Top Universities and Colleges in Canada- Ranking, Fees, Requirements, Scholarships

Study Abroad Expert | Updated on - Mar 18, 2022

Home to over 150+ higher education institutions, Canada is one of the top study abroad destinations in the world. The exceptional quality and choice with 96 public Canada univerisities, 15,000+ study programs, the country offers it all to aspiring students. Canada has 3 of the top 20 best student cities in the world: Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. Additionally, Students from around the world ranked Canada as 2nd most welcoming country for international students.

Know more about Higher Education in Canada

Canada is home to 10 of the top 250 universities in the world. Higher learning institutions in Canada range from small universities with intimate learning environments to large research-intensive universities with world-class reputations. Top Canadian universities are considered more affordable as compared to other popular study destinations like the UK and US. The average costs for an undergraduate degree is 32,000 CAD (~19.15 lakhs INR). PG courses can cost as low as 8,000 CAD (~4.79 lakhs INR).

MBA in Canada	MS in Canada	PG Diploma in Canada	BBA in Canada	Executive MBA in Canada
PhD in Canada	MBBS in Canada	LLM in Canada	BSc Nursing in Canada	B.Tech in Canada

Top universities in Canada conduct research at one of the world’s highest rates. Canada’s thriving research culture exceeds the G7 average in terms of impact in the fields of clinical medicine, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, biology, information and communication technologies, earth and environmental sciences, and economics and business. Graduates from top universities in Canada are recognized for their critical thinking, research as well as leadership skills across a wide range of programs.

Find out: Why Canada over US, here!

Top Universities in Canada

Canada is home to over 28 globally recognized universities in the world (QS World Rankings 2022). These universities are gaining popularity for their good teaching and excellent research facilities. Each top university in Canada is ranked at a certain level with the help of careful analysis of various parameters. A score is designated based on the university performance in the specific sector.

The top ranking universities in Canada list as per QS 2022 rankings are discussed below along with rankings from other agencies:

Universities	QS Ranking (2022)	THE Ranking (2022)	U.S. News Ranking (2022)
University of Toronto	26	18	16
McGill University	27	44	51
University of British Columbia	46	37	35
University of Montreal	111	88	151
University of Alberta	126	125	135
McMaster University	140	80	133
University of Waterloo	149	201-250	199
Western University - Canada	170	-	294
University of Ottawa	230	162	199
University of Calgary	235	201-250	169
Queen's University	240	251-300	412
Dalhousie University	272	251-300	317
Simon Fraser University	298	201-250	313
University of Victoria	334	301-350	334
Laval University	414	-	354
University of Saskatchewan	458	501-600	510
York University	494	401-500	456
Concordia University Montréal	521-530	601-800	657
University of Guelph	581-590	501-600	483
University de Quebec	591-600	-	696
Carleton University	601-605	601-800	481
Memorial University of Newfoundland	751-800	601-800	675

The top three universities in Canada are ranked among top 100 international schools and institutions worldwide. These continue to attract the academically elite to their highly respected and prestigious degree programs offered at various levels of education.

Top Universities in Canada for Undergraduate Courses

Pursuing a bachelor's degree abroad can be a hefty affair for an international student. However, with top universities in Canada performing exceptionally well internationally, the option of a lucrative future is opened in terms of both further education and job offers.

Some of the top universities in Canada for pursuing UG courses as per Macleans are listed below. Schools in the given list largely focus on bachelor’s education and have relatively fewer PG courses

Universities	Student Satisfaction Ranks	Top UG Courses
Mount St. Vincent University	1	BSc and BA
Mount Allison University	1	B.Comm, BEd, BSc
Bishop’s University	2	B.Ed, BA, BBA
Acadia University	4	Bachelor of CS, BBA, BEd
University of Northern British Columbia	5	BSc, B.Comm, BSW
St. Thomas University	6	BEd, BSW, BA
St. Francis Xavier University	7	B.Ed
Trent University	8	Bachelor of CS, BEd, BSc
Lethbridge University	10	B.Ed, BSN, Bachelor of Management
St. Mary’s University	15	B.Ed, BA
Lakehead University	17	Bachelor of Com Sc., BSc, BBA
Ontario Tech	14	BEd, Bachelor of IT
University of Prince Edward Island	12	B.Ed, BSc, BBA
Laurentian University	19	BEd, BSW, BBA

Unlike India, undergraduate courses with top Candian universities last for four years. This allows you to pursue further education in any of the foreign countries requiring a four-year bachelor’s degree from a masters applicant. Additionally, UG courses at universities in Canada can cost 6 to 22 lakhs INR per annum depending on the choice of university and course.

