Maclean’s Canadian University Rankings (Part 3)

Illustration of students on campus

The Maclean’s Canadian University Rankings 2021 are hot off the press!

Canada is home to some of the world’s best universities, and every year students around the world turn to Maclean’s to help them navigate the array of post-secondary options available in Canada.

Our previous posts explored top schools by reputation and top medical doctoral, comprehensive, and primarily undergraduate schools, as well as the best universities by student satisfaction.

Today we’re taking a look at top schools by program, including biology, business, computer science, education, engineering, environmental science, mathematics, nursing, and psychology.

Maclean’s ranks each university in this category by:

  • Overall ranking
  • Program reputation
  • Research reputation

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ApplyBoard Partner Schools

ApplyBoard wants to extend our congratulations to our 20 Canadian partner schools included in Maclean’s Top Universities by Program! We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to work with each of our partner schools on our shared mission to educate the world.

* Denotes a tie

Acadia University

  • Biology: Overall #17, Program Reputation #15*, Research Reputation #18

Brock University

  • Education: Overall #15, Program Reputation #14, Research Reputation #26*

Lakehead University

  • Computer Science: Overall #20*, Program Reputation #22, Research Reputation #21*
  • Education: Overall #16*, Program Reputation #13, Research Reputation #28

Laurentian University

  • Nursing: Overall #20, Program Reputation #23*, Research Reputation #19

McGill University

  • Biology: Overall #3, Program Reputation #3, Research Reputation #1*
  • Business: Overall #3, Program Reputation #5, Research Reputation #3
  • Computer Science: Overall #4, Program Reputation #4, Research Reputation #4
  • Education: Overall #6, Program Reputation #6, Research Reputation #4
  • Engineering: Overall #4, Program Reputation #4, Research Reputation #4
  • Environmental Science: Overall #4, Program Reputation #4, Research Reputation #4
  • Nursing: Overall #5, Program Reputation #4, Research Reputation #5
  • Psychology: Overall #1*, Program Reputation #1*, Research Reputation #1*

Memorial University of Newfoundland

  • Biology: Overall #15, Program Reputation #17*, Research Reputation #14
  • Nursing: Overall #13, Program Reputation #12, Research Reputation #11

Queen’s University

  • Biology: Overall #7, Program Reputation #6, Research Reputation #9
  • Business: Overall #4*, Program Reputation #3, Research Reputation #6
  • Computer Science: Overall #11, Program Reputation #9*, Research Reputation #12
  • Education: Overall #8, Program Reputation #8, Research Reputation #10
  • Engineering: Overall #7, Program Reputation #7, Research Reputation #7
  • Environmental Science: Overall #7, Program Reputation #7, Research Reputation #7
  • Mathematics: Overall #6, Program Reputation #5, Research Reputation #6
  • Nursing: Overall #9, Program Reputation #11, Research Reputation #9
  • Psychology: Overall #10, Program Reputation #8, Research Reputation #9

Ryerson University

  • Business: Overall #16, Program Reputation #11*, Research Reputation #23
  • Computer Science: Overall #17*, Program Reputation #19*, Research Reputation #16
  • Engineering: Overall #17*, Program Reputation #18*, Research Reputation #14*
  • Environmental Science: Overall #17*, Program Reputation #18*, Research Reputation #14*

Trent University

  • Biology: Overall #18, Program Reputation #14, Research Reputation #27*

University of Guelph

  • Biology: Overall #5, Program Reputation #4, Research Reputation #6
  • Business: Overall #19, Program Reputation #21*, Research Reputation #16
  • Engineering: Overall #20, Program Reputation #17, Research Reputation #18*
  • Environmental Science: Overall #20, Program Reputation #17, Research Reputation #18*
  • Mathematics: Overall #20*, Program Reputation #22*, Research Reputation #22
  • Psychology: Overall #16, Program Reputation #14*, Research Reputation #20

University of Lethbridge

  • Education: Overall #13, Program Reputation #10, Research Reputation #17*
  • Nursing: Overall #18, Program Reputation #16*, Research Reputation #20*

University of New Brunswick

  • Mathematics: Overall #20*, Program Reputation #19, Research Reputation #23*
  • Nursing: Overall #15, Program Reputation #14, Research Reputation #16

University of Regina

  • Education: Overall #18, Program Reputation #15, Research Reputation #22

University of Saskatchewan

  • Biology: Overall #19, Program Reputation #23, Research Reputation #15
  • Education: Overall #11*, Program Reputation #12, Research Reputation #9
  • Nursing: Overall #14, Program Reputation #16*, Research Reputation #13*
  • Psychology: Overall #17, Program Reputation #19, Research Reputation #15

