McGill University has solidified its place among the world’s top academic institutions, tying for 41st in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. This marks a four-place jump from last year, with McGill registering 77.1 out of 100 possible points for its highest-ever overall score under THE’s current methodology.
McGill has consistently been a strong performer in the rankings, maintaining a position in the global Top 50 every year since THE adopted its current methodology in 2010. This year’s result is particularly notable given the expanding and increasingly competitive landscape. A record 2,191 institutions from 115 countries and territories were evaluated for the 2026 edition.
Despite this intensifying competition, McGill not only improved its global standing, but also rose to second place among Canadian universities, behind only the University of Toronto (21st) and ahead of the University of British Columbia (45th).
One of North America’s leading research institutions
Within North America, McGill tied for fifth among institutions in the Association of American Universities peer group and tied for sixth among North American public universities, further evidence of its competitive standing alongside the continent’s leading research institutions.
“We are proud to see McGill continue its steady rise in the Times Higher Education rankings, and even prouder of the consistency we have shown, year after year, among the world’s top institutions,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini. “This upward trend reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthening our research capacity, faculty excellence and global engagement, all while staying true to our values of accessibility, inclusion and a student-centred approach.”
Comprehensive methodology
The comprehensive nature of THE’s methodology, which draws on 18 performance indicators, 19 million research publications and over 1.5 million academic reputation survey responses, ensures that only institutions that score well in multiple domains rise to the top.
The University performed strongly across the core areas of research quality, teaching environment and industry engagement, as well as in international outlook, which assesses the proportion of international students and staff as well as the extent of international research collaboration.
Consult the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.