Two Canadian Universities Reach Global Sustainability Top 10

Two Canadian universities have earned places among the world’s top 10 institutions for sustainability, according to the latest Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings.

Times Higher Education, known as THE, released its 2026 list on June 23. Queen’s University ranked fourth globally, while the University of Alberta placed 10th. Canada was the only North American country represented in the global top 10 this year.

Rankings Measure Global Sustainability Goals

The rankings judge universities based on how closely their work supports the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These goals include climate action, gender equality, no poverty, clean water, sustainable cities, and responsible consumption.

For 2026, THE assessed 1,646 universities from 116 countries and territories. The organization reviewed each institution across four main areas: research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching.

Research looks at how universities contribute to sustainability through academic work. Stewardship reviews how schools manage their people, campuses, and resources. Outreach measures how they work with communities and partners. Teaching looks at how they prepare students to understand and apply sustainability in their future careers.

Queen’s Leads Canada

Queen’s University finished as Canada’s top-ranked institution, placing fourth in the world with an overall score of 97.5. Its strongest Sustainable Development Goal area was Sustainable Cities.

The University of Alberta followed as Canada’s second-highest institution, ranking 10th globally with a score of 96.0. Its top strength was Industry and Innovation.

Queen’s moved up two places from last year, while Alberta dropped by two. Both universities also appeared in the 2025 top 10, making them repeat Canadian performers on the global list.

Four Canadian Schools Make Top 20

Canada had 20 universities included in the overall 2026 global ranking. Four Canadian institutions placed within the top 20.

Western University ranked 12th globally with a score of 95.9, while McMaster University placed 18th with a score of 95.5. Both listed Industry and Innovation as their strongest sustainability areas.

The University of Victoria ranked 27th, followed by Simon Fraser University at 52nd, Université Laval at 68th, York University at 78th, and Dalhousie University at 90th.

Several Canadian universities placed in broader rank bands, including Lakehead University, Toronto Metropolitan University, the University of Saskatchewan, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Manitoba, Carleton University, Brock University, Thompson Rivers University, Trent University, the University of Northern British Columbia, and the University of Regina.

Global Top 10 Includes Two Canadian Names

The University of Manchester took first place globally with a score of 98.5. Griffith University ranked second, followed by Western Sydney University in third.

Queen’s University came fourth, ahead of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Hanyang University, Hokkaido University, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Institut Agro, National Taiwan University, and the University of Alberta, which tied for 10th.

THE noted two ties in the global top 10. National Taiwan University and the University of Alberta shared 10th place with the same score.

Major Canadian Universities Missing

Three of Canada’s best-known universities were not included in the 2026 Sustainability Impact Ratings: the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia, and McGill University.

The 2026 list marks the eighth edition of THE’s Sustainability Impact Ratings, formerly called THE Impact Rankings.