Canadian University Rankings: Maclean’s vs QS vs THE

Key takeaways

Maclean’s compares 50 Canadian universities inside three groups; QS and THE rank universities worldwide
Reputation surveys carry 45% of the QS score, about 33% of THE’s, and 20% of Maclean’s medical-doctoral score
Recent leaders: McGill is Canada’s top school in QS 2027 (30th); U of T is Canada’s top school in THE (21st in 2026, 22nd in 2027)
No ranking includes international tuition, PGWP rules or your chance of admission
All bachelor’s degrees are exempt from the PGWP field of study rule, whatever the school’s rank

What do the three rankings measure?

Feature	Maclean’s (Canada)	QS World University Rankings	THE World University Rankings
Scope	50 Canadian universities	Over 1,500 universities worldwide (2027 edition)	2,297 institutions from 118 countries and territories (2027 edition)
Groups	Medical Doctoral, Comprehensive, Primarily Undergraduate	One global list	One global list
Main areas	Students, faculty, resources, student support, reputation	Research, employability, learning experience, global engagement, sustainability	Teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, industry
Weight of reputation surveys	20% (medical-doctoral group)	45% (academic 30% + employer 15%)	33% (teaching 15% + research 18%)
Weight of citations	Not used; uses research grants and awards	20% (citations per faculty)	15% (citation impact), inside a 30% research quality pillar
Spending on students	Yes: scholarships, student services, library	No	Institutional income (2.5%)

Sources: University of Saskatchewan fact sheet on the 2026 Maclean’s rankings; QS methodology guide; THE World University Rankings 2026 and 2027 methodologies. This table summarizes methods. It does not reproduce any ranking list.

Maclean’s: a Canadian comparison by school type

Maclean’s magazine ranks Canadian universities against peers of the same type. It uses data from Statistics Canada and federal research granting agencies, plus a reputation survey of university staff, students, high school counsellors and employers.

For the medical-doctoral group (15 universities with medical schools and many PhD programs), the 2026 weights were:

Students: student awards 10%, student/faculty ratio 10%
Faculty: faculty awards 8%, research grants 6% + 6%, research dollars per faculty 8%
Resources: operating spending per student 5%, library spending 5% + 4%
Student support: scholarships and bursaries 9%, student services 9%
Reputation survey: 20%

A few 2026 results, as announced by the universities themselves: McGill was first among medical-doctoral universities for the 21st year in a row; Simon Fraser University was first among comprehensive universities; Mount Allison was first among primarily undergraduate universities, for the 26th time. For the full lists, see Maclean’s.

QS: a global ranking driven by reputation

QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) is a UK company. Its world ranking uses nine indicators. QS says academic reputation counts for 30% and citations per faculty for 20%. Employer reputation counts for 15%. Employment outcomes, international research network and sustainability count for 5% each. The remaining 20% comes from faculty-student ratio and international faculty and student ratios.

Almost half of the score comes from surveys. Because of this, well-known older universities tend to do well. McGill says it ranked 30th in the world in the QS 2027 rankings, published June 2026. That made it the top-ranked Canadian university in QS for another year.

THE: a global ranking driven by research

Times Higher Education (THE) groups its indicators into five pillars. In its 2026 and 2027 methodologies, the weights are teaching 29.5%, research environment 29%, research quality 30%, international outlook 7.5% and industry 4%. Research reputation alone is 18%, and citation impact is 15%.

The University of Toronto says it ranked first in Canada and 21st in the world in the THE 2026 rankings. In the THE 2027 edition, THE’s own profile page lists U of T at 22nd in the world. THE’s profile pages list McGill at 43rd and UBC at 44th in the same edition. Check THE’s website for the newest positions.

Why lists disagree. QS rewards reputation and employer views more. THE rewards research output and funding more. Maclean’s rewards spending on students and compares only similar schools. A school can move many places just because of method changes.

What rankings leave out: cost

No ranking includes what international students pay. Fees can differ by tens of thousands of dollars between schools with similar positions. Real 2026-27 examples:

School and program	International tuition, 2026-27
University of Toronto, Arts & Science, first year	$66,110 (plus $2,100.29 fees and $948 UHIP)
UBC Vancouver, Arts, 30 credits	$51,530.40
UBC Vancouver, Science, 30 credits	$53,082.00
Canadian average, international undergraduate (Statistics Canada)	$42,062

Over four years, a $10,000 yearly difference becomes $40,000 or more. Compare more schools in engineering tuition compared and tuition fees in Canada.

What rankings leave out: work permits

A school’s rank does not change your post-graduation work permit (PGWP) rules. What matters, as of October 2026:

The school must be PGWP-eligible. Check the designated learning institution (DLI) list. See how to choose a DLI.
Degree type: bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees are exempt from the PGWP field of study requirement. Many college programs must be in an eligible field.
Program length: a program of 2 years or more can lead to a PGWP of up to 3 years. IRCC says master’s graduates can apply for a 3-year PGWP if the program was at least 8 months long.

Use the PGWP eligibility checker to test a specific program.

How to use rankings without being misled

Use subject or program data, not just the overall rank. An overall rank says little about one department.
Compare total cost, including fees and health insurance.
Check admission rules. Some programs, such as some nursing degrees, do not admit international students.
Look at co-op and work options in the program.
Think about the city: rent and transit costs differ a lot. See student cost of living by city.
Be careful with agents who push a school because of its rank. Read study in Canada scams.

Common questions

Which is the best university in Canada?

It depends on the ranking and on what you need. McGill was Canada’s top school in QS 2027, and U of T was Canada’s top school in THE 2026 and 2027. Maclean’s ranks schools in three separate groups.

Why do QS and THE give different results?

They weigh things differently. QS puts 45% on reputation surveys. THE puts more weight on research quality and funding, with about 33% from reputation.

Does a university’s ranking affect my PGWP?

No. The school must be PGWP-eligible and your program must meet IRCC rules. Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees are exempt from the field of study requirement.

Do rankings include tuition?

No. None of the three includes international tuition. In 2026-27, for example, U of T Arts & Science lists $66,110 and UBC Arts lists $51,530.40.

Sources

Checked against these sources on October 10, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

University rankings in Canada: how Maclean’s, QS and THE work, and what they leave out