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A total of 33 Canadian universities have made it onto the Times Higher Education (THE) 2025 World Universities Ranking report.
The University of Toronto made an appearance as Canada’s top-ranked university, a spot it has enjoyed since at least 2011.
The University of British Columbia (UBC) ranked as Canada’s second most prestigious educational institution.
Continuing to be known for its world-class faculty and international outlook, McGill University secured third place nationwide.
THE ranked each university according to 18 performance indicators grouped into five categories: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry.
The rest of this article will cover
• The national ranking of the top 10 Canadian universities;
• The global ranking of the top 10 Canadian universities;
• The methodology THE used to determine these rankings; and
• How foreign nationals can apply for a Canadian study permit.
National rank
On February 18, THE released their 2025 World University Rankings, showcasing how Canadian universities stack up against global institutions.
In their annual report, which evaluated more than 2,000 universities from 115 countries and territories, 33 Canadian institutions secured positions in the rankings.
1. University of Toronto
2. University of British Columbia
3. McGill University
4. McMaster University
5. University of Alberta
6. Université de Montréal
7. University of Waterloo
8. University of Ottawa
9. University of Calgary
10. Western University
Notably, the 10 schools featured above are all located in Canada’s four most popular provinces for newcomers.
Global rank
Three Canadian universities ranked among the top 100 educational institutions worldwide, with the University of Toronto consistently coming in at number one year over year.
A total of eight made it into the top 200 in 2025, maintaining patterns seen the previous year.
Notably, McMaster University and the University of Alberta stand out for their perfect scores in industry impact (100).
Comparison with 2024 rankings
The universities that ranked top 10 nationally in 2025 were nearly identical to those in 2024, with little change in their ranking within Canada.
The only national ranking differences between the top 10 in 2024 and 2025 are
McMaster University and the University of Alberta are now tied for fourth place rather than each maintaining their own rank; and
The University of Calgary and Western University are now tied for ninth place rather than each maintaining their own rank.
Overall scores amongst the top 10 experienced a slight decline from 2024 to 2025, with the exception of McGill University, which saw a modest increase.
Source: https://www.cicnews.com/2025/03/the-top-10-universities-in-canada-according-to-new-report-0352418.html#gs.kwlx7a
