Vimal Sivakumar - 18 October, 2023
The University of Toronto, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia all ranked inside the top 34 of the 2024 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.
As they pick their Canadian educational institution, it is common for international students to consult trusted rankings and evaluators to help choose the best school for their needs. QS is one of many post-secondary institution ranking providers, trusted globally as a leader in analyzing higher education institutions around the world.
Recently, QS released their 2024 World University Rankings. Below is a summary of where the three Canadian schools on this list were ranked. The full list, with a breakdown of scores by factor (the five factors that influence the scoring system are described at the end of this article), can be found here.
Results
21: University of Toronto
Last year, the University of Toronto (UofT) ranked as QS' second-highest Canadian university - placing 34th in 2023. Receiving great scores for academic reputation, employer reputation and both international ratios this year, UofT jumped up to 21 in QS' 2024 rankings (overall score: 86.3). The last time UofT was ranked this high was 2015 (20th).
Note: QS’ 2024 rankings include over 1400 educational institutions across the globe, with the highest score awarded being 100.
30: McGill University
After ranking 31st in these rankings last year, McGill University (McGill) jumped one spot, to 30th overall (overall score: 83.7), in QS’ 2024 World University Rankings. Looking forward to next year, McGill was given high scores – all above 87.5 – for academic reputation, employer reputation, and both international ratios.
34: University of British Columbia
After ranking 47th on QS’ World University Rankings in 2023, the University of British Columbia (UBC) has made a same 13-position jump on the 2024 list after being given great scores for academic reputation, employer reputation and the school’s international faculty ratio. Overall, UBC received a score of 81.5. Until the most recent rankings, UBC has never been ranked higher than 43rd by QS.
About QS’ World University Rankings
The following five-factor methodology is what influences the scores given to each of the 1400 post-secondary institutions ranked by QS every year.00
1. Academic reputation (40%): Obtained by surveying thousands of those “who teach and research” in higher education
2. Faculty/student ratio (20%): Low student-to-faculty ratios and small class sizes are rewarded because “a more personalized and collaborative learning environment” is considered advantageous by QS
3. Citations per faculty (20%): The number of times papers produced by a particular institution’s faculty members (in the last five years) are cited by different publications; considered a measure of the school’s reliability with respect to academic writings
4. Employer reputation (10%): Employers around the world are asked to “name [up to 10 (local) and 30 (international) universities that] they believe tend to produce some of the most employable graduates”
5. International faculty/student ratio (10%): The ratios of international faculty members to domestic faculty members and international students to domestic students (as reported by the university and verified against government data where possible), each one with a 5% weight
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