Best universities in Toronto 2024

The top three universities in Toronto 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities in Toronto

On the shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto is Canada’s largest city and offers an attractive blend of campus learning and big city living. 

Students of all disciplines can study here, what with its plethora of high-ranking universities and the fees and living costs that are lower than in the US. These are the best universities in Toronto based on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024.

From volunteer work to internships to professional roles, Toronto offers a promising job scene for students. As well as clubs, societies and sporting organisations to help pave the way for future employment, many universities also have their own newspapers, radio stations, and student-run blogs.

There is much to explore and enjoy in your free time, from the vibrant neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Koreatown and Little Italy to events such as TIFF and Nuit Blanche, a free all-night contemporary arts festival, and for fashionistas, the Ryerson Mass Exodus.

Getting around the city is easy and good value for money, with Presto, the electronic payment card system, enabling students to move around the city and top up funds using their mobile phones.  

How to apply to university in Canada
The cost of studying at a university in Canada
A guide to student bank accounts in Canada
Scholarships in Canada for international students
Top universities in Canada ranked by employers

3. Toronto Metropolitan University

The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) was founded in 1948, offering 60 undergraduate programmes and 55 postgraduate degree programmes to a student body of approximately 46,000.

The university is well known for its city campus and interesting buildings. 

TMU is located in the Garden District of Toronto with the heart of campus based in Kerr Hall. The perimeter is marked by Gerrard Street to the north, Jarvis Street to the east, Dundas Street East to the south, and Yonge Street to the west.

The university spreads across more than 40 buildings with the 11 storey Toronto Metropolitan University Library serving as the main academic library.

2. York University

York University was established in 1959 as a non-denominational institution and has grown to become a leading international teaching and research university. 

With approximately 53,000 students from 178 countries, York has one of the largest and most diverse student bodies in Canada.

The university spearheads a series of programmes and 8,500 experiential education opportunities, including internships, community placements, co-ops and capstone projects, which help students prepare for the changing world. 

At 457 acres, the main Keele campus is Canada’s largest postsecondary site. The Glendon campus, which is home to Glendon College, offers courses taught in both French and English. Outside Toronto, York has satellite campuses in Hyderabad, India, and Costa Rica, which continue to expand. Students at York’s Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School, as well as in the liberal arts, creative and performing arts, professional studies, health, engineering, education and sciences have the opportunity to study at these sites.

Notable alumni include actor Rachel McAdams, entertainer and comedian Lilly Singh, evolutionary biologist and television show host Dan Riskin, Toronto Star columnist Chantal Hébert and writer and producer of The Simpsons, Joel Cohen.

1. University of Toronto

The University of Toronto was founded in 1827, it offers more than 700 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate degree programmes to a student body of almost 60,000.

The university is well known for its courses in medicine, business, engineering, humanities and education.

The University of Toronto has several campuses, with its downtown St George campus likened to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge on account of its mix of green space and historical architecture.

The university's Mississauga campus, on the banks of the Credit River to the west of the city, includes 225 acres of protected green belt, while its Scarborough campus, which is home to students studying the more hands-on, lab-based disciplines, is also home to a new aquatics centre.

The university attracts many sports fans and has a strong reputation in football and ice hockey. Other campus attractions include more than 1,000 student organisations as well as a recreational centre and student facilities that include an art gallery, theatre and concert hall.

It has 44 libraries, comprising 19.5 million physical holdings and more than 6.4 million electronic holdings – making it the third largest library system in North America.

International students come from about 160 countries with the top five countries of origin being China, India, United States, South Korea and Hong Kong.

It counts five Canadian prime ministers among its alumni, as well as the writers Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje and actor Donald Sutherland.

The top universities in Toronto 2024

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024