Top Research Universities in Canada: A research university is a higher education institution with an emphasis on research. As implied by their names, research is central to the mission of research universities.
Universities conducting research can be either public or private and typically have well-known names.
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The world scholarship vault presents the Top Research Universities in Canada. In the meantime, review the table of contents for a summary of the article’s contents.
What is a university of research?
A research university is a university whose primary mission is to conduct research. Universities conducting research can be either public or private and typically have well-known names.
The United States and Japan are notable exceptions to the rule that research universities are predominantly public institutions worldwide.
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List of the Top Research Universities in Canada
The following is a list of the Top Research Universities in Canada:
- University of Toronto
- University of British Columbia
- Université De Montreal
- McGill University
- University of Alberta
- University of Calgary
- McMaster University
- Université Laval
- University of Ottawa
1. Toronto’s University of Toronto
Established in 1827 by royal charter, the University of Toronto, formerly known as King’s College, is the oldest research university in Ontario.
University of Toronto, abbreviated U of T, is ranked first in Canada by times higher education and has held the position for three consecutive years. It is also rated first among the Top Research Universities in Canada.
The admissions process at the University of Toronto is moderately competitive, with a typical acceptance rate of 43%. You must earn at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA on the OMSAS scale. In the meantime, graduate students can apply with a minimum GPA of 3.0, but this does not guarantee fast acceptance.
In addition to having acquired a high-grade point average all through high school applicants must present excellent grades in the ACT (composite 29 – 34) or SAT examination (SAT combined score 1330 – 1500).
2. Faculty of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna that was founded in 1908 and is the oldest university in British Columbia.
The university is one of the Top Research Universities in Canada. UBC is consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world and is a global research and education hub.
An admission average of 60%(C), where 50% is a passing grade or a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0-grade scale, is the minimum academic requirement for admission to UBC.
Applicants following the American school curriculum are required to submit a minimum SAT composite score of 1600 or a minimum ACT composite score of 25, including a minimum 10 in composition.
Applicants must satisfy the prerequisites for both general and specialized programs. Each of the personal profile inquiries requires a short essay response of between 50 and 200 words; consider your responses before applying online.
3. The University of Montreal
Universite de Montreal is a public French-speaking research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is ranked among the Top Research Universities in Canada.
The university’s admittance rate ranges between 40 and 50 percent, indicating a highly selective and competitive admissions process. As a French-speaking institution, the majority of classes are taught in French.
In the last two years of their previous program, students must have attained a minimum GPA of 3.0 over 4.30. Students who do not pass a French proficiency exam are advised to enroll in a French language course.
Even though Université de Montréal is a french-speaking institution, many of its research departments are eager to establish a bilingual environment for graduate students.
Thus, English-proficient students are accepted into graduate-level programs.
4. McMaster University
McGill University is a public research institution located in Quebec City, Montreal, Canada.
McGill University is open to international students and is one of the Top Research Universities in Canada and the world.
With pupils hailing from over 150 countries, their student body is the most diverse of any intensive research institution in the country.
The acceptance rate at McGill is high, making admission quite difficult; the undergraduate program has a higher acceptance rate than the graduate program.
Acceptance is contingent solely on the program for which you applied. The minimum permissible cumulative grade point average is 3.0 out of a possible 4.0 or 3.2/4.0 in the previous two years of full-time study.
In some departments, however, a higher GPA is required for admission.
The Scholarships and Student Aid Office at McGill awards merit-based entrance scholarships to first-year undergraduate students enrolling in a full-time program.
Students who are Mature, Transfer, Exchange, Diploma, Special, Part-time, or Visiting are ineligible for entrance scholarships.
There are two types of entrance scholarships administered centrally:
- Scholarships for one year valued at $3,000 (non-renewable)
- Major Scholarships: between $3,000 and $12,000 in value (renewable annually for up to three or four years if renewal criteria are satisfied).
5. College of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a Canadian public research institution located in Edmonton, Alberta.
