Carleton University shows a mixed but mostly stable performance across major global ranking systems in recent years. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, the university is placed in the #781-790 range, down from the #601-650 range in 2023. The Times Higher Education (THE) rankings have been stable, with Carleton University placed in the #501-600 range from 2024 to 2026, after improving from the #601-800 range in 2023. In the U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities 2025-26, the university is ranked #616, showing small year-to-year changes. The ARWU (Shanghai Rankings) position has remained steady in the #501-600 range over the past several years, indicating consistent research performance.

At the subject level, Carleton University performs strongest in engineering and applied science fields. Electrical and Electronic Engineering stands out with a top-100 global ranking. Subjects such as Civil Engineering, Ecology, Computer Science, and Law show good global positions. Several social science and humanities subjects have entered global rankings in recent years, reflecting growing recognition. Overall, Carleton’s rankings highlight clear strengths in engineering and applied sciences, with moderate performance across most other subject areas.

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Carleton University World Ranking Trends

Here are the current and previous year’s ranking trends of Carleton University, provided by the leading ranking agencies:-

Ranking Body 2026 2025 2024 2023
QS World University Rankings #781-790 #741-750 #671-680 #601-650
Times Higher Education #501-600 #501-600 #501-600 #601-800
US News and World Report Best Global Universities #616
(2025-26)
#617
(2024-25)
#526
(2023-24)
#526
(2022-23)
ARWU (Shanghai Rankings) - #501-600 #501-600 #501-600 
QS MBA Rankings #301+ #251+ -

Carleton University’s rankings show different trends across agencies. QS rankings indicate a decline from #601-650 (2023) to #781-790 (2026), while Times Higher Education has remained stable at #501-600 in recent years. U.S. News shows slight year-to-year movement, and ARWU (Shanghai Rankings) has been consistently steady at #501-600, reflecting stable research performance.

Also check: Carleton University MBA 2026


Carleton University QS Subject Rankings 2025

The QS subject rankings of 2026 have not been released yet. However, the Subject Rankings of 2025 show mixed results, with some subjects entering the rankings for the first time in 2025 while others move up or down compared to 2024.

  • Computer Science and Language Systems remains unchanged at #251-300.
  • Several subjects, including Sociology, English Language and Literature, Linguistics, Law and Legal Studies, and Economics and Econometrics, appear in the rankings in 2025 after being unranked in 2024, indicating improved global visibility.
  • In engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering remains stable at #301-350, while Mechanical Engineering declines slightly from #351-400 to #401-450.
  • Business and Management Studies, and Social Sciences and Management, fall into lower bands in 2025.
Subject Name Ranks 2025 Ranks 2024
Politics #151-200 #101-150
Communication and Media Studies #201-250 #201-250
Sociology #251-300 Unranked
English Language and Literature #251-300 Unranked
Linguistics #251-300 Unranked
Computer Science and Language Systems #251-300 #251-300
Law and legal Studies #301-350 Unranked
Psychology Unranked #301-350
Engineering- Electrical and Electronic #301-350 #301-350
Engineering- Mechanical #401-450 #351-400
Mathematics #401-450 #351-400
Engineering and Technology #401-450 #401-450
Arts and Humanities #451-500 #401-450
Business and Management Studies #501-550 #451-500
Social Sciences and Management #501-550 #401-450
Physics and Astronomy #551-600 #501-550
Economics and Econometrics #551-700 Unranked

To know about the popular courses and fees of Carleton University 2026, click here.


Carleton University THE Subject Rankings 2025-26

Carleton University’s THE Subject Rankings 2025-26 show a largely stable performance across most disciplines, with several subjects maintaining their previous positions and a few showing notable changes.

  • Arts and Humanities and Engineering remain steady in the #301-400 band in both 2025 and 2026, while Life Sciences and Social Sciences also show no year-on-year movement.
  • Law continues to hold a relatively stronger position at #251-300, unchanged across both years.
  • Computer Science shows improvement, moving up from #301-400 to #251-300, indicating stronger comparative performance.
  • Business and Economics also rank lower in 2026 within the #501-600 band.
Subject Name Ranks 2026 Ranks 2025
Arts and Humanities #301-400 #301-400
Engineering #301-400 #301-400
Physical Sciences #501-600 #401-500
Business and Economics #501-600 #501-500
Law #251-300 #251-300
Psychology #201-250 #501-300
Computer Science #251-300 #301-400
Life Sciences #301-400 #301-400
Social Sciences #401-500 #401-500

Also check: Admission process at Carleton University


Carleton University U.S. News Subject Rankings 2025-26

In the 2025-26 U.S. News global rankings, Carleton University shows its strongest global presence in engineering and applied science fields. Check out each subject's rankings below:

Subject Rank (2025-26)
Biology and Biochemistry #698
Civil Engineering #188
Computer Science #317
Ecology #151
Electrical and Electronic Engineering #99
Engineering #361
Environment/Ecology #240
Geosciences #475
Physics #314
Plant and Animal Science #426
Psychiatry/Psychology #293
Social Sciences and Public Health #474

Also check: Carleton University Students' Reviews


Carleton University Miscellaneous Rankings 2026

In addition to global and subject rankings, Carleton University is also recognized in the QS Sustainability Rankings and other ranking systems, as shown below:

Ranking Bodies Ranks 2026
QS Sustainability Rankings 2026 #609
U.S News (Best Global Universities in Canada) #20 (2025-26)
ARWU (Shanghai National Rankings 2025) #18-19

Carleton University’s rankings show a stable global position with clear strengths in engineering and applied science. While its overall QS ranking has declined over the years, rankings from THE, U.S. News, and ARWU remain largely consistent, reflecting steady academic and research performance. At the subject level, areas such as Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, and Ecology stand out globally, while social sciences and humanities are gaining visibility. In summary, Carleton University maintains a good international presence, with strong performance in technical fields and gradual improvement across a wider range of disciplines.