Top universities from Canada retain high positions in world university rankings

Canadian universities have maintained stability in their performance in the QS World University Rankings. QS Top Universities takes a closer look at the results.

Canada boasts 12 universities in the world's top 200 universities, according to the results from the 2008 QS World University Rankings, one more than last year.

McGill University, which has maintained its spot as the top university in the country, is also ranked 20th in the world. However, the Canadian university that showed the most improvement was the University of Alberta, which moved 23 places from =97 to 74.

University of Alberta president Indira Samaraskera said: "The fact that we (University of Alberta) are thought of so highly by our peers around the world in most of the category rankings shows that our goal of being considered among the world's best public universities is, in fact, within reach."

Five Canadian universities (McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Alberta and Universit de Montral) appear in the top 100 of the world's universities and 20 appear in the top 400 - the same number as last year.

Universit de Montral (UdeM) Rector Luc Vinet says the rankings confirm that Universit de Montral is one of the world's premier universities. "Having been ranked and recognized by its peers, the UdeM stands out from some 8,600 universities around the world for its excellence in teaching and research. Being lauded as one of the world's best universities is a distinction our 56,000 students, 260,000 alumni, 10,000 faculty and staff can celebrate."

Nunzio Quacquarelli, managing director of QS and co-editor of the Top Universities Guide, says: "There have been no radical changes in the rankings this year for Canadian schools, testament to the stability and enduring fundamental quality of the country's tertiary education system"

The 20 Canadian universities that feature in the top 400 universities in the world are: