Canada’s top universities in 2026 were revealed & McGill missed out on first place (again)

A new ranking of Canadian academic institutions is out, and Montreal’s McGill University passed with flying colours.

Last week, CourseCompare released its 2026 list of Canada’s best universities, and McGill landed near the top. But if you’re a McGill student hoping for a change from last year, you might be disappointed.

The school came in at number two — the exact same spot it held in 2025. And the university that beat it? Also the same. The University of Toronto took first place for the second year running.

For context, CourseCompare’s ranking focuses heavily on career readiness, evaluating schools based on job placement rates, industry connections, and how well they prepare students for employment after graduation. McGill’s got serious academic credibility and research strength, but U of T keeps winning when it comes to getting students hired.

Why Toronto kept the top spot

U of T’s advantages are pretty easy to identify. The school has over 700 undergraduate programs and maintains partnerships with major employers like Google, Amazon, and Apple. Those relationships give students access to co-op placements and internships at some of the biggest names in tech and business.

The school’s also sitting on a $3.2 billion endowment and has an alumni network of more than 560,000 graduates spread across industries.

McGill’s showing

McGill held steady at number two, which tracks with its reputation. The school’s known for research in neuroscience, medicine, and climate science, and it draws one of the most diverse student bodies in Canada, since thousands of students from 150 countries choose Montreal every year.

McGill’s working with a $1.9 billion endowment and a 16:1 student-teacher ratio, which is significantly better than U of T’s 30:1. Around 80 percent of Bachelor of Commerce grads find jobs within six months of graduating, so the school’s not exactly leaving students hanging.

But CourseCompare’s methodology weighs industry partnerships and employment networks more heavily than research and academics, which is where Toronto keeps edging Montreal out. This is the second year in a row McGill’s finished behind U of T in this ranking, and it mirrors other 2024 results like the Times Higher Education Global Employability list.

Montreal schools in the top 20

McGill wasn’t Montreal’s only representative. Université de Montréal landed at number six, boosted by research institutions like Mila — Quebec’s AI research centre founded by AI expert Yoshua Bengio — and partnerships with companies like Desjardins, National Bank, and Cirque du Soleil.

Concordia University rounded things out at number 20. The school’s Faculty of Fine Arts is one of Canada’s largest, and its District 3 Innovation Hub works with over 150 companies and startups to connect students with real-world projects and job placements.

Three Montreal schools in the top 20 is a solid showing for one city, even if first place keeps going to Toronto.

The full list

Here’s how the rest of Canada’s top universities stacked up:

1. University of Toronto
2. McGill University
3. University of British Columbia
4. University of Alberta
5. University of Calgary
6. Université de Montréal
7. McMaster University
8. Western University
9. Queen’s University
10. University of Ottawa
11. University of Waterloo
12. Dalhousie University
13. University of Saskatchewan
14. University of Manitoba
15. Simon Fraser University
16. University of Victoria
17. University of Guelph
18. York University
19. Wilfrid Laurier University
20. Concordia University