University of Victoria

  • Business: Overall #17, Program Reputation #13, Research Reputation #21*
  • Computer Science: Overall #8, Program Reputation #8, Research Reputation #9
  • Education: Overall #10, Program Reputation #18, Research Reputation #6*
  • Engineering: Overall #9, Program Reputation #13*, Research Reputation #8
  • Environmental Science: Overall #9, Program Reputation #13*, Research Reputation #8
  • Mathematics: Overall #13, Program Reputation #13, Research Reputation #12
  • Nursing: Overall #11, Program Reputation #9, Research Reputation #12

University of Waterloo

  • Biology: Overall #10, Program Reputation #11, Research Reputation #11
  • Business: Overall #9, Program Reputation #9, Research Reputation #7
  • Computer Science: Overall #1*, Program Reputation #1*, Research Reputation #1*
  • Engineering: Overall #1*, Program Reputation #1*, Research Reputation #1*
  • Environmental Science: Overall #1*, Program Reputation #1*, Research Reputation #1*
  • Mathematics: Overall #1*, Program Reputation #1*, Research Reputation #1*
  • Psychology: Overall #9, Program Reputation #11, Research Reputation #6*

University of Windsor

  • Education: Overall #14, Program Reputation #17, Research Reputation #11*

Western University

  • Biology: Overall #9, Program Reputation #12, Research Reputation #8
  • Business: Overall #4*, Program Reputation #4, Research Reputation #5
  • Computer Science: Overall #13, Program Reputation #16, Research Reputation #13
  • Education: Overall #7, Program Reputation #9, Research Reputation #8
  • Engineering: Overall #14*, Program Reputation #22, Research Reputation #11*
  • Environmental Science: Overall #14*, Program Reputation #22, Research Reputation #11*
  • Mathematics: Overall #12, Program Reputation #10, Research Reputation #13
  • Nursing: Overall #10, Program Reputation #7, Research Reputation #15
  • Psychology: Overall #4*, Program Reputation #4, Research Reputation #5

Wilfrid Laurier University

  • Business: Overall #18, Program Reputation #14, Research Reputation #21*

York University

  • Business: Overall #8, Program Reputation #8, Research Reputation #8
  • Education: Overall #5, Program Reputation #5, Research Reputation #6*
  • Mathematics: Overall #14, Program Reputation #14*, Research Reputation #14
  • Nursing: Overall #19, Program Reputation #15, Research Reputation #33
  • Psychology: Overall #6, Program Reputation #7, Research Reputation #8

Illustration of school

Top Schools by Program

Biology

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1* University of British Columbia 1* 1*
1* University of Toronto 1* 1*
3 McGill University 3 1*
4 University of Alberta 5 4
5 University of Guelph 4 6
6 McMaster University 7 5
7 Queen’s University 6 9
8 University of Calgary 8 7
9 Western University 12 8
10 University of Waterloo 11 11
11 Dalhousie University 10 12*
12 Simon Fraser University 9 17
13 University of Ottawa 13 10
14 Université de Montréal 19 12*
15 Memorial University of Newfoundland 17* 14
16 Laval University 15* 16
17 Acadia University 15* 18
18 Trent University 14 27*
19 University of Saskatchewan 23 15
20 Université de Sherbrooke 21 21

Business

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1* University of British Columbia 1* 1*
1* University of Toronto 1* 1*
3 McGill University 5 3
4* University of Alberta 6 4
4* Queen’s University 3 6
4* Western University 4 5
7 McMaster University 7 9
8 York University 8 8
9 University of Waterloo 9 7
10 University of Calgary 10 12
11 Université de Montréal 11* 10*
12 Concordia University 16 10
13 Simon Fraser University 15 13
14* Dalhousie University 17* 15
14* Saint Mary’s University 17* 14
16 Ryerson University 11* 23
17 University of Victoria 13 21*
18 Wilfrid Laurier University 14 21*
19 University of Guelph 21* 16
20 Laval University 24 17

Computer Science

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1* University of British Columbia 1* 3
1* University of Toronto 1* 1*
1* University of Waterloo 1* 1*
4 McGill University 4 4
4 University of Alberta 5 5
6 Université de Montréal 7 6
7 Simon Fraser University 6 7
8 University of Victoria 8 9
9 University of Calgary 12 8
10 McMaster University 9* 10
11 Queen’s University 9* 12
12 University of Ottawa 14 11
13 Western University 16 13
14 University of Manitoba 17 14
15 Dalhousie University 11 21*
16 Carleton University 19* 15
17* Laval University 13 20
17* Ryerson University 19* 16
19 Concordia University 18 19
20* Lakehead University 22 21*
20* Université du Québec à Montréal 24 18

