This article is based on the 2015/16 edition of the QS World University Rankings. Click here to find out the top universities in Canada in 2019.
The 2015/16 edition QS World University Rankings® features a total of 26 Canadian universities within the top 800 universities worldwide. Of these, three top universities in Canada are ranked within the global top 50, and a further 10 in the top 300. Read on to find out more about the top universities in Canada this year, starting with the top 10.
1. McGill University
Ranked 24th in the world, McGill University has once again overtaken the University of Toronto to return to its earlier position as the highest ranking university in Canada. Founded in 1821, the university has international students from 150 countries and has been voted first in Canada among medical-doctoral universities for 10 consecutive years.
2. University of Toronto
Ranked 34th in the world, the University of Toronto is located in Canada’s largest city. Its areas of acclaim include literary criticism, communication and theory, and a range of research innovations, including being the birthplace of insulin and stem cell research.
3. University of British Columbia
Over on the west coast, the University of British Columbia ranks 50th in the world and is home to almost 60,000 students (almost 12,000 of whom are international students) at its campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna.
4. University of Alberta
Ranked joint 96th in the world in the QS World University Rankings this year alongside the University of Helsinki, the University of Alberta is a major economic driver in Alberta and has been particularly well-respected for its arts and humanities courses.
5. Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is one of Canada’s major research centers, allocating nearly $524 million to research conducted in more than 150 research centers as of 2011. It ranks 115th in the world this year and has an international community of over 7,000 students.
6. McMaster University
This year McMaster University ranks joint 149th in the world alongside the Université Catholique De Louvain. It’s is located on a 300 acre campus in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, which in recent years has attracted attention for its growing arts scene.
7. University of Waterloo
Ranked 152nd in the world this year, the University of Waterloo has climbed 17 places compared to the previous year’s rankings. The university is a member of the U15, a group of research-intensive universities in Canada, and claims to have the number one psychology department in Canada, based on research citations.
8. Western University
Otherwise known as the University of Western Ontario, Western University is ranked 192nd in the world this year and is especially known for its medicine, science and business courses – with its largest faculty being the social sciences.
9. University of Calgary
Ranked joint 204th in the world alongside the Università Di Bologna, the University of Calgary is the birthplace of significant inventions such as the neurochip, and counts the current Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, among its alumni.
10. Queen’s University
Based in Kingston, Ontario, Queen’s University, is ranked 206th in the world this year, and has campuses spanning more than 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres) of land throughout Ontario. Queen's was the first university west of the maritime provinces to admit women, and to form a student government.
The remaining top universities in Canada are…
11. Simon Fraser University – ranked 225th in the world.
12. Dalhousie University – ranked joint 277th in the world.
13. University of Ottawa – ranked joint 284th in the world.
14. University of Victoria – ranked joint 319th in the world.
15. Laval University – ranked joint 324th in the world.
16. Concordia University – ranked 411-420 in the world.
17. Université du Québec – ranked 431-440 in the world (a good leap from its ranking of 501-550 last year).
18. York University – ranked 441-450 in the world.
19. University of Saskatchewan – ranked 451-460 in the world.
20. University of Guelph – ranked 471-480 in the world.
21. Carleton University – ranked 501-550 in the world.
22. University of Manitoba – ranked 551-600 in the world.
23. Memorial University Of Newfoundland – ranked 601-650 in the world.
24. Université de Sherbrooke – ranked 601-650 in the world.
25. University of Windsor – ranked 651-700 in the world.
26. Ryerson University – ranked 701+ in the world.
