Your Guide to Canada’s Top Universities

Canada has some of the best universities in the world. It also has a high quality of life and a welcoming immigration policy. It’s no wonder over 500,000 students move here to study every year.

Canada's education system is known for its strong focus on equity. Despite having no national education system (provincial education is autonomous), there's a country-wide commitment to providing equal opportunities in schools. As a result, both local students and children from immigrant families perform well in school. No matter their background, they achieve similar results. This factor has helped Canada rank high in global education.

It’s important to do your research—to make sure you choose the right post-secondary school based on your academic and career goals. In this article, we explore the top 6 universities in Canada.

• McGill University
• University of British Columbia
• University of Toronto
• McMaster University

McGill University

Location: Montreal, Quebec

Nicknamed “the Harvard of Canada”, McGill University was founded in 1821 and is one of Canada’s most renowned universities, recognized worldwide. It has the highest percentage of international students (30%) out of all of Canada’s research universities. McGill’s Faculty of Medicine is the oldest and most respected medical school in Canada.

McGill’s most impactful achievements

• Ernest Rutherford’s Nobel Prize-winning research on radioactivity.

• The development of the artificial blood cell.

• The development of Plexiglas.

• Rapid advancement in epigenetics and renewable energy.

• High-ranking medical and law programs.

Students attending McGill have the highest average entering grades in Canada. They have earned more national and international awards than any other Canadian university—including a record of 147 Rhodes Scholarships. McGill is also known for being relatively affordable, with noticeably lower tuition than other universities in North America.

McGill is the largest bilingual university in the world (English/French). Situated in historic downtown Montreal, the university is a distinct contrast between tradition and modernity. Notable alumni include Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.

Fun fact: Ice hockey was invented at McGill University. The sport has its roots in the Indigenous game of lacrosse. In 1875, students of McGill played the supposed first-ever game of ice hockey.

University of British Columbia (UBC)

Location: Vancouver and Kelowna (Okanagan Campus), BC

The University of British Columbia is consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world.

UBC is particularly known for its strengths in environmental studies, forestry, oceanography, and public health. The university ranked second in Canada for its positive impact on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It was also ranked 13th out of 1,600+ schools for promoting social and economic well-being.

With the school’s strong focus on fighting racism and promoting inclusivity, the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force released a report in 2022. This report outlined 54 recommendations to help make the university a more inclusive place for students, staff, Indigenous communities, and people of colour.

In biomedical research, UBC has made major breakthroughs. These areas include working on universal blood type organs for transplants and finding a way to prevent infections in patients with medical implants.

UBC’s strongest programs

• Environmental Sciences

• Engineering

• Computer Science

Students of UBC get to enjoy the beautiful West Coast campuses surrounded by lush rainforests, beaches and mountains. The school has a strong focus on multicultural representation and prioritizes collaboration with schools from other countries.

Fun fact: UBC has its own Christmas tree farm. The UBC Forestry Undergraduate Society founded a Christmas tree farm in 2006 and it's still going.

University of Toronto

Location: Toronto, ONT

The University of Toronto is one of the world’s top research universities. The school has over 680,000 graduates around the globe. Education at U of T focuses on excellence, inclusion, and supportive learning environments, in one of Canada’s (and the world’s) most diverse cities.

In the areas of research and innovation across fields and disciplines, U of T is the 3rd most cited university in the world.

U of T's globally renowned programs and research facilities

• Business

• Engineering

• Humanities

• AI research

• Biomedical science

• Public health

• Social sciences

The university's pioneering research has led to significant discoveries. These include the development of insulin and advancements in stem cell research. Notable alumni include former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, authors like Margaret Atwood, and tech innovators like the co-founder of DeepMind.

Fun fact: Researchers from U of T’s aerospace institute played a huge part in saving Apollo 13. They did so by figuring out how much air pressure was needed for the spaceship to safely re-enter Earth. They only had three hours to do the calculations and they had no idea that they were the only scientists working on the problem.

McMaster University

Location: Hamilton, Ontario

McMaster University created the renowned Problem-Based Learning (PBL) approach, which focuses on real-world problem-solving. This approach has also been integrated into other programs, making education more interactive and practical.

Areas responsible for McMaster’s global reputation

• Health science

• Engineering

• Social sciences

• Evidence-based medicine

• Cancer research

The campus hosts state-of-the-art research facilities, such as the McMaster Nuclear Reactor. Globally, McMaster consistently ranks among the top 100 universities. It's also recognised for its strong international partnerships.

Fun fact: One-fifth of Albert Einstein's brain is kept in a jar of alcohol at a McMaster University science lab. McMaster neuroscientist Sandra Witelson has been studying this part of Einstein’s brain for over 20 years to learn more about his genius.