World Higher Education IndexGlobal university & programme rankings

Country ranking — 2026 edition

Best Universities in Canada

Canadian institutions combine public funding with unusually international cohorts. The table reflects both research intensity and post-study outcomes in the domestic labour market.

University of Toronto is ranked first in the 2026 best universities in canada, with an overall score of 90.8 out of 100. McGill University is second and University of British Columbia third. 68 institutions are ranked in this edition.

Published

Outcomes 30%Salary 20%Faculty 15%Selectivity 15%Employers 10%Network 10%
  1. 1

    University of Toronto

    Toronto

    Outcomes91
    Salary87
    Faculty94
    Selectivity89
    Employers92
    Network92
    90.8
    Score
  2. 2

    McGill University

    Montreal

    Outcomes88
    Salary85
    Faculty89
    Selectivity88
    Employers89
    Network88
    87.6
    Score
  3. 3

    University of British Columbia

    Vancouver

    Outcomes88
    Salary85
    Faculty90
    Selectivity86
    Employers89
    Network90
    86.9
    Score
  4. 4

    University of Waterloo

    Waterloo

    Outcomes92
    Salary90
    Faculty82
    Selectivity84
    Employers84
    Network79
    84.5
    Score
  5. 5

    University of Alberta

    Edmonton

    Outcomes80
    Salary78
    Faculty83
    Selectivity76
    Employers79
    Network79
    79.4
    Score
  6. 6

    Université de Montréal

    Montreal

    Outcomes79
    Salary76
    Faculty83
    Selectivity77
    Employers79
    Network78
    78.8
    Score
  7. 7

    McMaster University

    Hamilton

    Outcomes80
    Salary77
    Faculty82
    Selectivity76
    Employers78
    Network76
    78.1
    Score
  8. 8

    Queen's University

    Kingston

    Outcomes80
    Salary79
    Faculty76
    Selectivity78
    Employers76
    Network73
    76.5
    Score
  9. 9

    University of Calgary

    Calgary

    Outcomes72
    Salary79
    Faculty79
    Selectivity75
    Employers72
    Network72
    75.9
    Score
  10. 10

    University of Ottawa

    Ottawa

    Outcomes73
    Salary73
    Faculty73
    Selectivity73
    Employers77
    Network73
    75.4
    Score
  11. 11

    Western University

    London, ON

    Outcomes77
    Salary72
    Faculty77
    Selectivity71
    Employers74
    Network76
    74.7
    Score
  12. 12

    Dalhousie University

    Halifax

    Outcomes76
    Salary76
    Faculty77
    Selectivity75
    Employers75
    Network74
    74.4
    Score
  13. 13

    Simon Fraser University

    Burnaby

    Outcomes73
    Salary76
    Faculty76
    Selectivity71
    Employers75
    Network73
    73.8
    Score
  14. 14

    University of Victoria

    Victoria

    Outcomes73
    Salary77
    Faculty69
    Selectivity70
    Employers72
    Network76
    73.3
    Score
  15. 15

    York University

    Toronto

    Outcomes73
    Salary76
    Faculty70
    Selectivity75
    Employers69
    Network71
    72.7
    Score
  16. 16

    Université Laval

    Quebec City

    Outcomes70
    Salary69
    Faculty71
    Selectivity69
    Employers74
    Network73
    72.3
    Score
  17. 17

    University of Manitoba

    Winnipeg

    Outcomes73
    Salary74
    Faculty73
    Selectivity70
    Employers68
    Network69
    71.8
    Score
  18. 18

    University of Saskatchewan

    Saskatoon

    Outcomes69
    Salary72
    Faculty75
    Selectivity69
    Employers71
    Network68
    71.3
    Score
  19. 19

    Concordia University

    Montreal

    Outcomes70
    Salary72
    Faculty68
    Selectivity69
    Employers70
    Network72
    70.9
    Score
  20. 20

    Carleton University

    Ottawa

    Outcomes73
    Salary70
    Faculty66
    Selectivity69
    Employers73
    Network72
    70.4
    Score
  21. 21

    Toronto Metropolitan University

    Toronto

    Outcomes71
    Salary68
    Faculty72
    Selectivity69
    Employers66
    Network68
    69.8
    Score
  22. 22

    University of Guelph

    Guelph

    Outcomes73
    Salary67
    Faculty68
    Selectivity69
    Employers72
    Network67
    69.3
    Score
  23. 23

    Memorial University of Newfoundland

    St John's

    Outcomes70
    Salary66
    Faculty70
    Selectivity70
    Employers67
    Network67
    68.6
    Score
  24. 24

