Keen to study in Canada and aiming high? In this article, we run through the top 10 universities in Canada, providing a brief overview on each so that you can get to know the most reputable institutions in the country…
Canada is the second-largest country in the world and has a population of 40 million people. With such numbers, it’s no wonder Canada is home to many excellent universities.
If you’re considering Canada for your studies, either for your whole degree or for a year abroad, you might be curious to know which universities have the highest rankings.
Below, we dive into the 10 best universities in Canada, drawing on the prestigious QS World University Rankings for 2025.
Once you’ve found a university you’d like to attend, your next step is to find student accommodation. You’re in luck, because Student.com offers student accommodation in Canada in about 30 cities across the country!
1. University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (UofT) was founded in 1827 as King’s College. As the name suggests, it was founded by the British and was originally controlled by the Church of England. It became a secular institution in 1850, and since then it has been known by its current name.
A vast university of around 65,000 students in the Toronto campus alone, and almost 100,000 in total, it’s by far the largest Canadian university in terms of student population.
UofT offers more than 700 different undergraduate programs and is the origin of the Toronto School, an influential school of thought in literary criticism and communication theory. Five Prime Ministers of Canada are alumni of the university.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Global university rank: 25th
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2. McGill University
McGill University is an English-language university in Montreal, the largest city in the province of Quebec. Founded back in 1821 by a Scottish merchant who lived in the area, today McGill has about 40,000 students.
McGill offers degrees and diplomas in over 300 fields of study and is the only Canadian university that is a member of the Global University Leaders Forum. No other university in Canada has more Nobel laureates (12) and Rhodes Scholars (147) among its alumni than McGill.
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Global university rank: 29th
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3. University of British Columbia
Founded in 1908 and with a student population of about 65,000, the University of British Columbia (UBC) is the second-largest university in Canada.
With a strong focus on research, it houses the largest cyclotron in the world. It’s also the site of the first Max Planck Institute in North America. The UBC library system is also one of the largest research libraries in Canada, with over 10 million volumes.
In addition to strong academics, UBC is also decorated in the world of sports, with 65 Olympic medallists among its alumni.
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Global university rank: 38th
Heading to Vancouver for your studies? Take a look at our UBC off-campus housing.
4. University of Alberta
The University of Alberta in Edmonton is the highest-ranked bilingual university in Canada, thanks to offering courses in French at the Campus Saint-Jean.
The university has invested strongly in health sciences, spending $1.6 billion on constructing research facilities. It’s also a truly international university, with its 40,000 students coming from 150 different countries.
The university’s alumni and faculty members include three Nobel Prize winners and 72 Rhodes Scholars. The university gave an honorary degree to Wayne Gretzky in 2000.
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Global university rank: 96th
Making the move to Edmonton? We have a great selection of apartments near the University of Alberta on offer!
5. University of Waterloo
The youngest university on this list, the University of Waterloo was founded in 1959 — although it can trace its origins back to 1925 and the founding of the Waterloo College.
The university has about 40,000 students, about 7,000 of whom are from outside Canada. It’s heavily involved in co-operative education and runs the largest post-secondary co-op programme in the world, with over 20,000 undergraduate students enrolled in the scheme.
Location: Waterloo, Ontario
Global university rank: 115th
Considering applying to the university? Check out our student housing for the University of Waterloo.
6. Western University
Western University was founded in 1878 by an Anglican bishop. It became non-denominational in 1908 and grew rapidly after World War II. Today the university has about 40,000 students and is among the best universities in Canada.
Western is dedicated to internationalism, and since 2012 they have used the name Western University in their branding specifically to confer a more international brand identity.
Author Alice Munro is a Western alumnus and has won a Nobel Prize in Literature. Sir Frederick Banting, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for the first use of insulin on humans also used to teach there.
Location: London, Ontario
Global university rank: =120th
7. Université de Montréal
The only French-language university on this list, the Université de Montréal was founded in 1878 and today has about 45,000 students — or more than 65,000 if you include its two affiliate schools, Polytechnic Montréal and HEC Montréal.
The university has produced prime ministers for both Canada and Algeria, and no less than 11 Premiers of Quebec. During the Second World War, the university assisted the Allied powers in the Manhattan Project.
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Global university rank: =159th
Searching for accommodation in Montreal? Browse our apartments near the Université de Montréal.
8. McMaster University
McMaster University was founded in 1887 and was originally housed in McMaster Hall in Toronto. With the facilities becoming overcrowded, the university moved to Hamilton in 1927.
Today the university operates six faculties specialising in the fields of business, engineering, health sciences, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.
McMaster’s alumni include government and business leaders, notable academics and Rhodes Scholars. Bertram Brockhouse, a professor at McMaster, received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his development of neutron spectroscopy.
Location: Hamilton, Ontario
Global university rank: =176th
9. University of Ottawa
The best university in the capital of Canada is also the largest English-French bilingual university in the world. Established in 1848 as a Catholic university, the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) became secular in 1965 and has almost 50,000 students today.
More than 10,000 of these students come from outside Canada, spanning around 150 different countries, so you’ll be studying in an international environment here. uOttawa takes sustainability seriously and set up an Office of Campus Sustainability back in 2006.
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Global university rank: 189th
Heading to the Canadian capital? Explore our uOttawa student housing.
10. Queen’s University at Kingston
Established in 1841, Queen’s University at Kingston is one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious universities.
The university has a diverse study programme spanning arts and science, engineering and applied science, business, health sciences and law. It’s especially well known for its courses in law, psychology and clinical health.
Notable alumni include John A. Macdonald and Kim Campbell — two former Canadian prime ministers — and Nobel Prize-winning economist David Card.
Location: Kingston, Ontario
Global university rank: 193rd
Interested in studying at the university? Check out our extensive range of Queen’s University student housing.
Final thoughts
So there we are: the 10 best universities in Canada. Six in Ontario, two in Quebec, one in Alberta and one in British Columbia.
Canada is a beautiful country with interesting cities and stunning nature, which means it’s easy to combine high-quality education with great free time activities in any of these places.
If you want to study in one of these universities, get your application in and hopefully you’ll be successful!
When you get accepted, you’re going to need some accommodation. The good news is, here at Student.com we list lots of student housing options in Canada. You’ll surely find something that works for you. If you need any help with your housing search, our booking consultants are always happy to help. Just give us a call!
