Four Canadian universities rank in global top 0.4%
University of Toronto holds first place nationally for fourth consecutive year in CWUR rankings.
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Four Canadian universities landed in the top 0.4 per cent globally in the 2026 World University Rankings from the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), which assessed 21,291 institutions worldwide.
The University of Toronto retained its top spot nationally, ranking 23rd in the world for the fourth consecutive year. McGill University placed second nationally at 28th globally, though it dropped five spots from last year's ranking of 23rd. The University of British Columbia came in third at 49th globally, while the University of Alberta rounded out the top four at 82nd.
Universities are scored on four criteria: education, employability, faculty, and research. UBC slipped one spot from 48th, and Alberta also fell one position from 81st.
For Vancouver readers, UBC's top-50 global ranking reinforces the city's status as a research hub, even as the university faces the competitive pressures that are shifting rankings across Canada's elite institutions.