Students walk inside a campus of the University of Toronto in Canada. Photo courtesy of the university |
According to the 2025 rankings of the best universities announced by Times Higher Education (THE) earlier this month, the highest-ranked Canadian institution is the University of Toronto, which holds 21st place globally, maintaining its position from last year.
It is followed by the University of British Columbia (41st globally) and McGill University (45th globally).
The remaining seven universities are outside the global top 100: McMaster University, the University of Alberta, the University of Montreal, the University of Waterloo, the University of Ottawa, the University of Calgary, and Western University.
The proportion of international students at these institutions ranges from 22% to 34% of the total student population, according to the THE.
Tuition fees for international students vary by program.
The highest fees are found at the University of Waterloo, where programs such as Computer Science or the double degree in Business Administration and Computer Science cost up to CA$73,000 per year.
The lowest fees among the top schools are at the University of Calgary, with CA$15,800 annually for the Veterinary program. On average, tuition for international students typically ranges between CA$30,000 and CA$40,000.
| No | University | Global ranking | Estimated tuition tees (CAD) |
1 | University of Toronto | 21 | 61,720 |
2 | University of British Columbia | 41 | 44,600 – 61,500 |
3 | McGill University | 45 | 30,000 – 70,000 |
4 | McMaster University | 116 | 40,300 – 45,700 |
5 | University of Alberta | 116 | 31,000 – 40,300 |
6 | University of Montreal | 125 | 28,700 |
7 | University of Waterloo | 163 | 50,000 – 73,000 |
8 | University of Ottawa | 191 | 21,600 – 38,000 |
9 | University of Calgary | 201-250 | 15,800 – 43,500 |
10 | Western University | 201-250 | 41,000 – 63,600 |
Canada welcomed over one million international students last year, making it one of the top two study destinations globally, alongside the U.S. This growth is partially attributed to Canada’s favorable Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) policies, with permits ranging from 8 to 36 months, depending on the length of the program.
International education contributes over CAD$22 billion to the Canadian economy annually.
Approximately 40% of international students in Canada come from India, followed by China (12%). There are more than 17,000 Vietnamese students in Canada.
However, since October last year, Canada has tightened regulations on international students due to increasing immigration, which has put pressure on the housing market. Starting Nov. 1, international students must be enrolled in programs listed by the Canadian Immigration Department to qualify for a PGWP, among other requirements.
The THE 2025 rankings include data from over 2,000 higher education institutions across 115 countries and territories. Universities are evaluated based on 18 criteria divided into five categories: teaching (29.5%), research environment (29%), research quality (30%), international outlook (7.5%), and industry income and patents (4%).
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