Three Canadian universities in the QS World University Rankings

Three Canadian universities in the QS World University Rankings

When international students are in the process of selecting a Canadian educational institution, it is common for them to refer to reputable rankings and evaluators for guidance in order to choose the most suitable school for their educational needs.

One such highly regarded evaluator is Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a globally recognized authority in assessing higher education institutions across the globe.

In fact, in 2013, QS achieved the distinction of being the first organization to gain approval from the “International Ranking Expert Group (IREG)” for three of its research outputs related to global and regional university rankings. IREG is an international non-profit association comprising ranking organizations, universities, and other stakeholders with a shared interest in university rankings and academic excellence.

This article will center on the rankings of three Canadian universities: the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia in the updated 2024 QS World University Rankings.

Results: QS’ World University Rankings 2024

In their most recent release of the World University Rankings for 2024, QS has recognized three Canadian universities as part of the world’s top educational institutions. More precisely, QS has positioned one university in Ontario, one in Quebec, and one in British Columbia, which are three of the most sought-after provinces for newcomers to Canada, all within the top 34 universities globally.

Please note that QS’ 2024 rankings encompass over 1400 educational institutions worldwide, with the highest possible score being 100.

Beneath each university listed below, this article will provide the institution’s overall score as well as its individual scores in each of the five key factors that contribute to the final score (more details on the QS methodology will be explained later in this article).

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University of Toronto (overall score: 86.3)

Surpassing its 34th position in the QS World University Rankings for 2023, the University of Toronto (UofT) now stands as the top-ranking educational institution in Canada for the 2024 rankings. The University of Toronto has received excellent ratings for its academic reputation, employer reputation, and international ratios. With three campuses situated in Ontario, it holds a distinguished status as one of the world’s leading higher education institutions.

The 2024 QS ranking marks the highest position the University of Toronto (UofT) has achieved since 2015 when it was ranked 20th.

Here are the individual scores for the University of Toronto:

• Academic Reputation: 99.7
• Faculty/Student Ratio: 54.2
• Citations per Faculty: 57.2
• Employer Reputation: 96
• International Faculty/Student Ratio: 95.7 (Faculty) and 96.4 (Student)

As for McGill University (McGill), it was ranked 31st in the QS World University Rankings for 2023.

In 2024, McGill has received commendable scores, all surpassing 87.5, in the following areas:

• Academic Reputation: 93.7
• Faculty/Student Ratio: 64
• Citations per Faculty: 62.1
• Employer Reputation: 87.6
• International Faculty/Student Ratio: 88.9 (Faculty) and 93.3 (Student)

McGill, with two campuses in the province of Quebec, has consistently ranked in the top 35 universities globally in the QS rankings every year since 2012.

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The University of British Columbia (UBC) secured the 34th position in the 2024 QS World University Rankings, with an overall score of 81.5. This represents a significant improvement from its 47th position in the 2023 rankings, marking a 13-position leap. UBC has garnered strong scores in various categories, including academic reputation, employer reputation, and the international faculty ratio.

Here are the individual scores for the University of British Columbia:

• Academic Reputation: 98.2
• Faculty/Student Ratio: 44.4
• Citations per Faculty: 57
• Employer Reputation: 93.5
• International Faculty/Student Ratio: 96.4 (Faculty) and 74.1 (Student)

UBC has two campuses located in the province of British Columbia, with one in Vancouver and another in Kelowna. Notably, this year’s 34th position is the highest that UBC has ever achieved in the history of QS’ World University Rankings, as it had never been ranked higher than 43rd prior to this year.

QS’ World University Rankings employ a five-factor methodology to determine university rankings, which will be further explained in the article.

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The QS World University Rankings employ a comprehensive methodology that takes into account the following five key factors, each with its respective weight:

1. Academic Reputation (40%): This factor constitutes the largest portion of the ranking (40%) and is determined through extensive surveys of individuals actively involved in teaching and research within higher education institutions. Their insights and opinions are collected to assess the academic standing and prestige of universities.
2. Faculty/Student Ratio (20%): The faculty/student ratio holds a 20% weight in the rankings. Universities with lower student-to-faculty ratios and smaller class sizes are rewarded for creating a more personalized and collaborative learning environment, which is perceived as an advantage by QS.
3. Citations per Faculty (20%): This factor also contributes 20% to the ranking score. It assesses the number of times that academic papers produced by a university’s faculty members over the last five years are cited by various publications. This metric reflects the institution’s influence and reliability within the academic community.
4. Employer Reputation (10%): A 10% weight is assigned to employer reputation, which is determined by asking employers worldwide to name up to 10 local and 30 international universities that they believe produce highly employable graduates. This metric reflects the quality and marketability of a university’s graduates.
5. International Faculty/Student Ratio (10%): The international faculty/student ratio carries a 10% weight. It evaluates the proportions of international faculty members to domestic faculty members and international students to domestic students. These ratios are reported by the university and verified against government data where possible, with the aim of measuring the global diversity and internationalization of the university.

These factors collectively contribute to the final ranking of universities in the QS World University Rankings, providing a well-rounded assessment of their academic quality, impact, and global recognition.

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