2025 Maclean’s University Rankings: Comprehensive Schools

These Canadian universities have a significant amount of research activity and a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

We all know that some schools excel in different areas than others. This could be specialized programs, scholarships, research, and more. But what if you want a school that’s well-rounded and can provide all of these things? Look no further! Maclean’s has released their list of Canada’s best comprehensive universities for 2025!

These are universities that have a significant amount of research activity and a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs without focusing heavily on any one area in particular. Maclean’s has determined this list using 12 performance indicators, such as student awards, student/faculty ratio, total research dollars, scholarships/bursaries, and more. Explore Maclean’s University Rankings Methodology for more information.

Let’s explore 2025’s rankings:

1. Simon Fraser University

Last year’s rank: 1

Simon Fraser University is Canada’s leading comprehensive university. SFU is a world leader in research, knowledge development, and sustainability with three campuses in Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver.

2. University of Victoria

Last year’s rank: 2

The University of Victoria is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities, with over 22,000 students. The University of Victoria combines three elements: dynamic learning, vital impact, and their extraordinary academic environment to give their students the UVic Edge.

3. University of Waterloo

Last year’s rank: 3

With more than 42,000 students attending annually, the University of Waterloo is #1 in Canada for experiential learning and employer-student connections. UW fosters innovation to solve problems on a global scale.

4. Carleton University

Last year’s rank: 5*

Carleton University is located in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, Ontario, beside the historic Rideau Canal. Carleton strives for innovation in research, teaching, and learning, while encouraging hands-on experience in the classroom. They pride themselves on preparing their graduates for careers in the rapidly changing job market, and encourage their graduates to have an entrepreneurial spirit and drive to change the world.

5. York University

Last year’s rank: 4

York University, located in Toronto, Ontario, has over 54,000 students enrolled in 200+ undergraduate and graduate degree programs. In the 2021-2022 school year, York awarded $48.8 million in scholarships for their students. York is a top international teaching and researching university and a driving force for positive change.

This year, Carleton University rose even higher and climbed into the top four!

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 included 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 2025 or the best universities for scholarships and bursaries in 2025.