North American universities and colleges have consistently earned high rankings on international league tables such as the THES and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
Based on the ARWU 2009 report, North America boasts 59 institutions in the global top 100, with 17 universities securing a spot in the top 20. Harvard University is ranked first in the United States and worldwide. The University of Toronto is the highest-ranked institution in Canada, securing a place in the top 30 globally. In total, three Canadian universities are placed among the top 50 in North America: the University of Toronto (20th regionally and 27th globally), the University of British Columbia (29th regionally and 36th globally), and McGill University (44th regionally and 65th globally).
ARWU Top 10 Universities in North America:
Regional Rank, Institution, (World Rank)
1 Harvard University (1)
2 Stanford University (2)
3 University of California, Berkeley (3)
4 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (5)
5 California Institute of Technology (6)
6 Columbia University (7)
7 Princeton University (8)
8 University of Chicago (9)
9 Yale University (11)
10 Cornell University (12)
In 2009, the Times Higher Education– QS World University Rankings showed that the number of North American universities ranked in the global top 100 had decreased significantly from 42 in 2008 to 36. Despite this decline, McGill University was ranked as the top university in Canada and placed 18th in the world. Overall, four Canadian institutions made it onto the list of the world’s top 100 universities.
THE-QS Top Ten universities in North America 2009:
Rank, Name, (Global Rank)
1 Harvard University (1)
2 Yale University (3)
3 University of Chicago (7)
4 Princeton University (8)
5 MIT (9)
6 California Institute of Technology (10)
7 Columbia University (11)
8 University of Pennsylvania (12)
9 Johns Hopkins University (13)
10 Duke University (14)
