For a long time, Canada has produced a number of Ivy League universities that can compete with the best in the United States. This article uses three international benchmark rankings as well as other pertinent indicators to determine Canada’s most prestigious and well-known universities.
Great-class training courses run from east to west, from Quebec to British Columbia, in a region noted for its high quality of life and harsh winters. Three standard rankings – Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Times Higher Education, and the Shanghai ranking – frequently list four of them among the world’s top 100 colleges. The rest of the Top 500, up to and including the twentieth position, are all represented.
Also Read: Cheapest Universities in Kuwait for International Students
1. University of Toronto
The prestigious University of Toronto, which is also Canada’s largest and oldest public university, is first on our list. The University of Toronto, or U of T, was founded in 1827 and is known for its intensive and innovative research strategy. Insulin, stem cell research, and the electron microscope, as we know them, were all developed at this same institution, solidifying its international prestige.
The University of Toronto is ranked 32nd in the world by QS World University Rankings, with 88,776 students enrolled in a variety of academic programs. Foreign students account for 20% of U of T students, who hail from over 168 countries. It’s no surprise that the university is proud of its capital of diversity!
Over 400 undergraduate programs and over 200 master’s programs are available at U of T. On an international level, it is among the top 20 universities in the arts and humanities, life sciences, and medical studies.
The main campus is in the heart of Toronto, and you’ll immediately notice its lush green grounds and architecture that blends tradition with contemporary. Affiliate campuses can be found in Scarborough and Mississauga, both of which are close by. There is a guaranteed housing program at U of T, and there are many of off-campus housing options in Toronto. Over 100 student-run clubs and organizations exist at the University of Toronto, as well as a comprehensive college-to-college sports and activities collaboration program.
2. University of British Columbia
Every year, periodicals publish rankings of institutions around the world, and UBC consistently ranks among the top 40 universities in the world. The Shanghai Ranking Consultancy recently named UBC as Canada’s second-best university, trailing only the University of Toronto.
The University of British Columbia reflects Metro Vancouver’s highly multicultural society. It is more concerned than ever before with maintaining its international base and integrating newcomers. It does, in fact, accept students from over 140 different cultures. Assume there is a noticeable Asian presence among overseas students. In this situation, UBC’s proximity to Asia plays an important role, but it is not the primary factor in international students’ decision to attend the university. Its illustrious reputation and educational philosophy are deciding factors.
For international students, there is a substantial variation in program registration. As a result, the end professional profitability typically dictates these students’ topic choices (entrepreneurial opportunities or high labour market demands). They are not, however, left out because the University provides them with follow-up and long-term support in exchange.
There are numerous initiatives designed to welcome and integrate international students before to the commencement of classes or throughout the university period, among other things.
3. Queen’s University
Queen’s University is a public, nondenominational, research-oriented university in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The University has retained its national and worldwide reputation as one of Canada’s and the world’s most prestigious universities since its founding in 1841. Queen Victoria granted a royal privilege to Queen’s College in Kingston, Ontario in 1841.
Surprisingly, the University was founded before Canada, and its first courses were held on March 7, 1842, with 13 students and two instructors. A Women’s College and Queen’s University formed an agreement in 1883 to allow the college to offer medical instruction. The University continued to rise through the ranks, and in 1888, it proposed the first-ever extension courses, making it the first university to do so.
The Agnes Etherington Art Center, which houses over 17,000 paintings, is currently housed within the institution. Four Rembrandts stand out, all of which were recently presented by the collectors’ marital Bader. A large collection of Baroque Dutch paintings by GovertFlinck, Arent de Gelder, Willem Drost, and Jan Lievens covers them. DossoDossi, Georg Pencz, Luca Giordano, El Greco, Sébastien Bourdon, Joseph Wright of Derby, and Peter Lely are among the other famous artists exhibited in this museum.
