The University of British Columbia (UBC) has proven its academic excellence by being ranked among the top 50 universities in the world, snagging the title of the second-best university in Canada — and yep, it even beat McGill!
According to the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, UBC not only secured the runner-up spot nationwide but also was in the top 50 universities worldwide, with 2,092 ranked universities.
This ranking evaluates universities with a methodology based on 157 million citations, 18 million research publications, and survey responses from over 93,000 scholars around the world. "The Times Higher Education World University Rankings are the only global performance tables that judge research-intensive universities across all their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook," the website says.
UBC landed at 41 in the ranking globally but was the second highest-ranked Canadian university on it — behind the University of Toronto which was in 21st place.
Although it fell short of UofT, UBC did manage to come in ahead of the prestigious McGill University, which was 45 in the ranking.
UBC's performance shows that it’s not just a place for scenic campus views — this is a university that's driving innovation and shaping the future.
Whether you're looking to dive into groundbreaking research or just want a top-tier education, UBC is clearly where it's at in Canada.
AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of Narcity's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.