    Université de Sherbrooke

    Sherbrooke

    Outcomes69
    Salary71
    Faculty64
    Selectivity67
    Employers66
    Network67
    68.3
    Score
  25. 25

    Université du Québec à Montréal

    Montreal

    Outcomes72
    Salary70
    Faculty71
    Selectivity67
    Employers67
    Network68
    67.9
    Score
  26. 26

    University of New Brunswick

    Fredericton

    Outcomes67
    Salary67
    Faculty63
    Selectivity66
    Employers63
    Network64
    67.1
    Score
  27. 27

    University of Windsor

    Windsor

    Outcomes63
    Salary62
    Faculty63
    Selectivity66
    Employers67
    Network68
    66.3
    Score
  28. 28

    Brock University

    St Catharines

    Outcomes70
    Salary62
    Faculty63
    Selectivity65
    Employers64
    Network63
    65.9
    Score
  29. 29

    University of Regina

    Regina

    Outcomes64
    Salary64
    Faculty66
    Selectivity68
    Employers68
    Network65
    65.4
    Score
  30. 30

    Lakehead University

    Thunder Bay

    Outcomes69
    Salary66
    Faculty65
    Selectivity66
    Employers61
    Network64
    65.0
    Score
  31. 31

    Wilfrid Laurier University

    Waterloo

    Outcomes64
    Salary64
    Faculty61
    Selectivity64
    Employers63
    Network65
    64.6
    Score
  32. 32

    University of Lethbridge

    Lethbridge

    Outcomes63
    Salary62
    Faculty66
    Selectivity68
    Employers62
    Network66
    63.8
    Score
  33. 33

    Trent University

    Peterborough

    Outcomes63
    Salary65
    Faculty68
    Selectivity65
    Employers62
    Network65
    63.1
    Score
  34. 34

    Ontario Tech University

    Oshawa

    Outcomes59
    Salary60
    Faculty59
    Selectivity65
    Employers63
    Network62
    62.3
    Score
  35. 35

    University of Northern British Columbia

    Prince George

    Outcomes61
    Salary62
    Faculty65
    Selectivity63
    Employers64
    Network66
    61.9
    Score
  36. 36

    Saint Mary's University

    Halifax

    Outcomes61
    Salary64
    Faculty65
    Selectivity63
    Employers63
    Network63
    61.2
    Score
  37. 37

    Acadia University

    Wolfville

    Outcomes61
    Salary56
    Faculty63
    Selectivity63
    Employers62
    Network58
    60.6
    Score
  38. 38

    Mount Allison University

    Sackville

    Outcomes58
    Salary64
    Faculty58
    Selectivity59
    Employers64
    Network62
    60.1
    Score
  39. 39

    Bishop's University

    Sherbrooke

    Outcomes57
    Salary57
    Faculty64
    Selectivity63
    Employers56
    Network62
    59.4
    Score
  40. 40

    Thompson Rivers University

    Kamloops

    Outcomes55
    Salary59
    Faculty60
    Selectivity63
    Employers60
    Network57
    59.1
    Score
  41. 41

    Kwantlen Polytechnic University

    Surrey

    Outcomes54
    Salary56
    Faculty61
    Selectivity59
    Employers55
    Network62
    58.3
    Score
  42. 42

    Vancouver Island University

    Nanaimo

    Outcomes62
    Salary58
    Faculty59
    Selectivity61
    Employers62
    Network56
    57.8
    Score
  43. 43

    Royal Roads University

    Victoria

    Outcomes61
    Salary54
    Faculty60
    Selectivity56
    Employers61
    Network54
    57.2
    Score
  44. 44

    MacEwan University

    Edmonton

    Outcomes54
    Salary60
    Faculty59
    Selectivity54
    Employers54
    Network56
    56.9
    Score
  45. 45

    Mount Royal University

    Calgary

    Outcomes55
    Salary54
    Faculty60
    Selectivity57
    Employers54
    Network57
    56.2
    Score
  46. 46

    University of Winnipeg

    Winnipeg

    Outcomes58
    Salary57
    Faculty52
    Selectivity60
    Employers59
    Network54
    55.5
    Score
  47. 47

    Brandon University

    Brandon

    Outcomes56
    Salary56
    Faculty54
    Selectivity57
    Employers51
    Network58
    55.1
    Score
  48. 48

    Laurentian University

    Sudbury

    Outcomes51
    Salary55
    Faculty58
    Selectivity58
    Employers54
    Network54
    54.5
    Score
  49. 49