Other drawings housed there include those by Rafael Sanzio, Parmigianino, and Guido Reni, as well as those by more famous painters such as Gustav Klimt and Pablo Picasso. Apart from its Kingston campus, the University is known for housing international students at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, which was previously home to the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
//4. University of Montreal
It is a gift and a honor to be able to study in Montreal. The students are passionate about their city, and they shout it from the rooftops. The city was ranked 73rd in the Times Higher Education in 2020, and 5th in Canada. Without equivocation, you’ll instantly recognize this school atmosphere as a hybrid of European and American benefits, not to mention the fascinating access to so many experts and cultures in Montreal.
Without a sure, you’ll have to applaud the professors’ ability to make the lessons vibrant and engaging: they’re all open to the pupils. The administrative faculty of the institution is available to assist pupils in overcoming hurdles.
Everything is in place to ensure that students have the finest possible study environment. Students will be enthralled by the online courses that they can take at their leisure. The University of Montreal has an interdisciplinary research department, making it one of the few in the world. It’s also worth noting that it’s one of Canada’s best-funded research institutions, with annual revenues exceeding $500 million.
The University of Montreal is Canada’s fourth most international university, with over 9500 international students and 8000 non-citizen students who are Canadian permanent residents. The University provides outstanding opportunities for students from immigrant backgrounds, primarily because it serves as a reference point.
5. University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa, located in the center of Canada’s capital, is the world’s largest bilingual (French and English) university. It is a medical photonics and catalysis research leader and is consistently listed in the top ten Canadian research universities. It manages 40 research centers and is a pioneer in medical photonics and catalysis research. She’s also known for her work on campus to promote environmental sustainability.
The University of Ottawa is the world’s largest bilingual (French and English) university, offering a unique combination of great student services and research expertise.
In 1848, the University was founded. Its convenient downtown location provides easy access to key Canadian institutions, and its landmark campus is situated alongside the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This enormous school, which is bordered by parks, the Rideau River, and the Rideau Canal, has a small campus ambiance and allows students to enjoy wide open spaces.
Every year, the University of Ottawa welcomes about 40,000 students, with over 3,500 of them coming from outside of Canada. The University of Ottawa encourages and supports research in all disciplines, with a focus on transdisciplinary study in areas such as Canada and the globe, health, and molecular and environmental sciences.
Also Read: 7 Cheapest universities in Poland for international students
6. McMaster University
McMaster has pioneered a number of initiatives that have evolved as professors and students learned more. Problem-based learning (PBL), which began at McMaster, is now widely used as the preferred way of educating undergraduate students across North America.
The University has acquired a reputation as one of the world’s leading post-secondary institutions by continuing to innovate in education and research.
Science, health sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and business are the six faculties that make-up McMaster University. The campus is situated on 300 acres (1.2 km2) in the Westdale district of Toronto, which borders the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Martin Short, John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Ivan Reitman are just a few of the prominent comedians who attended McMaster. The movie Animal House is still being debated as to whether it was influenced by Reitman’s stay in Whidden Hall during the 1960s “Whidden Riots.”
When it comes to athletics, the McMaster Marauders are the name of the majority of the college’s teams, including football, soccer, and basketball. Brown and gray have been its colors since 1912. Various teams have frequently won provincial championships in school sports in Ontario.
McMaster Kinesiology Student Adam van Koeverden won the bronze medal in the K1 Men’s 1,000 meter, single, and the Gold Medal in 500 meters at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. In September 2003, he also earned a silver medal in K1, 1,000 meters, at the World Championships in Gainesville, United States.
7. University of Calgary
The University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, was founded in 1996 and is located near the Rocky Mountains. It is a research-focused municipal university that attracts almost 30,000 students from over 125 countries across the world.
Studying at the University of Calgary exposes you to a diverse range of cultures. Through its International Exchange Program, which is made possible by alliances and cooperation agreements with universities in 140 countries, students are received and dispatched to over 80 destinations across the world. According to the QS World University Ranking in 2020, it has been ranked first among the world’s youngest universities for five years in a row in both Canada and the United States.
The Calgary Dinos have represented the University of Calgary in the Western Canada University Athletic Association, the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Conference, and the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. The Olympic Oval, a multipurpose ice rink that hosted the 1988 Olympics and is known as “the fastest in the world,” is located on campus.
