Top Universities in Ontario

Located in one of the happiest countries to study abroad, Ontario is also famous as one of the most diverse provinces in Canada. Home to the iconic and picturesque Niagara Falls, Ontario is globally reputed in terms of government effectiveness, safety, and public welfare. With the Capital city and its financial hub, Toronto situated here, there are promising employment opportunities for graduates in Ontario. Let’s explore the top universities in Ontario and their prospective programs and other exciting aspects this province offers to international students. 

Why Study in Ontario?

Ontario is a province you should not overlook while considering study alternatives in Canada. We’ve compiled a list of reasons why you should adore Ontario:

• Quality of Life: Cities in Ontario are frequently included in lists of the finest places to live. Some of the top student cities are Toronto, Ottawa, and others.
• Globally Recognised Education: International students interested in pursuing higher education in Canada are drawn to the vast research and academic outputs provided by Ontario universities. The finest institutions in Ontario are well-known for providing students with degrees that are respected all around the world.
• University Rankings: Some of Ontario’s greatest universities, like McMaster University, the University of Toronto, and York University, have been highly ranked globally by internationally renowned rating bodies such as THE World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings.
• Diversity: True cultural diversity may be seen throughout Ontario, particularly in Toronto. As an international student, you are more likely to encounter students from your home country here than anywhere else in Canada.
• Outstanding work prospects: Because Toronto, Ontario, is a financial centre, international students have access to world-class work prospects. Furthermore, Ontario is known as the greatest IT region in Canada, if not North America, behind Silicon Valley.

List of Top Universities in Ontario

Amongst the best student cities in Canada and the world, Ontario is the ideal place for students who want to explore international-level academic, professional and research opportunities across medical, creative, technological and cultural arenas! Here are the top 10 universities in Ontario according to the QS World University Rankings 2023.

Universities	US News University Rankings 2023 [Canada]	QS World University Rankings 2023
University of Toronto	1	=34
McMaster University	5	152
University of Waterloo	8	154
Western University	10	=172
Queen’s University	17	=246
University of Ottawa	9	=237
York University	16	456
University of Guelph	19	591-600
Carleton University	20	601-650
University of Windsor	27	751-800

Now, let’s explore the major courses and salient features of these top universities in Ontario in further detail:

University of Toronto (UoT)

Founded in 1827 by the Royal Charter, the University of Toronto’s notable alumni include 4 Prime Ministers of Canada as well as renowned personalities like Margaret Atwood, William Lyon Mackenzie King and Frederick Banting. The university offers 700 undergraduate programs and 200 graduate programs and ranks the highest among all universities in Ontario. You can find wide-ranging programs in almost every field of study with the most prominent ones in:

• Medicine  
• Teaching
• Psychology
• Educational Theory
• History 
• Administration

The university also offers unique courses in Music and Culture, Rap Poetics, Urban studies, Writing and Rhetorics which helps students tap their creative minds.

McMaster University

Located in the city of Hamilton alongside Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes of North America, McMaster University is a member of the U15-a research enterprise that supports research and development and features as the second leading university among all the universities in Ontario. Along with its prominent Medical courses which receive more than 5000 applications every year (the highest number of applications for medical programs in Canada), it also offers students undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in varied fields of study such as:

• Business
• Engineering
• Health Sciences
• Humanities
• Science
• Social Sciences

University of Waterloo

Waterloo is known for its remarkable initiation of the ‘Cooperative Education’ which combines classroom education with practical methodologies (providing placements and internships). Recently, UWaterloo’s Donna Strickland (along with Gérard Mourou) won Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018 for the invention of chirped pulse amplification. Amongst the top 3 universities in Ontario, the university offers a plethora of full-time and online programs across wide-ranging study areas such as: 

• Quantum Computing 
• Nanotechnology
• Clinical Psychology
• Engineering 
• Health Sciences Research 

Western University

Putting a core emphasis on research at Western University, the institution has successfully established itself amongst the most reputed universities in Ontario as well as Canada. With an aesthetic campus equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and laboratories, the college has partnered with various industries and government bodies for its research projects. The main topics of research practised by the university are:

• Musculoskeletal Health
• Neuroscience
• Global Health
• Green Energy
• Environmental Sustainability
• Imaging
• Philosophy Of Science
• Child And Youth Development
• Wind Engineering
• Natural Disaster Mitigation

Queen’s University at Kingston

Being the first University in Canada to provide higher education to women in the country, Queen’s University holds a royalty of 178 years. Its serene campus and diverse programs attract a large number of students from over 114 countries and it is also among the top medical colleges in Canada. It encourages students to understand art, history and the modern world which makes it stand out among the universities in Ontario. Being another research hub of Ontario, its notable research is conducted on interesting distinct topics like:

