University rankings

For many students, a university’s global and national rankings play an important role in deciding where to apply. This makes sense – a university’s rankings can tell you a lot about the institution’s research capacity, expertise of their faculty, connections with industry and overall learning environment.

UBC consistently ranks in the top five per cent of the world’s universities, reflecting its longstanding commitment to world-class research, teaching and global impact.

For example, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2020 place UBC:

34^th overall and 2^nd in Canada
43^rd for general engineering
24^th for business
27^th for life sciences
1^st in Canada for sustainable cities and communities

And in March 2020, UBC was once again ranked within the top universities in the world in the 2020 QS World University Rankings by Subject, coming in:

28th in Life Sciences & Medicine
32nd in Engineering & Technology
21st in Social Sciences & Management

(Please visit this page on the UBC website for the most recent rankings.)

One variable among many to consider

While a university’s national and international ranking can help you narrow down the list of where you might like to study, it’s only one element among many to consider. You might want to create your own personalized university ranking system that looks at the criteria most meaningful to you and your personal and professional goals.

The following questions are a good starting point:

Is the program you are considering aligned with your career goals?
Will it enable you to acquire the skills and knowledge to advance within your field?
Who will be your instructors?
What courses will you be taking?
How are students supported to develop professionally – such as through networking events, career coaching, opportunities for industry-led projects, etc.?
What do recent graduates have to say about their experience?

UBC’s Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) and Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) are unique postgraduate degrees that enable students to deepen both their technical knowledge and their management and leadership skills. It’s a transformative educational experience, with students gaining the multidisciplinary skills needed to innovate within their industry and lead large and complex projects and teams.

Interested in learning more? Explore the specific programs offered within the MEL and MHLP degrees, including detailed information on learning outcomes, courses and program leaders and instructors.

You can also take a look at profiles of recent alumni to get a sense of the professional backgrounds and post-graduating career trajectories of some of our graduates.

Closing thoughts

When you graduate from a top-ranked university, you will benefit from the name recognition that comes with a degree from a well-respected post-secondary institution. While the third-party stamp of approval that comes from high national international rankings is valuable, be sure to take the time to research areas that will be most relevant to your experience – from the courses you will take to the career paths of alumni – so you can make an informed decision based on factors most important to your situation.

See our article “Is a postgraduate degree right for you?” for more things to consider when applying for a professional master’s degree program.

¹ https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2020/world-ranking#!/page/0/length/25/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/stats