Canada has a reputation for being one of the friendliest countries in the world, as well as having globally-renowned research universities. But what are the best Canadian universities for PhD study?
One way to decide where to study your PhD is to look at university rankings. So, we’ve collated the rankings from three global university league tables to help you in your PhD search.
The following table lists the 20 top-ranked Canadian universities in 2020.
| University | THE 2020 | QS 2021 | ARWU 2019 | US News 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Toronto | 18 | =25 | 24 | 18 |
| University of British Columbia | 34 | 45 | 35 | 30 |
| McGill University | 42 | =31 | 90 | 49 |
| McMaster University | 72 | 144 | 90 | 126 |
| University of Montreal | 85 | 118 | 151-200 | 139 |
| University of Alberta | =136 | 119 | 101-150 | 139 |
| University of Ottawa | =141 | =279 | 151-200 | 198 |
| University of Calgary | 201-250 | =246 | 151-200 | 178 |
| University of Waterloo | 201-250 | =166 | 151-200 | 217 |
| Western University | 201-250 | =203 | 29 | 276 |
| Dalhousie University | 251-300 | =291 | 201-300 | 322 |
| Laval University | 251-300 | =420 | 201-300 | 315 |
| Queen’s University | 251-300 | =246 | 301-400 | 379 |
| Simon Fraser University | 251-300 | =323 | 301-400 | 290 |
| University of Manitoba | 351-400 | 601-650 | 301-400 | 388 |
| University of Saskatchewan | 401-500 | =465 | 301-400 | 541 |
| University of Victoria | 401-500 | =370 | 301-400 | 262 |
| York University | 401-500 | 531-540 | 501-600 | 416 |
| Carleton University | 501-600 | 601-650 | 701-800 | 483 |
| University of Guelph | 501-600 | 571-580 | 301-400 | 469 |
| Information in this table is based on the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, Academic Ranking of World Universities and US News Best Global Universities. Visit their websites for more information. | ||||
In global rankings, Canada does well, with several universities in the world top 100 for each league ranking.
Given that Canada only has around 100 universities (the USA has about 4,000), the striking number of universities ranking high is impressive.
On this page we’ve given a brief introduction to university rankings. For a more detailed overview of how the system works and how to get the best out of it, check our guide to PhD rankings.
Ready to start looking for your ideal study abroad opportunity? Browse PhDs in Canada on FindAPhD.com or read our guide to studying a PhD in Canada.
Last updated - 22/07/2020
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