This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive.

University Rankings: McGill University Beat By University Of Toronto For First Time In QS Rankings

LOOK: A New Top Canadian School
Getty

McGill University is no longer Canada’s best school, according to the 2013 QS World University Rankings.

In the latest list, the University of Toronto came in at 17, while McGill ranked 21st. This year marks the first time another Canadian university outranked McGill since the QS World University Rankings were launched in 2004, according to the list’s overview.

Last year, U of T earned the 19th spot, while McGill came in 18th among universities from more 76 countries worldwide.

Three other Canadian schools also made the top 100; University of British Columbia at 49, Université de Montréal at 92, and University of Alberta at 96. A total of In total, 26 Canadian schools made the list of 800 universities.

See a partial list of the QS World University Rankings below and click here for the entire list

Harvard University

Top Universities in the World

In a statement, McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier addressed the school’s drop in the list.

“We are not concerned by our move from 18th to 21st as differences in final scores are marginal among the top-ranking universities,” she said. “One element that worries us, however, is the drop in rank on the student/faculty ratio indicator experienced by McGill and other Canadian universities.”

Fortier added the school needed “adequate investment in higher education” to compete with other institutions around the world.

Ben Sowter, head of research at QS, said the overall drop in Canadian universities’ student-to-faculty ratio scores might have to do with funding shortfalls.

“This could be a sign that Canada’s lack of public funding for post-secondary education, as highlighted in the latest Education at a Glance Report by the OECD, is beginning to take its toll on university resources,” he said in a U of T statement.

University of Toronto President David Naylor said in the press release it was “gratifying” that the school could stay in the top 20 in a “difficult funding climate.”

McGill also slipped behind the University of Toronto on a separate list earlier this year, Yahoo noted. Times Higher Education’s reputation ranking listed U of T at 16 and McGill at 31.

Close
This HuffPost Canada page is maintained as part of an online archive. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.