The Best Universities for Economics in Canada (2026)

Canada is home to some of the world’s top universities for studying Economics, combining a strong academic reputation, practical learning experiences, and excellent connections to industry and government. With leading institutions like the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia (UBC), McGill University, Queen’s University, and Western University consistently ranked among the best globally, Canada is an ideal destination to pursue a Masters in Economics.

When I explored Masters degrees in Economics across Canada, a few key aspects really caught my attention: the quality and relevance of academic programmes, hands-on opportunities like co-ops, internships, and research assistantships, strong links with banks, the Bank of Canada, consulting firms, and policy think tanks, and the level of support available for both domestic and international students. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the best Economics programmes in Canada and how Canadian universities compare in 2026, and help you understand how each ranking works.

There are many reasons why someone might want to study Economics at a university in Canada. Here are just a few:

• Canadian universities are known for their rigorous academic standards and renowned Economics departments featuring high teaching metrics, preparing students with strong theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
• Canada's economy is robust and diverse, providing an excellent case study for economic principles in action. Students can gain firsthand understanding of various economic policies' impact on a nation's growth and development.
• Canadian universities provide extensive research opportunities in traditional and emerging areas like behavioural economics and environmental resource economics that encourages innovation and generates new knowledge.
• Graduates of a Canadian Economics Masters Degree usually enjoy high employability opportunities thanks to the skills gained through their courses such as analytical and critical thinking skills.

The following tables gives the 10 top universities in Canada for Economics, 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.

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.

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.

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.