Find more about top bachelor’s courses with:

Top Universities in Canada for PG Diploma

PG Diploma is one of the most popular courses in Canada. With universities offering a pool of colleges focusing on diploma education, an international student can never run out of options.

PG diploma courses can last for 1 to two years. Given below is a list of top colleges in Canada for pursuing diploma courses is given below:

College	Avg. Fees (CAD/year)
Algonquin College	15,800
Centennial College	14,500
Durham College	13,300
Fanshawe College	7,500
Fleming College	18,000
George Brown College	4,900
Humber College	17,000
The Sheridan College	19,000
Sault College	15,900
Mohawk College	17,633
St. Stephens College	10,000
North Island College	16,000
Luther College	20,800
St. Lawrence College	8,543
Niagara College	14,750

PG diploma courses are a short-cut to bright career opportunities and getting a work permit in Canada. As these courses offer hands-on training and internship and are vocational in nature, it makes it easier for international students to make a career of their choice after completing their graduate diplomas from top universities in Canada.

University	Popular Masters Program	Fees for Masters Courses (CAD/year)
UToronto	Full-time MBA	55,000
UBC	MSc Computer Science	8,592
McGill University	M.Management- Analytics	18,110
McMaster University	MSc Computer Science	17,093
University of Montreal	Full-time MBA	24,558
University of Alberta	MBA Finance	9,456
University of Ottawa	EMBA	25,718
University of Calgary	MBA	14,084
University of Waterloo	MSc Data Science & Artificial Engineering	117,500
Western University	MBA	14,538

Top Universities in Canada for MBA

MBA Abroad has its own charm among the international student population. Canada is one such study destination that makes it to the list of popular options for MBA aspirants. Some of the top business schools in Canada offer both 1 and 2 year MBA options.

Learn more details about- MBA in Canada, here!

Some of the top universities in Canada for pursuing your MBA course are listed below along with the fees of the course.

University Name	Business School/Duration of Program	Tuition Fee(CAD/year)
University of Toronto	Rotman School of Management (2 year)	55,000
McGill University	Desautels Faculty of Management (1 year to 20 months)	43,800
Queen’s University	Smith School of Business (1 year)	89,000
University of Western Ontario	Ivey Business School (1 year)	110,000
York University	Schulich School of Business (16-20 months)	48,929
University of British Columbia	Sauder School of Business (16 months)	58,700
University of Alberta	Alberta School of Business (20 months)	20,000
Concordia University	John Molson School of Business (16 months)	38,000
HEC Montreal	Department of Business (1 year)	46,000
Dalhousie University	Rowe School of Business	40,500
McMaster University	DeGroote School of Business (28 months)	41,000
Brock University	Goodman School of Business (2 years)	28,900
Simon Fraser University	Beedie School of Business (16 months)	69,900
University of Ottawa	Telfer School of Management (1 year)	51,000
Saint Mary’s University	Sobey School of Business (16 months)	43,000
Wilfrid Laurier University	Lazaridis School of Business and Economics (1 year)	11,553
University of Victoria	Gustavson School of Business (2 years)	30,076
University of Calgary	Haskayne School of Business (2 years)	53,116
University of Saskatchewan	Edwards School of Business (2 years)	47,883
University of Manitoba	Asper School of Business (2 years)	27,919

Note: The fees mentioned are rounded off figures, applicants must visit the university website to check out the current fees of the program.

Top Universities in Canada for MS

MS in Canada offers a variety of specializations to choose from and can last for up to 2 years. Top universities in Canada for MS courses are discussed below with their annual fees.

University	Annual Tuition Fee (in CAD)
University of Toronto (U of T)	37,897
University of British Columbia (UBC)	8,592
McGill University	18,110
McMaster University	17,093
Universite de Montreal	24,558
University of Alberta	9,465
University of Ottawa	25,718
University of Waterloo	14,084
Western University	117,500
University of Calgary	14,538

Apart from MS in Canada, Engineering and Computer Science are among the popular choices of those who wish to pursue masters courses in Canada.

Top Universities in Canada for Engineering

Top engineering schools in Canada offer a range of specializations like mechanical engineering, civil engineering, biomedical engineering, aerospace engineering, automotive, software, chemical, environmental, engineering management, and more.

Top universities in Canada for pursuing engineering courses are listed below as per the US News subject ranks and scores:

University	Global Subject Score
U of T	73.3
University of Waterloo	73.2
UBC	71.7
UAlberta	69.6
McGill University	67.0
University of Montreal	59.9
Concordia University	59.2
University of Calgary	56.7
University of Ontario Tech	55.8
University of Ottawa	52.4

Wish to pursue MEng? Check out Masters in Engineering in Canada for more details!

