The Best Universities for Geography in Canada (2024)

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

• Canada's vast and varied natural landscapes, including its coastlines, forests, mountains, and tundra regions, provide an unparalleled outdoor laboratory for geography students.
• Canadian universities are renowned globally for their high-quality education standards. A Master's degree in Geography from a Canadian institution equips students with comprehensive knowledge and advanced research skills through a rigorous academic curricula designed to meet global standards.
• Many Canadian geography departments are at the forefront of research in areas such as GIS (Geographic Information Systems), urban planning,, remote sensing, spatial analysis. International students have the opportunity to participate in innovative projects under the guidance of leading scholars.
• For International students that are wishing to remain in the country post-studies, Canada’s immigration policies include provisions that make it easier for certain qualified individuals to obtain work permits that possibly pave the way toward permanent residency.

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