2026 Maclean's University Rankings: Comprehensive Schools

These are Canada's top-ranked comprehensive universities by Maclean's for 2026!

Maclean's magazine is back with its annual rankings of Canadian universities! While university rankings aren't the end of the story when you're thinking about the right school for you, they can be a good way to quickly assess where a school stands and what it values most.

This table covers schools considered "comprehensive," meaning they have a good variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees. Undergrad is for students out of high school, who haven't completed college or university yet, while grad degrees are for students who want to take their post-secondary education even further.

Check out Maclean's methodology webpage for details on how these scores are calculated.

Maclean's top 5 comprehensive universities in Canada for 2026

Let's take a quick look at the top 5 comprehensive schools; the complete top 15 list follows.

1. Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey, offering over 100 different programs across numerous faculties.

2. University of Victoria

The University of Victoria is one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities, located in Victoria on the BC coast. The UVic Edge combines three elements: dynamic learning, vital impact, and an extraordinary academic environment.

3. University of Waterloo

Ranked among the world's top universities, the University of Waterloo offers over 100 programs across business, health, engineering, math, science, the arts, and environment. Waterloo combines academic excellence with real-world impact.

4. Carleton University

Carleton, in Canada's capital city, takes full advantage of the unique resources found in the nation's capital and has earned a reputation as one of the foremost universities in the country in the fields of public affairs, business, engineering and design, high technology, arts and social sciences, and science.

5. York University

York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design, and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world.

Check out the full list below! Have fun exploring your options.

An * indicates a tie.

There you have it: the top 15 comprehensive schools in Canada for 2025! While rankings are a great tool to help you get a better idea of what each school does best, make sure you consider other factors that are important to you when choosing your school.

Since this list only includes schools with a wide range of undergrad, grad, and professional programs, you can also explore Maclean's other rankings to learn about more schools, like the best undergraduate universities for 2026 or the best universities for scholarships and bursaries in 2026.