Canadian University Rankings 2027

Three rankings matter most for Canadian universities, and they don’t agree. QS puts McGill first, while THE and Maclean’s both pick Toronto. This page puts QS 2027, THE 2027 and Maclean’s 2027 side by side for 56 universities, then combines them, so you can see which schools hold up across all three.

Updated November 4, 2026, with every 2027 edition now published.

#1 in QS 2027

McGill

30th in the world

#1 in THE 2027

Toronto

22nd in the world

In QS 2027

Canadian universities

In THE 2027

Canadian universities

Canada's top 10 in each ranking

Seven schools make the top 10 in all three: Toronto, McGill, UBC, Alberta, Waterloo, McMaster and Western. The order is what changes.

QS 2027

THE 2027

Maclean's 2027

Combined ranking: the top 20

We took each school's position among Canadian universities in QS 2027, THE 2027 and Maclean's 2027, then averaged the three. Only schools with a confirmed position in all three are included. A low average means the school ranks well everywhere, not just on one list.

#	University	QS 2027	THE 2027	Maclean's	Average Canadian position
1	University of Toronto	32	22	#1	1.3
2	McGill University	30	43	#3	2.0
3	University of British Columbia	45	44	#2	2.7
4	University of Alberta	96	=118	#4	4.3
5	University of Waterloo	=113	178	#6	6.0
6	McMaster University	=174	=116	#7	6.3
7	Queen's University	=179	=269	#5	8.3
8	Western University	=142	=212	#9	8.3
9	University of Calgary	249	=185	#8	9.0
10	University of Ottawa	=228	=185	#13	10.3
11	Université de Montréal	=162	132	#19	10.7
12	Dalhousie University	298	351–375	#10	12.0
13	Simon Fraser University	312	351–375	#11	12.7
14	University of Victoria	=370	301–325	#12	13.0
15	York University	=322	451–500	#14	15.0
16	University of Saskatchewan	=411	351–375	#16	15.3
17	University of Guelph	=546	451–500	#15	17.3
18	Université Laval	526	301–325	#26	18.7
19	Concordia University	=497	651–700	#20	20.0
20	University of Manitoba	=560	551–600	#21	20.3

For THE schools ranked in bands such as 351–375, we used the top of the band, so schools sharing a band share a position.

What changed since last year

Canada's three best-known universities all slipped a few places in QS, while THE showed more movement further down the list.

University	Ranking	2026	2027	Change
McGill	QS	27	30	Down 3
Toronto	QS	29	32	Down 3
UBC	QS	40	45	Down 5
Université de Montréal	THE	150	132	Up 18
Queen’s	THE	301–350	=269	Up a band
Calgary	THE	200	=185	Up 15
Waterloo	THE	=162	178	Down 16
Laval	THE	401–500	301–325	Up a band

A few places either way rarely means a school got better or worse. Small moves usually reflect changes in other countries’ universities and in the ranking’s method. Look for schools that move the same way across several years and several rankings.

All 56 universities, every ranking

Sorted by Maclean's 2027 reputational ranking, the only one of the three that covers almost every Canadian university. A dash means the school isn't in that ranking.

