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Of course, there’s much more to the Canadian higher education system than just these two schools. However, both McGill and Toronto perform consistently well and offer a varied range of subjects. With both schools performing at a highly impressive level, your choice is likely to be a more personal one.
To help any lucky prospective students facing this choice, here’s a look at how these two top universities in Canada measure up on key indicators, followed by a more detailed comparison.
QS World University Rankings
At rankings level, the differences between the two top universities in Canada are minimal – both are clearly among the world’s leading institutions and score well across all of the indicators used to compile the rankings. Both schools perform particularly well when it comes to reputation.
See how they compare to the other top universities in Canada in the latest QS World University Rankings below.
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject, the two Canadian universities have similar sets of subject strengths: both score highly for arts and humanities as well as life sciences and medicine. Let's compare how the two universities perform in each of the individual subjects.
McGill University
University of Toronto
Accounting and Finance
56
17
Agriculture and Forestry
=79
=76
Anatomy and Physiology
=5
=5
Anthropology
=30
12
Archaeology
101-150
31
Architecture and Built Environment
51-100
51-100
Art and Design
--
51-100
Art History
--
--
Arts and Humanities
=36
14
Biological Sciences
=44
22
Business and Management Studies
60
33
Chemistry
54
=17
Classics and Ancient History
51-150
=42
Communication and Media Studies
51-100
29
Computer Science and Information Systems
48
12
Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
30
10
Dentistry
51-120
51-120
Development Studies
51-100
35
Earth and Marine Sciences
46
=25
Economics and Econometrics
90
21
Education and Training
=28
10
Engineering - Chemical
=44
=23
Engineering - Civil and Structural
51-100
27
Engineering - Electrical and Electronic
=58
16
Engineering - Mechanical
=49
38
Engineering - Mineral and Mining
3
12
Engineering - Petroleum
--
--
Engineering and Technology
=45
17
English Language and Literature
43
13
Environmental Sciences
=21
=21
Geography
51-100
13
Geology
=41
30
Geophysics
=38
=29
History
=44
16
Hospitality and Leisure Management
--
--
Law and Legal Studies
=41
=16
Library and Information Management
22
15
Life Sciences and Medicine
=27
13
Linguistics
26
=23
Marketing
51-100
=36
Materials Sciences
=57
36
Mathematics
=72
=16
Medicine
28
14
Modern Languages
37
18
Music
14
--
Natural Sciences
48
20
Nursing
41
4
Performing Arts
21
50
Pharmacy and Pharmacology
=58
13
Philosophy
51-100
10
Physics and Astronomy
=69
31
Politics
44
=34
Psychology
25
13
Social Policy and Administration
=46
18
Social Sciences and Management
39
14
Sociology
48
14
Sports-Related Subjects
36
4
Statistics and Operational Research
51-100
17
Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies
27
10
Veterinary Science
51-100
--
Location
Choosing between these two top universities in Canada also means making a choice between their respective cities – Montréal and Toronto. Both are in the south-east of Canada, although Toronto’s a little further south, and both are large cities – the two largest by population in the country.
While Toronto is accepted as Canada’s commercial and financial capital, both cities can make strong claims to be the country’s leading cultural hub. As well as vibrant music, film and nightlife scenes, both cities boast extremely high levels of international diversity.
Though Toronto may be slightly more diverse overall, Montréal has a more internationally diverse student community.
One of the main differences between the two cities is language. Toronto is English-speaking, while Montréal, where McGill is located, is in the French-speaking province of Quebec. However, most teaching at McGill is conducted in English, and proof of English proficiency is an application requirement.
It should also be noted that while the University of Toronto’s main campus is right in the heart of the city, it also has two additional campuses, one in Scarborough (a district in the east of the city) and another in Mississauga (a neighbouring city to the west).
Student community
The University of Toronto's student population is significantly larger than McGill's. As well as being split across three campuses, the University of Toronto makes its huge community more manageable by using a college system, similar to that at Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) in the UK. Applicants to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences choose one of seven colleges, each of which provides a smaller student community within the overall university.
So, if your decision about where to study in Canada can’t be made based on the course that best matches your own academic interests and career plans, lifestyle factors could certainly help tip the balance. Maybe you want to practice your French, or perhaps you like the idea of being part of a smaller college community and a member of a very large student body.
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McGill University or University of Toronto?
Laura Bridgestock
Updated Aug 18, 2022Table of contents
Table of contents
If you’ve decided to study in Canada, chances are you’ve whittled it down to two of the country’s best-performing universities: the University of Toronto and McGill University. These universities are among the best in Canada according to the QS World University Rankings.
Of course, there’s much more to the Canadian higher education system than just these two schools. However, both McGill and Toronto perform consistently well and offer a varied range of subjects. With both schools performing at a highly impressive level, your choice is likely to be a more personal one.
To help any lucky prospective students facing this choice, here’s a look at how these two top universities in Canada measure up on key indicators, followed by a more detailed comparison.
QS World University Rankings
At rankings level, the differences between the two top universities in Canada are minimal – both are clearly among the world’s leading institutions and score well across all of the indicators used to compile the rankings. Both schools perform particularly well when it comes to reputation.
See how they compare to the other top universities in Canada in the latest QS World University Rankings below.
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
Subject strengths
In the QS World University Rankings by Subject, the two Canadian universities have similar sets of subject strengths: both score highly for arts and humanities as well as life sciences and medicine. Let's compare how the two universities perform in each of the individual subjects.
Location
Choosing between these two top universities in Canada also means making a choice between their respective cities – Montréal and Toronto. Both are in the south-east of Canada, although Toronto’s a little further south, and both are large cities – the two largest by population in the country.
While Toronto is accepted as Canada’s commercial and financial capital, both cities can make strong claims to be the country’s leading cultural hub. As well as vibrant music, film and nightlife scenes, both cities boast extremely high levels of international diversity.
Though Toronto may be slightly more diverse overall, Montréal has a more internationally diverse student community.
One of the main differences between the two cities is language. Toronto is English-speaking, while Montréal, where McGill is located, is in the French-speaking province of Quebec. However, most teaching at McGill is conducted in English, and proof of English proficiency is an application requirement.
It should also be noted that while the University of Toronto’s main campus is right in the heart of the city, it also has two additional campuses, one in Scarborough (a district in the east of the city) and another in Mississauga (a neighbouring city to the west).
Student community
The University of Toronto's student population is significantly larger than McGill's. As well as being split across three campuses, the University of Toronto makes its huge community more manageable by using a college system, similar to that at Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge) in the UK. Applicants to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences choose one of seven colleges, each of which provides a smaller student community within the overall university.
So, if your decision about where to study in Canada can’t be made based on the course that best matches your own academic interests and career plans, lifestyle factors could certainly help tip the balance. Maybe you want to practice your French, or perhaps you like the idea of being part of a smaller college community and a member of a very large student body.
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The former editor of TopUniversities.com, Laura oversaw the site's editorial content and student forums. She also edited the QS Top Grad School Guide and contributed to market research reports, including 'How Do Students Use Rankings?'
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