Top Universities in Canada for International Students 2024 - QS Ranking

University rankings play a major role when deciding on the country where students wish to study abroad. Canada has always been a top study-abroad destination owing to its reputed universities, variety of courses, and affordable tuition fees. The presence of some of the top universities in Canada for international students is another major reason to study in Canada. When it comes to the top universities in Canada, two major ranking engines QS and Times Higher Education (THE), rank University of Toronto, McGill University, and University of British Columbia as the three top universities in Canada. These three universities also feature among the 50 world universities in the QS ranking for 2024. Canada is known to have some of the best colleges in the world. Read this article to learn more about the top universities in Canada.
TOP EXAMS: IELTS | TOEFL | GRE | GMAT
Country Guide: UK | Ireland | Australia | Canada

Latest: Canada Country Guide

This Story also Contains

1. Top Universities in Canada
2. Why Study at the Top Universities in Canada?
3. Top 10 Universities in Canada
4. Top Universities in Canada for MBA
5. Top Universities in Canada for Computer Science
6. Top Universities in Canada for Engineering

Top Universities in Canada

These are the rankings of the top ten Canadian universities according to QS rankings 2024 and THE ranking 2024. These are the top 50 universities in Canada nation as well.

Canadian University Ranking

For details on the top 50 universities in Canada, click here.

Why Study at the Top Universities in Canada?

There are multiple reasones that attracts international students to study in top universities in Canada. A few major reasons are given below:

• Canada universities are among the top world universities for international students. Most universities in Canada are ranked among the top universities in multiple disciplines like engineering, business, communication, and social sciences.

• Canada universities offer exclusive research programmes for undergraduate and master’s courses. This allows students to access to cutting-edge knowledge and opportunities to work in real-life settings.

• Canada attracts students from various countries all over the world which offers a rich and diverse learning environment for international students.

• Studying in top universities in Canada have access to a strong alumni network that can help students with their career.

Top 10 Universities in Canada

Here are details of the 10 top universities in Canada for international students. These are some of the best universities in Canada for Indian students.

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is known for its excellent teaching and research facilities in North America. It has some of the best engineering, medical, and law programmes in Canada. The Toronto University in Canada ranks 21 according to QS rankings 2024 and is one of the best colleges for engineering. The University of Toronto has a structured collegiate system similar to Oxford and Cambridge. The University has launched 150 research-based startups on the campus. Students can choose programmes from 700+ courses offered by the university according to their requirements. This is one of the top universities in Canada for international students.

McGill University

This is among the top universities in Canada and has a considerable number of international students. The university is known for its focus on research, and it has excellent facilities for students. McGill University features in the top 50 among world universities. The university has an internationally diverse student community from over 150 countries. The international students comprise about 26% of the students at McGill University. The university offers more than 400+ graduate programmes and 300+ undergraduate programmes for students.

University of British Columbia

Among the top universities in Canada 2024, this university is among the world’s best research universities. It is home to a state-of-the-art subatomic physics research lab. It is also ranked under the category of being North America's most international university with students from more than 166 countries studying here.

Related reading

• Most affordable universities in Canada
• Top reasons to study in Canada
• Work after study in Canada

University of Alberta

The University of Alberta offers around 200 undergraduate courses in 18 subjects and has more than 400 research laboratories. The university offers more than 28 million CAD in scholarships and has good residency options for students. The university has research-intensive courses and has more than 9000 international students. This is one of the best universities in Canada.

University of Montreal

The University of Montreal and its affiliated schools- the HEC Montreal and Polytechnique Montreal are some of the best higher education institutions in Quebec. The university has consistently maintained its high ranking and is home to 69,000 students of which 10,000 are international students. Most of the courses in the university are offered in the French language and it's the main eligibility criteria for Indian students to apply for any graduate programmes in the university.

McMaster university

McMaster University is one of the top universities in Canada. The university is renowned for its innovative teaching methods and has qualified faculty members, it is a research-intensive university. It is among the top three research institutions in Canada. It has a diverse student population with students from all over the world with Indian students as a significant part of the student population. Admissions to the class of 2024 have been offered to 6,426 international students from around 140 countries. There are around 32,119 UG and 5,251 PG students are there at McMaster University.

University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo was established in 1957 and is today known for its entrepreneurial activities and experiential learning activities. The university is known for its global network of students. It has more than 30,000 international students who come from 120 countries. Generally, the admission intakes are in September of the year. Students with good academic credentials having a minimum of 75% in their academics can apply for admission. The university has ranked consistently among the top universities in Canada every year.

University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa offers more than 550 graduate and undergraduate programmes which students can choose from. It helps students customize a degree course as per their specifications. This is a bilingual public research university that has more than 40,000 international students. Admissions at the University of Ottawa are highly competitive with only a 12% acceptance rate. The average cost of attendance at the University of Ottawa is CAD 45,000 per year.

University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is one of the top 20 universities in Canada in 2024 and was established in 1966. It has five campuses. The university provides more than 100 programmes at the undergraduate level and has more than 70 graduate and certification programmes through its 14 faculties. University of Calgary is home to 33,000 students with over 26,000 UG students and 6000 students enrolled in graduate programmes. The University of Calgary acceptance rate is only 15% for international students.

Western University

One of the best universities in Canada for Indian students, Western University offers a number of research-based courses. The university has 66 Canada research chairs and even an Excellence Research Chair. International students can get quality education, especially in research-based classes.

Top Universities in Canada for MBA

An MBA from the best universities in Canada is well-renowned and brings high returns. Some of the top universities in Canada for MBA offer an excellent alternative to USA. Prospects must know that competition for top MBA universities in Canada tends to be high requiring high academic standing along with professional experience. Some of the top universities for MBA in Canada are:

1. Schulich School (York University)
2. Rotman School Of Management (University of Toronto)
3. Sauder School Of Business (University of British Columbia)
4. Desautels McGill University
5. Smith Queen’s University
6. University of Alberta
7. Ivey Business School
8. HEC Montréal
9. John Molson School Of Business
10. University of Canada West

Top Universities in Canada for Masters

The best universities in Canada offer a wide range of postgraduate programmes in a range of subjects. The table below lists some of the top universities in Canada for MS.

Top Universities for Master's Courses in Canada

Top Universities in Canada for Computer Science

The top universities in Canada for computer science which is a popular subject for Indian students to study In Canada are:

1. University of Toronto
2. University of Waterloo
3. University of Montreal
4. McGill University
5. University of British Columbia

Top Universities in Canada for Engineering

Many universities in Canada are ranked for engineering and many international students come to Canada to study engineering.

Top Universities for Engineering in Canada

1. University of Toronto
2. University of British Columbia
3. University of Waterloo
4. McGill University
5. University of Alberta
6. University de Montreal
7. Queen's University at Kingston
8. McMaster University
9. The University of Western Ontario
10. University of Ottawa

These are the details of some of the top universities in Canada for international students. The list of top universities in Canada indicates that these universities provide high-quality education and have a diverse student population. In order to study at top universities in Canada for international students, students must meet the eligibility and admission requirements.