    Nipissing University

    North Bay

    Outcomes50
    Salary56
    Faculty54
    Selectivity56
    Employers55
    Network56
    54.0
    Score
  50. 50

    Algoma University

    Sault Ste Marie

    Outcomes52
    Salary51
    Faculty53
    Selectivity55
    Employers51
    Network56
    53.5
    Score
  51. 51

    OCAD University

    Toronto

    Outcomes54
    Salary50
    Faculty53
    Selectivity54
    Employers57
    Network56
    53.1
    Score
  52. 52

    École de technologie supérieure

    Montreal

    Outcomes56
    Salary56
    Faculty49
    Selectivity50
    Employers52
    Network49
    52.7
    Score
  53. 53

    Polytechnique Montréal

    Montreal

    Outcomes50
    Salary56
    Faculty55
    Selectivity53
    Employers55
    Network56
    52.3
    Score
  54. 54

    HEC Montréal

    Montreal

    Outcomes52
    Salary56
    Faculty51
    Selectivity51
    Employers52
    Network50
    51.5
    Score
  55. 55

    Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

    Trois-Rivières

    Outcomes47
    Salary49
    Faculty47
    Selectivity49
    Employers47
    Network49
    50.7
    Score
  56. 56

    Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

    Chicoutimi

    Outcomes54
    Salary47
    Faculty51
    Selectivity49
    Employers50
    Network52
    50.4
    Score
  57. 57

    Université du Québec en Outaouais

    Gatineau

    Outcomes46
    Salary47
    Faculty50
    Selectivity47
    Employers53
    Network51
    49.6
    Score
  58. 58

    Université de Moncton

    Moncton

    Outcomes49
    Salary51
    Faculty47
    Selectivity47
    Employers53
    Network49
    49.1
    Score
  59. 59

    Cape Breton University

    Sydney, NS

    Outcomes44
    Salary50
    Faculty46
    Selectivity53
    Employers50
    Network51
    48.4
    Score
  60. 60

    St Francis Xavier University

    Antigonish

    Outcomes46
    Salary44
    Faculty49
    Selectivity52
    Employers45
    Network43
    47.7
    Score
  61. 61

    University of Prince Edward Island

    Charlottetown

    Outcomes43
    Salary47
    Faculty43
    Selectivity46
    Employers45
    Network50
    47.3
    Score
  62. 62

    Athabasca University

    Athabasca

    Outcomes44
    Salary43
    Faculty50
    Selectivity50
    Employers47
    Network43
    46.6
    Score
  63. 63

    Capilano University

    North Vancouver

    Outcomes44
    Salary50
    Faculty41
    Selectivity48
    Employers49
    Network44
    45.9
    Score
  64. 64

    Emily Carr University of Art and Design

    Vancouver

    Outcomes45
    Salary44
    Faculty41
    Selectivity46
    Employers49
    Network50
    45.4
    Score
  65. 65

    University of the Fraser Valley

    Abbotsford

    Outcomes46
    Salary48
    Faculty48
    Selectivity42
    Employers41
    Network42
    45.1
    Score
  66. 66

    Trinity Western University

    Langley

    Outcomes41
    Salary42
    Faculty41
    Selectivity41
    Employers44
    Network46
    44.8
    Score
  67. 67

    Ontario College of Art

    Toronto

    Outcomes43
    Salary46
    Faculty46
    Selectivity40
    Employers43
    Network40
    44.1
    Score
  68. 68

    Redeemer University

    Ancaster

    Outcomes43
    Salary48
    Faculty45
    Selectivity42
    Employers40
    Network40
    43.6
    Score

Canada 2026: frequently asked questions

Which institution is number one in the 2026 canada ranking?
University of Toronto, based in Toronto, ranks first with an overall score of 90.8 out of 100.
How is this ranking calculated?
Every entry is scored on the same six weighted indicators — Graduate outcomes (30%), Salary uplift (20%), Faculty & research strength (15%), Selectivity (15%), Employer reputation (10%), Cohort & network reach (10%) — each normalised across the table and combined into an overall score out of 100. Nothing is reweighted table by table.
How many institutions are ranked, and how often is the table updated?
68 institutions appear in the 2026 edition. A new edition is published every year on 30 September, with all six indicators re-collected for that edition.
Can an institution pay to appear or move up?
No. No institution pays to be assessed, to appear in a table, or to change its position, and no score is shown to an institution before publication.

Related rankings

Scored on the composite set out in our methodology. See also all rankings.