The school has produced notable alumni who make up the great citadel’s significant alumnus over the years. Marc Zender, a well-known anthropologist and Mayanist, Stephen Harper, a former Prime Minister of Canada, Robert Thirsk, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut for the International Space Station program,Linda Taylor (lawyer) – the Director of the United Nations’ Office of the Administration of Justice and James Gosling, the inventor of the Java programming language.
8. University of Waterloo
At the height of the Cold War, the University of Waterloo opened its doors in 1957. It was one of the first schools to provide students with access to powerful computers. This spirit of adventure and invention is still alive and well today, with fascinating and creative activities. This college is a terrific place to study because of its excellent facilities, vibrant student groups, amazing research possibilities, and inexpensive costs. Students will benefit from new academic relationships with premier universities throughout the world.
Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Blackberry are just a few of the high-tech corporations with whom the University of Waterloo maintains strong links. According to experts, the university is Canada’s most significant university in innovation and technology management, as well as one of the largest in North America.
Its extensive cooperative program, as well as various variations on it implemented by Canadian businesses, maintains tight ties to the high-tech sector. The university maintains a policy of academic research that has resulted in numerous spin-off enterprises with positive relationships with the university.
The University of Waterloo solar car set a Guinness World Record for the longest solar-powered journey in September 2004. After a 40-day tour in Canada and the United States, the solar vehicle known as the Midnight Sun VII broke the official record of 7,043.5 km (formerly held by the University of Queens) and the unofficial record of 13,054 km (formerly held by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia) by traveling a total of 15,079 km. The solar automobile traveled through seven provinces and fifteen states throughout its voyage.
Also Read: Cheapest Universities in UAE for International Students
9. University of Alberta
The Institution of Alberta (U of A) is a Canadian public research university based in Edmonton. Times Higher Education has put it among the top 20 universities in the country. It has around 35,000 students spread across three sites in the province, with nearly 200 undergraduate and 170 postgraduate programs. It is also one of the country’s most prestigious law schools.
The University of Alberta is one of Canada’s major research universities, with over 200 separate research laboratories. The University of Alberta has received more than $2.6 billion in research funding from outside sources since 1988. The Edmonton Protocol, developed by university medical researchers, is a breakthrough type 1 diabetes treatment that helps persons with diabetes to break their insulin dependency. The new National Nanotechnology Institute (NINT), a joint initiative of the Government of Canada, the National Research Council of Canada, the Government of Alberta, and the University of Alberta, is now under development with a budget of $ 52 million.
The Alberta Golden Bears men’s team and the Alberta Pandas women’s team compete in Canadian Interuniversity Sports for the University. Swimming, wrestling, athletics, and tennis are just a few of the sports that are practiced and have teams at the University. In women’s college hockey, the Pandas are a dominant force. In the eight years of competition, they have won seven times in the Canada West Conference. In the last seven years, they’ve also won the championship five times.
10. University of Manitoba
In 1877, the University of Manitoba became the first university in western Canada. Every year, it welcomes over 29,000 students, with more than 10% of those being international students from nearly 100 countries.
It has two facilities in Winnipeg, one in the Fort Gary area and the other, the “Bannatyne Campus,” which is a ten-building complex in the city center. Without a doubt, the University is the foundation of numerous research centers and institutes, such as “SmartPark Research” and “Technology Park,” producing a community of innovators who develop partnerships with industry. It offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a variety of fields.
It also offers continuing education programs for professional development and community development courses of public interest. Another important aspect of its academic support program is that it allows students to continue their education at that university and use its facilities and services.
Its size is an important aspect of its educational program, since the University prides itself on keeping courses small so that students may connect with their professors and laboratory instructors as much as possible.
11. University of Victoria
The University of Victoria is one of twenty Canadian universities included in the “Times Higher Education 2020 List of the 200 Best Universities.” It’s a 20-minute drive from Victoria, British Columbia’s downtown, and it’s close to the Pacific Ocean. It offers a wide range of recognized undergraduate and graduate programs, with a strong emphasis on inquiry-based learning. There are currently 1,600 international students studying there from over 100 countries, and they can qualify for significant scholarships based on academic achievement.