Maclean's 2027	University	QS 2027	THE 2027	THE 2026
#1	University of Toronto	32	22	21
#2	University of British Columbia	45	44	45
#3	McGill University	30	43	=41
#4	University of Alberta	96	=118	119
#5	Queen's University	=179	=269	301–350
#6	University of Waterloo	=113	178	=162
#7	McMaster University	=174	=116	=116
#8	University of Calgary	249	=185	200
#9	Western University	=142	=212	201–250
#10	Dalhousie University	298	351–375	351–400
#11	Simon Fraser University	312	351–375	301–350
#12	University of Victoria	=370	301–325	301–350
#13	University of Ottawa	=228	=185	=187
#14	York University	=322	451–500	401–500
#15	University of Guelph	=546	451–500	401–500
#16	University of Saskatchewan	=411	351–375	351–400
#17	Carleton University	Ranked	551–600	501–600
#18	Toronto Metropolitan University	669	701–800	–
#19	Université de Montréal	=162	132	150
#20	Concordia University	=497	651–700	–
#21	University of Manitoba	=560	551–600	–
#22	Acadia University	–	–	–
#23	St. Francis Xavier University	–	1401–1600	–
#24	Thompson Rivers University	–	–	–
#25	Mount Allison University	–	–	–
#26	Université Laval	526	301–325	401–500
#27	Wilfrid Laurier University	–	1401–1600	–
#28	Memorial University	Ranked	551–600	501–600
#29	Saint Mary's University	–	–	–
#30	University of New Brunswick	=677	701–800	–
#31	Mount Royal University	–	–	–
#32	Ontario Tech University	–	801–1000	–
#33	Trent University	–	–	–
#34	Université de Sherbrooke	Ranked	–	–
#35	University of Lethbridge	–	1401–1600	–
#36	Brock University	Ranked	1201–1400	–
#37	University of Northern British Columbia	Ranked	1201–1400	–
#38	University of Regina	Ranked	1001–1200	–
#39	Mount Saint Vincent University	–	–	–
#40	University of Windsor	=537	551–600	–
#41	Lakehead University	–	1001–1200	–
#42	UQAM	–	–	–
#43	University of Winnipeg	–	–	–
#44	Bishop's University	–	–	–
#45	University of Prince Edward Island	–	–	–
#46	MacEwan University	–	–	–
#47	Laurentian University	–	–	–
#48	Vancouver Island University	–	–	–
#49	University of the Fraser Valley	–	–	–
#50	Brandon University	–	–	–
#51	Nipissing University	–	–	–
#52	Cape Breton University	–	–	–
#53	St. Thomas University	–	–	–
#54	Université de Moncton	–	–	–
#55	Concordia University of Edmonton	–	–	–
#56	Algoma University	–	–	–

“Ranked” means the school appears in QS 2027 below the 23 Canadian schools with published positions here, but we couldn’t confirm its exact place. THE 2026 positions are shown only for schools in its top 600.

What each ranking measures

QS World University Rankings

Leans heavily on reputation surveys of academics and employers, plus measures like faculty-to-student ratio and international mix. Published June 18, 2026.

THE World University Rankings

Puts more weight on research: volume, income, and how often papers are cited. That may be why McMaster places 4th in Canada here but 8th in QS. Published September 30, 2026.

Maclean’s reputational ranking

A national survey of how Canadian universities are seen, covering far more schools than the global lists. Useful for smaller universities the global rankings skip. Published October 14, 2026.

Rankings are a starting point. They say little about the program you’d actually take, what it costs, or how big your classes will be. Once you have a shortlist, compare schools side by side. If you’re applying from abroad, read the best universities for international students for tuition and scholarships too.

Frequently asked questions

What is the #1 university in Canada in 2027?

It depends on the ranking. The University of Toronto is first in Canada in THE 2027 (22nd in the world) and in Maclean's 2027 reputational ranking. McGill University is first in Canada in QS 2027, at 30th in the world, two places ahead of Toronto.

How many Canadian universities are in the QS World University Rankings 2027?

Thirty Canadian universities are ranked in QS 2027, which was published on June 18, 2026. THE 2027 ranks 34 Canadian universities.

Which Canadian university ranking is most reliable?

None of them measures everything. QS relies heavily on reputation surveys of academics and employers, THE puts more weight on research, and Maclean's reputational ranking is a national survey. A school that does well in all three, like Toronto, UBC, or McGill, is a safer bet than one that tops a single list.

Did Canadian universities drop in the 2027 rankings?

The top three slipped slightly in QS. McGill went from 27th to 30th, Toronto from 29th to 32nd, and UBC from 40th to 45th. In THE, Université de Montréal rose from 150th to 132nd, and Queen's moved up from the 301–350 band to =269.

Do university rankings matter for a work permit after graduation?

No. Post-graduation work permit eligibility depends on the school being PGWP-eligible, your program, and a language test, not on rankings.