Top Universities in Canada for Computer Science

With a continuous growth and evolution of CS-IT, there is an ongoing need for innovative computer scientists who can develop new and better ways for using systems. With plenty of CS colleges in Canada to choose from it can become overwhelming trying to find the best school for yourself.

Given below are some of the top universities to study in Canada for Computer Science as per the US News subject ranks and scores:

University	Global Subject Scores
U of T	75.7
University of Waterloo	72.5
UBC	70.5
University of Montreal	64.6
University of Alberta	59.4
McGill University	58.5
Simon Fraser University	51.5
McMaster University	47.5
Concordia University	46.0
University of Ottawa	45.6

Having pursued a CS course opens doors to high paying jobs in Canada. International applicants must note that unlike the US universities, many top universities in Canada offer admission to CS courses without GRE scores.

Top Universities in Canada for Doctoral Courses

PhD in Canada is usually a 4-year course, however, students are allowed to complete it in a maximum time frame of 6-years. Pursuing doctorate courses from top universities in Canada is as cheap as 4000 CAD a year. Hence, apart from offering great research opportunities, colleges and universities in Canada also offer cheaper doctoral programs.

Discussed below is the list of top universities in Canada for PhD programs along with the most popular course subject.

University	Fees (CAD/year)	Popular PhDs
University of Toronto	4,500 to 8,900	CS, Epidemiology, Psychology
University of British Columbia	8,700	Economics, Psychology, English
McGill University	19,000	Psychology, Social Work, Economics
McMaster University	16,000	Business, Economics, Mechanical Engineering
University of Montreal	7,500	Economics, CS, Political Science
University of Alberta	9,200	CS, Education, Management
University of Ottawa	6,900	Economics, Management, Law
University of Calgary	12,600	Business, Education, Economics
University of Waterloo	13,400	Accounting, Public Health
Western University	11,180	Psychology, Political Science, Education

Some of the popular doctoral degrees in Canada and the top offering universities are discussed below:

Stream	Popular Universities
Natural Sciences & Mathematics	U of T, McMaster, McGill, UAlberta, University of Calgary
Social Sciences	U of T, UAlberta, University of Montreal, McMaster
Humanities	U of T, McMaster, McGill
Medicine & Health	U of T, UBC, McGill, uOttawa, UAlberta, University of Calgary
Business & Management	UBC, McGill, UAlberta, University of Calgary
Engineering & Technology	U of T, UBC, McGill, uOttawa
Computer Science & IT	U of T, McMaster, McGill
Agriculture & Forestry	U of T, UAlberta, University of Montreal
Applied Sciences	UBC, U of T, McGill, uOttawa
Environment and Earth Sciences	U of T, University of Waterloo

To pursue doctoral courses from universities in Canada you must have a master's degree in a related field, with strong grades and proven research ability and potential.

Top Universities in Canada by Employability

The QS ranks various universities for their graduate employability. Top Canadian universities ranking for graduate employability are discussed below:

University	Graduate Employability Rankings
University of Toronto	21
University of Waterloo	24
Western University	43
McMaster University	81
University of Alberta	99
Queen’s University at Kingston	101-110
University of Calgary	131-140
University de Montreal	191-200
Laval University	201-250
Carleton University	301-500
Concordia University	301-500
Dalhousie University	301-500
Simon Fraser University	301-500
University of Victoria	301-500

The university of graduates from these top universities in Canada are often offered lucrative and high-paying jobs and career opportunities of a lifetime.

Admission to Top Universities in Canada

The basic admission criteria for getting into top universities in Canada are:

Transcripts of high school or college
Letters of recommendations
Test scores of TOEFL/IELTS/PTE, etc
Test scores of GMAT/GRE for PG courses
SOPs
Resume
Other documents depending on the choice of course and university
Canadian Student Visa

The timeline for sending in your applications to top universities in Canada are discussed below:

Month	Details
September/October	Fill in online application form
January/February	Submit all the required documents
March - May	Response is sent by the university
May - July	Apply for and obtain a student visa to Canada
September	Orientation session, program commences

Admission to top universities is often difficult, however, with well written SOPs, personal statements, or statements of interest and excellent LORs you can make up for the average grades.

Scholarships to Study in Top Universities in Canada

To reduce the financial burden, students can apply to scholarship programs for international students initiated by the Government of Canada.

