which is enough to ensure it ranks joint ninth in Canada with Western University. Boasting a graduate employment rate of 95%, the university runs a range of careers fairs and offers several co-op programs and internships, as well as information sessions to help students find out if an employer is a good fit for them.
=9. Western University
Concluding our look at the best Canadian universities for graduate employability in 2018 is Western University, also ranked in the 151-160 range. Formerly known as the University of Western Ontario, the university’s Student Success Centre helps students improve their employability and prepare for the workplace via internships, co-ops, volunteering, global experiences, job shadowing and Community Engaged Learning (CEL) programs such as Alternative Spring Break.
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