Education

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1* University of British Columbia 1* 1*
1* University of Toronto 1* 1*
3 University of Alberta 3 3
4 University of Calgary 4 5
5 York University 5 6*
6 McGill University 6 4
7 Western University 9 8
8 Queen’s University 8 10
9 Simon Fraser University 7 13
10 University of Victoria 18 6*
11* Concordia University 11 11
*11 University of Saskatchewan 12 9
13 University of Lethbridge 10 17*
14 University of Windsor 17 11*
15 Brock University 14 *26
16* Lakehead University 13 28
16* University of Manitoba 16 17*
18 University of Regina 15 22
19 Mount Royal University 19* 15*
20 Université de Montréal 30 14

Engineering

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1* University of Toronto 1* 1*
1* University of Waterloo 1* 1*
3 University of British Columbia 3 3
4 McGill University 4 4
5 University of Alberta 6 5
6 McMaster University 5 6
7 Queen’s University 7 7
8 Université de Montréal 8 9*
9 University of Victoria 13* 8
10 University of Calgary 11* 9*
11 Laval University 10 11*
12 Carleton University 11* 14*
13 Université de Sherbrooke 9 22
14* Concordia University 18* 13
14* Western University 22 11*
16 Dalhousie University 16 14*
17* University of Manitoba 13* 18*
17* Ryerson University 18* 14*
19 University of Ottawa 15 18*
20 University of Guelph 17 18*

Environmental Science

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1 University of British Columbia 1 1
2 University of Toronto 2 2*
3 McGill University 3 4
4 University of Alberta 5 2*
5 University of Waterloo 4 5
6 University of Guelph 6 6
7 University of Saskatchewan 9 7
8* Dalhousie University 10 9
8* Queen’s University 7 11
10 Simon Fraser University 11 10
11 University of Calgary 13 8
12 Trent University 8 16
13 McMaster University 15 12*
14 York University 12 17
15 Western University 14 15
16 University of Victoria 21 12*
17 Université du Québec à Montréal 17 18*
18* Carleton University 22 14
18* University of Manitoba 18* 18*
20 Université de Montréal 18 22

Mathematics

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1* University of British Columbia 1* 1*
1* University of Toronto 1* 1*
1* University of Waterloo 1* 1*
4 McGill University 4 4
5 University of Alberta 6 5
6 Queen’s University 5 6
7 Université de Montréal 7 8*
8 McMaster University 9 7
9 Simon Fraser University 8 8*
10 University of Manitoba 12 10
11 University of Calgary 11 11
12 Western University 10 13
13 University of Victoria 13 12
14 York University 14* 14
15 Université du Québec à Montréal 18 15
16* Carleton University 17 16
16* University of Ottawa 14* 18
18 Dalhousie University 16 17
19 Concordia University 21 20
20* University of Guelph 22* 22
20* Laval University 28 21
20* University of New Brunswick 19 23*

Nursing

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1 University of Toronto 2* 1
2* University of Alberta 1 2*
2* University of British Columbia 2* 2*
4 McMaster University 5 4
5 McGill University 4 5
6 University of Calgary 6 6
7 Dalhousie University 8 7
8 University of Ottawa 10 8
9 Queen’s University 11 9
10 Western University 7 15
11 University of Victoria 9 12
12 Université de Montréal 13 10
13 Memorial University of Newfoundland 12 11
14 University of Saskatchewan 16* 13*
15 University of New Brunswick 14 16
16 University of Manitoba 19 13*
17 St. Francis Xavier University 16* 18
18 University of Lethbridge 16* 20*
19 York University 15 33
20 Laurentian University 23* 19

Psychology

Overall Ranking University Program Reputation Research Reputation
1* University of British Columbia 1* 1*
1* McGill University 1* 1*
1* University of Toronto 1* 1*
4* University of Alberta 6 4
4* Western University 4 5
6 York University 7 8
7 University of Calgary 9 6*
8 Dalhousie University 5 11
9 University of Waterloo 11 6*
10 Queen’s University 8 9
11* Concordia University 10 13
11* McMaster University 13 10
13 Université de Montréal 12 14
14 Simon Fraser University 14* 12
15 Laval University 16 16
16 University of Guelph 14* 20
17 University of Saskatchewan 19 15
18 Carleton University 17 19
19 University of Ottawa 18 18
20 Université du Québec à Montréal 22 17

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