The University’s Law and Business Faculties are notably noteworthy. Education, engineering, computer science, fine arts, social development, humanities, medicine, science, social science, law, higher education, and continuing education are among the 12 faculties.
Returning to the top two faculties, the Faculty of Law is frequently regarded as one of the best law schools in Canada. It provides a study-work partnership program as well as an intensive environmental law program, which includes a session at Hakla Beach (BC) in collaboration with the Tula Foundation. The Faculty has a long history of involvement in studies involving Aborigines, ecology, and the environment.
On the other hand, the Faculty of Business (UVic Business: Equis-labeled training courses) is synonymous with excellence, consistently ranking among the top ten in the country. It has a strong international focus, with over 45 colleges and business institutions affiliated with it. Singapore Management University in Asia, Tec de Monterrey in Mexico, ESC Toulouse, CERAM, EDHEC (Lille), Neoma Business School (Esc Rouen and Reims) in France, and KEDGE Business School (Bordeaux and Marseille School of Management) in France are among the most prestigious partners.
12. University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan campus is located in the center of the Canadian Prairies and borders the city of Saskatoon, which is known as the “Paris of the Plains” because to the seven bridges that span the river.
Because the University of Saskatchewan is located on the Prairies, its agriculture and veterinary medicine programs are critical to supporting the community’s needs.
The University is also at the cutting edge of sophisticated research and technology, particularly in the fields of particle physics and space exploration. As a result, it is home to Canada’s only synchrotron, the Canadian Light Source, which allows researchers to investigate materials at the atomic level. Similarly, the University’s Institute for Space and Atmospheric Studies is at the forefront of space research. SED Systems, a communications equipment design company based on its campus, is one of the major Canadian space companies.
Innovation Place, a high-tech park at the university, is dedicated to the application of university findings. There are around 140 businesses there, and its 2,800 employees collaborate with the university’s professors and researchers to produce new goods. Everyone in the industrial park is committed to innovation since they might otherwise end up in Saskatoon’s downtown area.
Finally, the presence of First Nations people is one of the most important factors for the president of the University of Saskatchewan, as Saskatoon’s population is primarily made up of aboriginal people. From a demographic standpoint, aboriginal people account for the majority of the city’s population growth.
They are a top priority for the university. Nearly ten percent of the University’s 20,000 students are Cree, Sue, or Dakota peoples, or Métis. As a result, the university is putting in a lot of effort to help these native students fit in. The institution’s first priority is to guarantee that these are included in all academic programs.
13. University of Guelph
The University of Guelph, in the outskirts of Guelph, Ontario, is regarded as one of Canada’s best intensive research institutions. Art, Biological Sciences, Food, Agriculture, and Environment, Business and Economics, Physics and Engineering Sciences, Applied and Social Human Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine are among the approved programs offered. It is a component of the Brazilian initiative “Science without Borders” and invites international students from all over the world.
When it comes to research funding, the University of Guelph ranks #1 among Canadian universities without medical schools. Each full-time member of the research and teaching faculty at the University receives more than 190 thousand dollars in research funding each year, totaling more than 80 million dollars.
Several research institutes and laboratories that were once affiliated with the University of Guelph currently function independently but in close proximity to it. The Canadian Poison Center, Guelph Food Technology Center, Ichthyology Institute, Guelph Turf Institute, George Morris Center, and Family Therapy Center are among them. The writer, Order of Canada officer Jane Urquhart (Eng. Jane ‘Urquhart) and teaching theater actor and playwright Sky Gilbert are among the staff of the university’s humanitarian branch.
14. Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser Institution has been voted the top comprehensive university in Canada since 1991, and will continue to be so until 2020, according to Maclean’s magazine’s annual survey of Canadian universities. The University is ranked 6th in Canada in science and engineering, and 10th in social sciences, according to Higher Education Strategy Associates.
