Canada, as a country, is home to some of the best Universities in the world. Canadian institutions are popular for the top quality of training that is imparted to students. Thus, students count on the training due to the academic reputation enjoyed by these institutions. As such, admission in Canadian Universities is very competitive.
Consequently, eligibility to get admission in Canada Universities is very complex. Various rankings are published by news magazines. The most popular rankings are the QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE) rankings, Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and US News Rankings. The present article is useful for aspiring students who are looking for information about Canada University Rankings. The table given below provides a comparison of rankings of top 10 Canadian Universities:
| Sr. No. | Name of the University | QS World University Ranking | THE Rankings | ARWU Rankings (2016) | US News Rankings |
| 1 | McGill University | 30 | 42 | 63 | 50 (tie) |
| 2 | University of Toronto (U of T) | 32 | 22 | 27 | 21 |
| 3 | University of British Columbia (UBC) | 45 | 36 (tie) | 34 | 31 |
| 4 | University of Alberta | 90 (tie) | 107 | 101-150 | 144 (tie) |
| 5 | University of Montreal (UdeM) | 130 | 103 | 151-200 | 149 (tie) |
| 6 | McMaster University | 140 | 113 (tie) | 83 | 129 |
| 7 | University of Waterloo | 152 | 173 (tie) | 201-300 | 240 (tie) |
| 8 | University of Calgary (U of C) | 217 | 195 (tie) | 201-300 | 204 |
| 9 | Western University | 210 (tie) | 201-250 | 201-300 | 289 |
| 10 | Queen’s University | 224 (tie) | 201-250 | 201-300 | 379 |
McGill University: Located in Montreal (Quebec), McGill boasts of a high rate of international student enrollments. The University offers over 300 courses! The helpful official website provides a step by step procedure for admission to courses at various levels. This university ranks 30 in QS, 42 in THE, 50 in US News and 63 in ARWU rankings.
University of Toronto (U of T): It is a public research University which is located in Toronto, Ontario. It is also known as the global leader for research and teaching. It maintains a network of over 5,00,000 accomplished alumni all over the world. This university ranks 21 in US News and 22 in THE, but this rank slightly drops down to 27 in ARWU and 32 in QS rankings.
University of British Columbia (UBC): The University was also previously known as the McGill University College of British Columbia. It also ranks highly among world universities. The institution provides almost 500 Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees programs. UBC ranks 31, 34 and 36 in US News, ARWU and THE respectively, but experiences a drop in QS rankings with a score of 45.
University of Alberta: The University is located in Edmonton, Alberta. Prospective students should keep in mind that the University is well regarded for research in paleontology and the faculty includes famous dinosaur experts! Alberta secures a rank of 90 in QS and is placed amongst the top 150 world universities according to THE, ARWU and US News rankings.
University of Montreal: Université de Montréal (UdeM) is acclaimed for offering a complete international experience. Curriculum is offered both in English and French. The other plus point is that the city of Montréal is the best student city in the world! This guarantees exceptional international experience during one’s student life. UdeM is ranked amongst the top 150 world universities in QS, THE and US News rankings and falls in the 151-200 category according to ARWU rankings.
McMaster University: Located in Hamilton (Ontario), the University operates six major academic faculties. Students have the option of enrolling at the DeGroote School of Business, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Social Science, and Sciences. McMaster enjoys the 83rd position in ARWU rankings and is ranked amongst the top 140 world universities according to QS, THE and US News rankings.
University of Waterloo (commonly referred to as UWaterloo): Located in the heart of Waterloo (Ontario), it is also ranked as one of the top universities in the world for mathematical sciences. The University operates many famous research centres. Some of these are the Centre for Applied Cryptographic Research, the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, and the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing and the Institute for Quantum Computing. UWaterloo ranks 152 in QS, 173 in THE and is ranked amongst the top 300 world universities as per ARWU and US News rankings.
University of Calgary (U of C or even UCalgary): It is a public research University which is located in Calgary, Alberta in close proximity to the U.S. border. The University also maintains a campus in Doha, Qatar. The main campus is famous for offering many scholarships, awards, and bursaries to students. U of C ranks 195 in THE, 204 and 217 in US News and QS respectively and falls in the 201-300 category according to ARWU.
Western University: The name refers to the University of Western Ontario which is located in London, Ontario. At least 20% of graduate students at Western are international students, representing countries from all over the world. The University is mainly focused on the following areas of research: life sciences, physical environments, public policy, economics and social trends. This university ranks amongst the top 250 world universities according to QS and THE and top 300 world universities according to ARWU and US News.
Queen’s University: Located at Kingston (Ontario), it was ranked 4th by Maclean’s ranked in 2017 for the Medical Doctoral university rankings. Queen’s School of Business has also received recognition. Enrolled students are able to apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Program and Canada Student Loans and Grants for financial assistance. Queen’s ranks among the top 250 universities according to QS and THE, falls in the 201-300 category in ARWU, but significantly drops down to 379 as per US News rankings.
The eligibility requirements for admission may differ depending upon the origin of the student due to lack of uniformity in marking schemes in various colleges. Nevertheless, some of the general eligibility criteria are:
Proficiency in English: All Canadian Universities have laid down English language requirements for admission and so students are advised to check the individual websites for specifications early on during the application stage.
Work Experience: Students who wish to apply for Masters programs would be required to provide proof of at least 2-3 years of work experience.
Portfolio: Some Canadian institutions may require candidates to submit written samples of their work.
Recommended Reading:
- Top Reasons to Study in Canada
- Top MBA Specialization with Rankings in Canada
- Top MBA Programs in Canada
- Top Rankings Universities for Masters Degree Worldwide
- How to Get Canada Student Visa
- MBA in Canada without GMAT
- MBA Distance Learning in Canada
- Life of a Student in Canada
- Scholarships to Study in Canada
