Forty-three programs at McGill University rank among the world’s Top 50 in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, and another 10 placed in the Top 100.
The results, published March 25 by QS Quacquarelli Symonds, highlight strong gains across the University’s disciplines; a majority of subjects ranked higher than they did last year and several reached unprecedented heights.
Of the subjects ranked in both years, 33 improved compared with 2025, with the University continuing to demonstrate strength across the arts, sciences, engineering, medicine and social sciences.
Mining reaches new heights globally
One of McGill’s most notable achievements this year came in Engineering – Mineral and Mining, which rose to second in the world, its highest ranking ever. The subject has now been ranked in the global Top 10 for 10 consecutive years, reinforcing McGill’s international leadership in mining research and education.
“Our department’s continued high ranking in the QS World Rankings is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our professors and administrative staff, as well as the outstanding quality of our students, who continue to excel in both industry and academia,” said Kristian Waters, Chair of the Department of Mining and Materials Engineering.
Several other subjects also placed among the world’s very best. Anatomy & Physiology remained fifth globally, underlining the University’s long-standing reputation for excellence in biomedical education and research. Library & Information Management climbed sharply to 11th, while Music tied for 13th and Performing Arts improved to 15th worldwide.
In total, five McGill subjects ranked in the global Top 20, and 10 placed in the Top 30. These include Psychology (22nd) and Medicine (23rd).
Broad gains across disciplines
Several disciplines recorded significant gains this year. Pharmacy & Pharmacology climbed from 58th to 37th, while Mathematics rose 17 places to 55th. Business & Management Studies improved by 16 places to 44th, and Sociology also rose 16 places, reaching 32nd worldwide. Strong gains were also seen in Chemical Engineering, Agriculture & Forestry, and Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering.
McGill also continued to perform strongly across the five broad subject areas evaluated by QS. Four of the University’s five Faculty areas improved compared to last year, with Social Sciences & Management rising to 32nd, Natural Sciences to 39th, Engineering & Technology to 41st, and Arts & Humanities to 35th worldwide. Life Sciences & Medicine remained one of the University’s strongest areas, tying for 28th globally.
The QS subject rankings assess more than 18,000 university programs at over 1,900 institutions worldwide, across 55 academic disciplines. The rankings are based on five indicators, including academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, H-index (a measure of research productivity and impact) and international research collaboration.
Consult the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026.