Scholarship	Eligibility	Award	Application
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships	Canadian and Foreign citizens	$54,219 per year (taxable)	Registration at Canadian Common CV and ResearchNet Account
Queen’s University International Scholarship India	Indian applicants with 80% or more	$15,314	No application required
Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships Program	Students from Caribbean Countries pursuing undergraduate and graduate programs	4 months: $5,576; 5-6 months: $7,513; 8 months: $11,386	Canadian institutes register at ‘International Scholarships Canada Application Tool’ for eligible students
Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED)	Students from ASEAN countries	5-6 months: $8,675; 8 months: $11,153	Scholarships Canada Application Tool’ for eligible students
UBC International Major Entrance Scholarship	UG applicant for UBC with high academic grades	Variable	No application required
Queen’s University International Scholarships	For international students with higher academic grades	$6,969	No application required

Check more scholarships to study in Canada, here!

Top Universities in Canada: ROI

The ROI of top universities in Canada are discussed in details below:

Universities	Salaries (CAD/year)
U of T	119,000 to 301,000
UBC	102,000 to 243,000
McGill University	95,000 to 150,000
UWO	112,000 to 114,000
uWaterloo	89,000 to 247,000
Queen’s University	86,000 to 144,000
University de Montreal	50,000 to 150,000
UVic	79,000 to 140,000
uOttawa	55,00 to 163,000

Return on interest for international students may vary as their investments are slightly higher than domestic applicants.

The recent stringency in the student permit policies and the ongoing pandemic has resulted in a lower number of visas issued. This only means greater competition and best minds having the chance to complete their education in Canada.The facets of pursuing higher education with top universities in Canada are numerous including reputation, research facilities, teaching excellence, and much more. In turn, all these things together make Canada the popular study abroad destination it is.

Reviews

Tushar

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario( Recently Passed Out )Master of Science [M.Sc] Pharmacy on-campusMarch 18, 2022

7.7 /10

"My experience with the MSc Pharmacy program at University of Waterloo"

Average Fees : CAD 22,400/ Year

I did my graduation in Pharmacy from Delhi University, and during my career counselling session, I came to know about it and decided to do my master’s from here. I prepared for one year and then applied over here. My application fee was $125, which I paid through my debit card. My university ranks between 201-250, as per University Ranking, THE (Times Higher Education) 2021.

Fees :

My MSc program was of two years and for each year, I paid a tuition fee of around $22,400. My insurance was of $756 and books and textbooks costed me nearly $2,100. I received a scholarship of $5,000, for which I filled the required form and submitted necessary documents like financial statements.

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Raj

The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia( Recently Passed Out )Master of Business Administration [M.B.A] on-campusMarch 18, 2022

7.7 /10

"My experience of one year as a Student of University of British Columbia"

Average Fees : CAD 71,000/ Year

I decided to go to business sector in class 12th, so I started to prepare accordingly. I started preparing during my bachelor’s degree because I wanted to do MBA from abroad. I worked hard to crack GMAT and IELTS examination. I applied at several universities and received offer letter from this university and two others. I selected this university to do MBA because my university ranks among the top 40 universities, according to Global Universities, US News & World Report 2021. I applied through the official website of my university and paid $145 as application fee.

Fees :

My program’s fee structure was quite long. An average amount of $67,500 was my tuition fee, $1,300 was my student fee, $1,200 was paid by me as building fee, $300 was society fee, and global immersion experience fee was $3,750. My textbooks were worth $2,250. I also took a medical service plan of $900. My university offers both merit and need-based scholarships. We just had to apply for it by filling an application form and submit required documents. I received a merit scholarship worth $10,000.

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Nikita

University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario( Current Student )Second Language LearningMarch 16, 2022

8.0 /10

"Masters from University of Ottawa"

What i love about University of Ottawa that it is bilingual campus, it has as many english programs as in French. Its also multi cultural, and lots of diversity of students. We can be connected with students all over.

Campus Life :

At the university of Ottawa, they have all the resources available. They also have mental health services, which i appreciate. They have conferences online, through which we can connect with people of your course of study. In my undergrad at Queen's there were many resources available for students both on campus and off campus. A lot of organizations with which we can be connected, like I was connected with Arts and Science. In university of Ottawa there are exchange programs in France.

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Student (Anonymous)

University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario( Alumna/Alumnus )Master of Business Administration [M.B.A]March 15, 2022

"Life in Toronto"

Average Fees : USD 66,000/ Year

KoI confronted a few difficulties to get a confirmation at this college. I couldn't partake in my school life as I needed to score all-around well and the same goes for my graduation. I likewise rehearsed hard to clear IELTS and GMAT. My application charge was $120 and the application interaction was absolutely on the web. My college is one of the top colleges on the planet. The MBA program was chosen by me since I am an alumnus in this field and needed to layout my vocation in it.

Fees :

My program was for around two years and for one year, my program's educational expense was $66,000. My protection cost me $750, and reading material was around $2,000. I was not granted any grant, so I took an understudy loan from my country

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