The University of Alberta is a Comprehensive Academic and Research University (CARU), which means it offers a wide range of academic and professional programs leading to undergraduate and graduate-level credentials, has a strong research focus, and is one of the Top Research Universities in Canada.
The general acceptance rate for admission is slightly over 50% which implies that while the school may be competitive, it is simple for students to be accepted.
In addition, various departments have distinct acceptance rates for their respective programs.
In order to be considered for admission based on the required course for the program, you must present a competitive grade point average for the faculty of your choice. Due to the competitiveness of the applicant pool, each program is likely to charge an annual average fee throughout the year.
The acceptable minimum GPA is between 3.50 and 3.75 on a 4.0 scale. The acceptance rate is quite high, particularly for engineering and pharmacy programs.
6. College of Calgary
The University of Calgary, abbreviated U of C or UCalgary, is a Canadian public research institution located in Calgary, Alberta.
UCalgary was founded in 1944 as a branch of the University of Alberta in Calgary. It consists of fourteen facilities and approximately 85 research institutes and centers.
Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.30 based on their most recent 60 units of coursework and a minimum GPA of 3.30 based on all science courses taken at UCalgary or at another institution.
The approval rate at UCalgary varies between 10 and 20 percent.
7. McGill University
McMaster University is an Ontario, Canada, public research university located in Hamilton.
It is home to some of the best laboratories in the country, and its research results compete with those of universities more than twice its size. It has a well-deserved reputation as a hotbed of discovery and innovation, and it is consistently listed among Top Research Universities in Canada.
A minimum of 24 units in the required courses with a 4.0 GPA. If your CGPA falls between 3.50 and 3.90, program probation may be possible.
Only one period of program probation is permitted. Admission is extremely competitive, with a 4.1% acceptance rate.
8. University of Quebec
In Quebec, Canada, Université Laval is a French-speaking public research university.
It is ranked among the Top Research Universities in Canada and possesses four Canada excellence chairs, as do the majority of Quebec universities.
The designation Université Laval has no equivalent in English. Université Laval was rated between 250 and 300 worldwide.
The primary admissions criterion is secondary school grades. However, some programs/faculties may also administer an additional exam.
Candidates are expected to have a basic understanding of French.
The rate of acceptance is 59%.
9. Canadian University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa, also known as UOttawa or U of O, is a public, bilingual institution of higher education located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Engineering, health sciences, Art, civil law, Education, graduate and post-doctoral studies, medicine, science, social science, common law, and the Telfer School of Management are among the more than 450 programs offered by the University of Ottawa.
The law school at UOttawa is the largest in the country.
Students with a minimum GPA of 3.11 are accepted to the University of Ottawa. It is acceptable to have a B average with some A grades mixed in.
C’s and D’s should be avoided, as application readers may question your ability to manage the rigors of college work.
More than 1 out of every 3 applicants is accepted at UOttawa, which is reasonable for a university of its caliber.
Students may communicate with UOttawa’s central administration and general services, as well as the administration of the academic entity in which they are enrolled, in either French or English.
Students are also entitled to receiving services in their official language of preference. The University of Ottawa is a leading research institution in Canada.
FAQs On Top Research Universities in Canada
What is the most research-intensive university in Canada?
McMaster has been consistently recognized internationally as a research-intensive institution and continues to be ranked among the world's top 100 universities.
What is the hardest university to study in Canada?
The University of Toronto is regarded as the hardest university to get into in Canada, but it has a much higher acceptance rate. However, when compared to other schools, it is one of the best universities in Canada for international students.
Why not to choose Canada for study?
Expensive Tuition Fees and Cost of Living
Although you can work while you study, you still need some initial funds to start with because Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will require you to show some proof that you have sufficient funds.
Is it better to study in USA or Canada?
As an international student, it is more valuable to study in Canada in comparison to the US because the tuition cost in Canada is significantly lower than in America. However, in terms of quality in higher education, both are almost equal to each other.
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