Students walk on a University of Toronto campus in Canada. Photo courtesy of the university

According to the 2025 Best Universities Rankings announced by Times Higher Education (THE) earlier this month, the highest-ranked Canadian institution is the University of Toronto, which ranks 21st globally, maintaining its position as the ‘last year.

It is followed by the University of British Columbia (41st in the world) and McGill University (45th in the world).

The remaining seven universities are not part of the world top 100: McMaster University, University of Alberta, University of Montreal, University of Waterloo, University of Ottawa, University of Calgary and Western University.

The proportion of international students at these institutions ranges from 22% to 34% of the total student population, depending on the THE.

Tuition fees for international students vary by program.

The highest fees are at the University of Waterloo, where programs such as computer science or the dual degree in business administration and computer science cost up to CA$73,000 per year.

The lowest tuition fees among the top schools are at the University of Calgary, at CA$15,800 per year for the veterinary program. On average, tuition fees for international students are usually between 30,000 and 40,000 Canadian dollars.

Canada welcomed more than a million international students last year, making it one of the top two study destinations in the world, alongside the United States. This growth is partly attributed to Canada’s favorable Post-Graduation Work Permit (PTWP) policies, with permits ranging from 8 to 36 months. , depending on the duration of the program.

International education contributes more than 22 billion Canadian dollars to the Canadian economy each year.

About 40% of international students in Canada come from India, followed by China (12%). There are more than 17,000 Vietnamese students in Canada.

However, since October last year, Canada has tightened regulations on international students due to increasing immigration, putting pressure on the housing market. Starting November 1, international students must be enrolled in programs listed by the Canadian Department of Immigration to be eligible for a PTPD, among other requirements.

THE 2025 rankings include data from more than 2,000 higher education institutions in 115 countries and territories. Universities are evaluated on the basis of 18 criteria divided into five categories: teaching (29.5%), research environment (29%), quality of research (30%), international outlook (7 .5%) and industry revenues and patents (4%).