McMaster has been ranked among the top five Canadian universities by Maclean’s annual university rankings for the eighth consecutive year.
The latest list places McMaster fifth among research-intensive universities in Canada with medical schools and doctoral programs, tied with the University of Calgary.
McMaster scored top marks in funding for student services and placed second in faculty income from sponsored research.
“These results highlight McMaster’s commitment to supporting students and faculty and ensuring our university is the best place to learn and conduct research,” said McMaster president and vice-chancellor Susan Tighe.
“We’re proud to be a leader among academic institutions in Canada and will continue to ensure the people of McMaster have the resources they need to make a real impact.”
McMaster also ranked second in medical/science grants, which is measured by how successful faculty are in securing grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
The university also came in second for library acquisitions, which is based on how much of a university’s budget is allocated to updating its collection.
When it comes to securing grants for social sciences and humanities, McMaster has placed third in the country.
The university’s Health Sciences, Psychology and Nursing programs are also among the best in Canada, according to the Maclean’s ranking.
McGill University is ranked first overall among Canadian universities with medical schools, as well as a broad range of PhD programs and research, followed by the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta.
The Maclean’s ranking of Canadian universities, published annually since 1991, examines institutions across three broad categories: medical doctoral, comprehensive, and primarily undergraduate.
McMaster was recently ranked 116th out of thousands of universities in the world in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings (WUR) and placed 14th this year in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, which are an international benchmark for universities working toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).