The Top Three Universities in Canada According to the 2025 QS World University Rankings

For the second consecutive year, three Canadian universities are ranked among the top 40 in the QS World University Rankings. Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a global authority on higher education analysis, measuring employability and sustainability performance among other factors.

Canada's Top Three Universities in 2025 QS World University Rankings

1. University of Toronto (UofT)

• Overall Rank: 25

• Overall Score: 84.1

• Scores by Factor:

• Academic Reputation: 99.7

• Faculty/Student Ratio: 44.9

• Citations per Faculty: 50.8

• Employer Reputation: 96.9

• International Faculty/Student Ratio: 96.9 (Faculty) and 96.1 (Student)

• Sustainability: 100

• Employment Outcomes: 98.7

• International Research Network: 97.7

Notable Achievements:

• Ranked first in the world for sustainability.

• Consistently in QS's top 30, except in 2023 when it was ranked 34th.
  

2. McGill University

• Overall Rank: 29

• Overall Score: 83

• Scores by Factor:

• Academic Reputation: 94.3

• Faculty/Student Ratio: 62.3

• Citations per Faculty: 57.9

• Employer Reputation: 87.6

• International Faculty/Student Ratio: 83.7 (Faculty) and 89.6 (Student)

• Sustainability: 99.1

• Employment Outcomes: 98.3

• International Research Network: 94.2

Notable Achievements:

• Up one spot from last year’s 30th position.

• Consistently in the top 35 for the past 13 years.
  

3. University of British Columbia (UBC)

• Overall Rank: 38

• Overall Score: 81

• Scores by Factor:

• Academic Reputation: 98.3

• Faculty/Student Ratio: 34.5

• Citations per Faculty: 57.7

• Employer Reputation: 94.3

• International Faculty/Student Ratio: 95.5 (Faculty) and 72.8 (Student)

• Sustainability: 99.8

• Employment Outcomes: 74.6

• International Research Network: 96.2

Notable Achievements:

• Ranked 34th in 2024, falling four spots in 2025.

• Ranked fourth globally for sustainability.
  

Additional Top Canadian Universities:

4. University of Alberta (#96 overall) 5. University of Waterloo (#115 overall) 6. Western University (#120 overall) 7. Universite de Montreal (#159 overall) 8. McMaster University (#176 overall) 9. University of Ottawa (#189 overall) 10. Queen’s University (#193 overall)

Understanding QS World University Rankings:

• Academic Reputation (30%): Based on surveys with higher education experts.

• Citations per Faculty (20%): Measures the frequency of faculty research citations.

• Employer Reputation (15%): Based on surveys of employers about the employability of graduates.

• Faculty/Student Ratio (10%): Rewards institutions with low student-to-faculty ratios.

• International Faculty/Student Ratio (10%): Considers the diversity of the academic community.

• Sustainability (5%): Assesses institutions' commitment to sustainability.

• Employment Outcomes (5%): Measures graduate employability.

• International Research Network (5%): Evaluates research collaboration and international co-authorship.
  

These rankings provide insights into the top-performing universities in Canada, highlighting their strengths in various academic and employability metrics.