Top Universities in Canada 2020

The newly released QS World University Rankings® 2020 includes 26 top Canadian universities, ranked based on a methodology which assesses each university on its academic and employer reputations, research impact and more.

Read on as we count down the 10 highest-ranked universities in Canada, plus a look at how the other 16 institutions performed.

10. Queen's University

Retaining its position of joint 239^th in the world and 10^th in Canada, Queen’s University is located in Kingston, Ontario and is one of the oldest universities in Canada, with its 1841 establishment predating the foundation of Canada itself by 26 years.

9. University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is down four spots to rank 233^rd in the world in 2020. Originally founded as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta in 1944, it now consists of five campuses, including a branch campus in Doha, Qatar which focuses on nursing. 

8. Western University

Up three places to rank 211^th in the world in 2020, Western University, located in London, Ontario, achieves the highest score among the top universities in Canada for the citations per faculty member indicator, at 77^th.

7. University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo falls 10 places to rank joint 173^rd in this year’s world rankings, but remains in the top 100 globally for the citations per faculty member indicator. It’s one of the younger universities in Canada, having been established in 1956.

6. McMaster University

Up six places to rank joint 140^th in the world in 2020, McMaster University, located in Hamilton in Ontario, is well known in particular for its prestigious medical school.

5. Université de Montréal

The French-speaking Université de Montréal climbs one place among the best universities in Canada and 12 places in the world this year to rank 137^th. Originally founded as a satellite campus of the Université Laval in 1878, it now has around 66,768 students including those at affiliated schools.

4. University of Alberta

The University of Alberta is down four places to rank 113^th in the world this year but continues to be fourth among the top universities in Canada. The university is mostly based in Edmonton but is a huge economic driver for the entire province of Alberta, contributing five percent of its annual gross domestic product (GDP).

3. University of British Columbia

Also down four places to now rank 51^st, the University of British Columbia has two main campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province. It currently has around 65,000 students, including almost 16,200 international students.

2. McGill University

McGill University is ranked joint 35^th this year alongside the US’ University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), achieving the best score out of all Canadian universities for the percentage of international students indicator (71^st in the world), with international students accounting for roughly 25 percent of the student population of 40,000.

1. University of Toronto

And finally, coming in first place among the best universities in Canada is the University of Toronto, down one place this year to rank joint 29^th in the world alongside the Australian National University. As you might expect from the highest-placed institution in the country, it gets the highest scores in Canada for the academic and employer reputation indicators, at 17^th and 27^th respectively.

The other 16 top universities in Canada are:

11. Dalhousie University – ranked 280^th in the world
12. University of Ottawa – ranked joint 281^st
13. Simon Fraser University – ranked joint 314^th
14. University of Victoria – ranked joint 364^th
15. Laval University – ranked 416^th
16. University of Saskatchewan – ranked joint 439^th, up 22 places.
17. Concordia University – ranked joint 462^nd
18. York University – ranked 511-520
19. Université du Québec – ranked 561-570
20. University of Guelph – ranked 571-580
21. University of Manitoba – ranked 601-650

=22. Carleton University – ranked 651-700

=22. Université de Sherbrooke – ranked 651-700

=22. University of Windsor – ranked 651-700

25. Memorial University of Newfoundland – ranked 701-750
26. Ryerson University – ranked 801-1000

Find out more about studying in Canada with our complete guide, including advice on applications, visas, fees and more.

For information about ranking categories, and answers to other frequently asked questions, click here.