When I explored the best Nursing schools in Canada, a few key aspects really caught my attention: the rigour and relevance of nursing and health programmes, hands-on opportunities like clinical placements, practicums and interprofessional education, access to teaching hospitals, simulation labs and modern patient-care facilities, strong links with public and private hospitals, health services and medical research institutes across the country, alignment with professional pathways such as provincial licensure and specialty certifications, and robust support for both domestic and international students. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the best universities in Canada for nursing & health in 2026 and help you understand how each ranking works.
Why Study Nursing & Health in Canada
There are many reasons why someone might want to study Nursing & Health at a university in Canada. Here are just a few:
- Canada is renowned for its excellence in education and rigorous academic standards. A Masters Degree in Nursing and Health from a Canadian institution ensures a globally recognised and respected qualification, preparing graduates for advanced roles in healthcare settings.
- Canadian universities offer a wide range of Master’s programs in Nursing and Health, including specialisations such as Public Health, Gerontology, Palliative Care, Mental Health Nursing, Nurse Practitioner (NP), Healthcare Management, and more. This variety allows students to tailor their education according to their career goals and interests.
- Many Canadian nursing schools are at the forefront of medical research offering students opportunities to engage in impactful research projects aimed at improving healthcare outcomes. These institutions often have partnerships with healthcare facilities where evidence-based practices are developed and tested.
- Nursing programmes are designed to give hands-on learning through clinical placements in diverse settings such as hospitals, community clinics, and public health agencies. Providing real-world experience under supervision by certified professionals.
The Best Universities for Nursing & Health in Canada
The following tables gives the 10 top universities in Canada for Nursing & Health, according to global and local university rankings. It can show you which Canadian universities are amongst the best in the world – and help you compare institutions on an international level.
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).
Each ranking system uses its own methodology, with different factors having more or less influence on a university’s result.
Read our guide to know more about how you as an postgrad student can use these rankings to your advantage.
| University | Canada Rank | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|
| University of Toronto | 1 | 9 |
| University of British Columbia | 2 | 28 |
| McGill University | 3 | 29 |
| McMaster University | 4 | 39 |
| University of Alberta | 5 | 74 |
| University of Montreal | 6 | =93 |
| University of Calgary | 7 | 101-125 |
| University of Ottawa | 8 | 101-125 |
| Queen’s University at Kingston | 9 | 126-150 |
| Western University | 10 | 126-150 |
| This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education. Visit their website for more information. | ||
What should I know about the Times Higher Education rankings?
The Times Higher Education rankings are strong in academic focus and diverse teaching metrics, but do not include employer-specific metrics. Additionally, the rankings may not include all specialist institutions.
| University | Canada Rank | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|
| University of Toronto | 1 | 4 |
| University of Alberta | 2 | 14 |
| University of British Columbia | 3 | =16 |
| McMaster University | 4 | 30 |
| McGill University | 5 | 41 |
| Queen’s University at Kingston | 6 | 51-100 |
| University of Calgary | 7 | 51-100 |
| University of Ottawa | 8 | 51-100 |
| Western University | 9 | 51-100 |
| University of Montreal | 10 | 101-150 |
| This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by QS World University Rankings. Visit their website for more information. | ||
What should I know about the QS rankings?
The QS World University Rankings are designed to meet the needs of prospective students, with more weight given to student-centric metrics such as staff/student ratio, international recruitment and employer opinion. The rankings are balanced between qualitative and quantitative data, but give less weight to research than some other rankings.
| University | Canada Rank | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|
| University of British Columbia | 1 | 22 |
| University of Toronto | 2 | 30 |
| University of Alberta | 3 | 45 |
| University of Ottawa | 4 | 101-150 |
| McGill University | 5 | 151-200 |
| McMaster University | 6 | 151-200 |
| University of Calgary | 7 | 151-200 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | 8 | 201-300 |
| University of Montreal | 9 | 201-300 |
| Western University | 10 | 201-300 |
| This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their website for more information. | ||
What should I know about the ARWU rankings?
The ARWU rankings reflect the presence of elite academics and the future academic success of graduates. However, they do not directly assess the quality of education at a university or take into account other aspects of university performance.
Canada is home to some of the world’s top universities for studying Nursing & Health, combining a strong academic reputation, extensive clinical training, and excellent connections to hospitals, health services, and medical research. With leading institutions like the University of Toronto Faculty of Nursing, University of British Columbia School of Nursing, McGill University School of Nursing, University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing, and Université de Montréal Faculty of Nursing consistently ranked among the best globally, Canada is an ideal destination to pursue a degree in Nursing & Health.