• Globalization Studies
• Mental Health
• Clinical Biomedical Sciences 
• Healthy Environments And Sustainable Energy Systems
• Social Issues- Poverty And Bullying 

[Bonus] Major Requirements for Studying at Universities in Ontario

Take a look at some of the general prerequisites you must know before applying for a program at any of the aforementioned top universities in Ontario:

• Academic Transcripts: All your original documents of the graduate and postgraduate courses with good academic performance throughout.
• Proof of English Language Proficiency: Acceptable test scores in IELTS or TOEFL are necessary for non-English native students. 
• Immigration Requirements: A valid passport, proof of good medical health, and an acceptance letter from the applied university are a few basic immigration requirements that you need to apply to any university in Ontario. 

Intakes in Ontario Universities

Universities in Ontario accept applications throughout the year for several terms. The application intake processes are classified as follows:

Semester	Starts from	Duration
Fall	August-September	September-December
Winter	January	January-March
Summer	April/May	April-June

In general, the autumn intake is the most popular time for university admissions in Ontario. Students who are not selected during this session may apply during the Winter intake. Summer intake is often for shorter-term courses and can vary depending on the university. Students should carefully consider the application intake time to grasp the university’s requirements and the intake periods.

Cost of Studying in Ontario

The cost of studying at the top universities in Ontario can be divided into undergraduate and postgraduate tuition fees. 

Top Universities in Ontario	Average Annual Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Courses (INR)	Average Annual Tuition Fees for Postgraduate Courses (INR)
University of Toronto	34.53 lakhs	20.9 lakhs
McMaster University	20 lakhs	13.1 lakhs
University of Waterloo	25 lakhs	17 lakhs
Western University	19.1 lakhs	11.2 lakhs
Queen’s University	13.8 lakhs	11.8 lakhs
University of Ottawa	32.8 lakhs	18.2 lakhs
York University	18.9 lakhs	16 lakhs
University of Guelph	20.6 lakhs	7.8 lakhs
Carleton University	22 lakhs	9.9 lakhs
University of Windsor	26.5 lakhs	12.9 lakhs

The tuition fees given above are just average figures and the cost of each course is varied.

Cost of Living in Ontario

Ontario has the top student-friendly cities in Canada. Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton and London are some of the Canadian cities popular amongst international students. The cost of living in Ontario depends upon whether you choose to live in busy cities like Toronto or small cities like Hamilton. However, the estimated cost of living in Ontario is given below-

Types of Expenses	Average Cost (INR)
Accommodation	7.71-11.87 lakhs per year
Food	11,875-36,750 per month
Transport	4,750 per month
Study Material	11,875 per semester
Miscellaneous	30-59,000 per year

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Visa Requirements to Study in Ontario

To study in the top universities of Ontario, you must apply for the Canada Study Permit once accepted. The documents required for the same are-

• Offer Letter as Proof of Acceptance
• PAN Card or other Proof of Identity
• Proof of Financial Support 
• CAQ Document (if applied)
• Letter of Explanation

Other than that, you may be asked to attach the documents required for admission to Canada during the Canada student visa process. 

Learn how to apply for a Canada Study Permit!

Top Universities in Ontario- Program Wise

Here are the top universities in Ontario for different programs. Check them below:

Top Universities in Ontario for MBA 

The average cost of doing an MBA from the top universities in Ontario is INR 40 lakhs per year. Below given are the top business schools/universities in Ontario for MBA-

• University of Ottawa
• Carleton University 
• University of Toronto 
• McMaster University 
• Queen’s University

Top Universities in Ontario for MBBS

Want to be an MBBS in Ontario? Here are the top medical universities in Ontario to become a doctor– 

• Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine (McMaster University)
• Northern Ontario School of Medicine
• University of Ottawa
• Queen’s University
• University of Toronto
• Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry (Western University)

Top Universities in Ontario for PhD

Want to do your PhD in Canada? Here are the top universities in Ontario for PhD:

• McMaster University
• University of Toronto
• University of Waterloo
• University of Ottawa
• Western University

Top Universities in Ontario without IELTS

IELTS is an important part of the application process to study in Canada for Indian students. However, there are certain universities in Ontario that either don’t require or accept IELTS

• Carleton University 
• Brock University

FAQs

Hope this blog helped you explore the plethora of academic and research opportunities offered by top universities in Ontario! Planning to study in Canada? Our Leverage Edu experts are here to help you find the right course and university and further sort out the admission process to ensure that you get successfully shortlisted!