u of t ranking

U of T ranked top university in Canada for academics

The University of Toronto continues to boast the strongest academic experience in Canada, according to the freshly-released and prestigious Academic Ranking of World Universities for 2020.

In fact, U of T just moved up a spot, from number 24 on last year's list to 23 as of right now.

That's spot number 23 out of more than 2,000 academic institutions around the world, seventh among all public universities in North America, and number 1 (by a long shot) at the national level. Not too shabby at all.

"We are delighted to be ranked the top Canadian university and one of the top 25 universities in the world by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, recognized for its rigour and detail in assessing the research and academic qualities of post-secondary institutions," said U of T vice-president and provost Cheryl Regehr of the news.

"These results reflect the University of Toronto’s position as a world-leading public research university that boasts top-notch faculty and produces exceptional graduates across a wide range of disciplines."

Compiled every year since 2003 by ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, the ranking is based on a number of different factors including a school's research impact, the quality of its facutly members and its overall academic prowess.

The University of Toronto is once again the only Canadian university, public or private, to make the top 25 list in 2020.

Trailing behind at spot number 38 in the global ranking is the University of British Columbia, followed McGill and McMaster at spots 78 and 98, respectively.

Queen's and Western are tied (how rich) in the "201-300" range, because at a certain point down the list, schools aren't even assigned individual rankings anymore.

Locally, York University was ranked 19th-best in Canada and Ryerson came in dead last, tied with Lakehead in the "901-1000" range.

You can see the full breakdown of Canadian schools here, and the world's top 25 universities for academics below:

  1. Harvard University
  2. Stanford University
  3. University of Cambridge
  4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
  5. University of California, Berkeley
  6. Princeton University
  7. Columbia University
  8. California Institute of Technology
  9. University of Oxford
  10. University of Chicago
  11. Yale University
  12. Cornell University
  13. University of California, Los Angeles
  14. Paris-Saclay University
  15. Johns Hopkins University
  16. University College London
  17. University of Washington
  18. University of California, San Diego
  19. University of Pennsylvania
  20. ETH Zurich
  21. University of California, San Francisco
  22. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
  23. University of Toronto
  24. Washington University in St. Louis
  25. Imperial College London
Lead photo by

Franklin McKay


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

A brief history of one of Toronto's pioneering industrial families

Canadians rip on the wealthy upset by the capital gains tax hike

Japanese person shares brutally honest guide to living in Canada

Most Canadian millennials think conventional approach to retirement is outdated

Here are all the Toronto parks where drinking will be permanently allowed

Alcohol in parks in Toronto is now permanent but some neighbourhoods are not happy

Video shows Ontario police throw flashbangs at suspect car in movie-level takedown

City of Toronto has been awarding multimillion-dollar contracts to single bidders