This University was awarded number one for “publishing efficiency” in 2020 by Times Higher Education, a renowned source of academic research evaluation ratings. It is a public university, like most in Canada, with public money accounting for more than half of the budget and registration fees accounting for the remainder.
The University’s reputation is built on strong humanities and sciences faculties, professional programs, and the combination of teaching and research. Professors at Simon Fraser University are well-known around the world, and university graduates thrive in their chosen fields.
“Practical learning is a strategic, active involvement of students in chances to learn by action,” according to the University. It manifests itself in activities that allow students to put their theoretical knowledge into practice both within and outside of the classroom.
On-the-job training, volunteering, abroad internships, field schools, leadership development programs, peer assistance, part-time work on campus, and work as a research assistant are all examples of practical training.
Workshops that relate theoretical knowledge to living experience and life in theory are also part of the university curriculum. Every academic program at the University offers these engaging and innovative offerings. Practical courses allow students to investigate the relationship between their chosen discipline and the actual world while earning academic credits toward their degree.
15. McGill University
McGill University is a public research university in Montreal, Quebec, with its headquarters in the city. The University is one of Canada’s oldest and most prominent universities, and it is listed among the world’s most prestigious universities.
McGill University is currently one of the world’s largest and most well-known universities, ranking 40th in the QS World University Rankings 2021, one of the most significant worldwide university rankings. McGill University has been dubbed “the Harvard of Canada” in one of the Princeton evaluations.
McGill University has produced notable alumni, including three astronauts, thirteen members of the Canadian Supreme Court, twelve Nobel prize winners, Presidents and one Vice President of Stanford University and the University of British Columbia, three Canadian prime ministers, twenty-eight ambassadors, and four foes of the United Nations.
McGill University is also a member of prestigious organizations like the University of the Arctic, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Association of American Universities, and the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada, to name a few.
16. Laval University
The University of Laval is one of Canada’s largest universities. The school was created in 1852 on the initiative of the Quebec Seminary, which has been around since 1663, making it America’s oldest higher education institution and Canada’s sixth oldest university.
The Institution for Optics, Photonics, and Laser (COPL) is a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to the advancement of optics-photonics and its applications, which was formed in 1989. It’s in the pavilion for laser photonics and optics. It brings together academics from seven universities in Quebec, as well as 21 research teams. Photonic materials, optical communications, lasers and short pulses, guided optics and optical fibers, bio-photonics, and optical engineering are among the topics covered by the center’s research.
Interestingly, the University has produced internationally renowned alumni such as Louis St. Laurent, the 12th Prime Minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney, the 18th Prime Minister of Canada, René Lévesque, the 23rd Premier of Quebec, Lucien Bouchard, the 27th Premier of Quebec, and Pauline Marois, the 30th Premier of Quebec and the first woman to hold this position in history.
Since 1991, the University’s Plant Research and Innovation Center (CRIV, formerly the Horticultural Research Center (CRH)) has focused on horticultural plant productivity and protection. The center, which is housed in the Envirotron Pavilion, collaborates with a number of organizations, including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Quebec Fund for Research on Nature and Technologies. The research at CRIV is focused on agronomic and horticultural issues.
17. Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University has received five stars from QS Stars, one of the greatest university evaluation systems in the world, for teaching, mastery, learning, and innovation.
Dalhousie alumni have excelled in a variety of professions and have held positions of leadership in both public and commercial institutions. Over 130,000 people have graduated from Dalhousie University. Faculty, alumni, and former students have played important roles in numerous professions throughout Dalhousie’s history, including 91 Rhodes Fellows. Nobel Laureates have also been educated at Dalhousie.
Arthur B. MacDonald (BSc 1964, MS 1965), an astronomer and Dalhousie graduate, was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics for determining the identity of the neutrino and its mass. MacDonald has won the Herzberg Prize and the Benjamin Franklin Prize for Physics in the past.
Donald O. Hebb, a pioneer in neuropsychology, Catherine D. Sullivan, the first American woman in space, and Jeff Dunn, a pioneer in lithium battery chemistry and aging, are among Dalhousie’s other prominent alumni.
