For the 20th straight year, McGill University finished first in Maclean’s Magazine’s annual rankings of Canadian medical doctoral universities.
“Students from across Canada – and the world – who set their sights on McGill do so because of its excellence,” wrote Maclean’s Rosemary Counter, underlining everything from the University’s storied history of discovery, significant research funding and high-calibre students and faculty, to its extensive academic offerings, customizable residence options and highly international student body.
“To be named Canada’s top medical doctoral university in the Maclean’s University Rankings, for 20 consecutive years, is a significant source of pride for the entire McGill community,” said Professor Deep Saini, President and Vice-Chancellor.
“To enjoy this level of sustained success in the Maclean’s rankings is testament to the tireless efforts and commitment of our wonderful students, first-class researchers, and our dedicated faculty and staff in maintaining McGill’s high standards.”
Student success
Maclean’s ranks universities in three categories: primarily undergraduate, comprehensive and medical doctoral. The medical doctoral category includes 15 Canadian universities that have medical schools and offer a broad range of PhD programs and research.
Institutions are ranked in five areas based on 12 performance indicators. This year, McGill rated in the top three in eight of the performance indicators.
For the eighth year in a row, McGill ranked first for student awards. This indicator assesses how well students have performed in securing national academic awards over the last five years, including notable honours like Rhodes Scholarships and scholarships from professional organizations, as well as funding from the three federal granting agencies.
“[McGill] students disproportionately win national and international awards for their achievements and, on average, students from the school win more accolades than those at any other Canadian university,” wrote Counter.
A vital element of student success is access to academic resources. For the 10th straight year, McGill topped the library acquisitions category. This indicator assesses the percentage of the library budget dedicated to enhancing the university’s collection, including electronic resources.
McGill also ranked first in social sciences and humanities grants, moving up from second on 2023. This metric tracks faculty success in securing research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Maclean’s also issued its 10th annual program rankings, evaluating five popular programs in the sciences and social sciences based on their reputations for quality and research strength. McGill ranked in the top four in four of the programs – Business (third), Education (tied for third), Engineering (fourth) and Nursing (fourth).
The strong showing in the Mclean’s rankings is just the most recent such success for McGill.
- Earlier this month, McGill moved up to 45th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- In September, McGill placed 20th worldwide for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Ignition School rankings
- In June, McGill placed 29th out of 1,500 institutions worldwide in the QS World University Rankings
- In May, McGill was ranked 27th by the Center for World University Rankings
- In April, the University had three subjects in the global top 10 in the QS Rankings by Subject.
- In February, McGill jumped to 47th in the Times Higher Education Reputation Rankings.
Consult Maclean’s University Rankings 2025