The Dalhousie Tigers, the University’s sports team, are a member of Atlantic University Sport (AUS), a Canadian university sports league. Soccer, basketball, and volleyball are among the 14 men’s and women’s sports teams at the university. Over 300 athletes, coaches, and supervisors make up these teams. Since 1990, the Dalhousie Tigers have won 127 AUS championships, five CIS championships, and innumerable individual medals.
The Dalhousie seal is based on the Scottish Ramsay Clan’s heraldic achievement, of whose founder George Ramsey was the chief. The five parts of the heraldic achievement are the shield, crown, coat of arms, supporters, and motto.
The Ramzi seal displays a griffin and a greyhound, which is one of the key contrasts between the Ramzi coat of arms and the university seal. Two dragons flank an eagle-adorned shield on the Dalhousie seal. Originally, the Ramsay coat of arms was used to represent Dalhousie. Despite this, the seal evolved in tandem with the university’s unionization. Initially, the seal was silver in hue.
Despite this, the University Board of Governors changed it to gold in 1950 to match the university’s gold and black colors. After the rugby team drove the argument over college colors for soccer shirts, these colors were adopted in 1887. Since 1987, the Dalhousie shield and eagle seal have been used as a logo. The current incarnation, which contains the slogan “inspiring minds,” has been in use since 2003.
18. York University
York University is a public Canadian higher education institution based in Toronto, Ontario. Canada’s third-largest university.
The University of York currently has up to 50 thousand students enrolled. A total of 7,000 faculty and staff people make up the faculty and staff. Around the world, there are 200 thousand graduates. Schulich School of Business, Osgood Hall Law School, multilingual Glendon College, the Department of Fine Arts and Environmental Studies, and 24 research centers make up the University.
Despite being a relatively new school, the University of York has established a strong reputation for teaching law and administration (there is an opportunity to obtain related degrees in these areas in conjunction with New York and Northwestern Universities). The University is a part of Canada’s space program. York University’s Department of Science and Engineering is the country’s leading research center for Mars exploration. It is responsible for the development of some of NASA’s current technologies and techniques.
19. Western University
Western University, originally known as “The Western University of London Ontario,” was founded in 1878 by Bishop Isaac Hellmuth and the Anglican Diocese of Huron. Western is currently secular, despite being founded by the Church.
The Network for Business Sustainability, a center of the Ivey Business School that brings together managers, professors, and students from around the world to work on sustainable development concerns, is one of the University’s many research groups.
Over 28,000 students attend the University of Western Ontario. This is a big educational establishment. There are 1620 professors in the University’s academic staff. Students from different nations account for 17% of the student body. Students and professors can participate in exchange programs at UWO. Using the achievements of foreign specialists in teaching and research activities, this trend makes it possible to improve education quality.
Students can choose from a variety of educational options, including stationary and remote learning, eleven faculties, graduate and doctorate programs, and three university-affiliated colleges. At the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels, Western University offers approximately 400 different specialities.
20. Carleton University
Carleton University, in in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, was created in 1942 with the goal of providing a high-quality education to understudy willing to learn within the facilities.
Carleton’s emphasis on hands-on learning and inventive inquiry prepares students for the realities of the workplace. Over the last ten years, the University has increased in size and currently boasts a diverse transnational student civilization from 140 nations across the world.
Surprisingly, the university also has a Career Services team to assist students with any difficulties they may encounter in obtaining work in Canada while in school and after graduation. It’s no surprise that it’s consistently listed as one of Canada’s and the world’s greatest universities by a number of prestigious colleges.
They are glad to help students with their job search in any manner they can, from career training workshops and networking assistance to interview preparation and CV orientation. Carleton takes pride in its diverse range of student assistance services.
The institution has provided more than CAD 38 million in financial help to its students for the 2017-2020 academic year. It provides workshops for educational advancement, writing assistance, specific exercise programs, and a variety of counseling services. Carleton University’s lovely riverbank campus is located south of downtown Ottawa, with over 3,600 students living on-campus.
