University of Toronto and McMaster University are two of the top-ranking universities in Canada. Where U of T ranks #1 nationally, McMaster holds up for the #4th position in Canada. Though the obvious choice may seem U of T, here are some factors you must consider before making your decision on whether UToronto or McMaster.
| University of Toronto | McMaster University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 7.4 Out of 10 | 5.5 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 29 QS World University 2026 # 21 Times Higher Education 2025 # 23 Center for World University Rankings 2025 | # 173 QS World University 2026 # 116 Times Higher Education 2025 # 176 QS World University 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 17 for Engineering by QS World University 2025 # 10 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025 # 14 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 | # 176 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 41 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -80 PG Programs -95 Doctorate Programs -7 | UG Programs -69 PG Programs -48 Doctorate Programs -6 |
| Exam Score | GMAT-550 IELTS-6 MELAB-80 TOEFL-89 | Duolingo-120 GMAT-600 GRE-305 IELTS-6.5 PTE-60 TOEFL-86 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 45616 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 30120 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 38977 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 53040 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 17096 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 31210 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Placement rate was around 85% within 3 months of graduation Top recruiters were McKenzie Investments, KPMG, EY, Deloitte, Pepsico, Scotiank, National Bank Financial and others. University of Toronto Graduates & Alumni Salaries - By Degree:
| Ranked #81 for graduation emplyment rate Salaries by degree:
|
| application requirements | Student Profile/Supplementary Application (depends on program) | LOR; |
| Campuses and B-Schools | University of Toronto (Mississauga) University of Toronto (Scarborough) Rotman School of Management | DeGroote School of Business |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.4/10 Read 80 reviews | 7.7/10 Read 29 reviews |
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| General Facts | University of Toronto | McMaster University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1827 | 1887 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 24:1 | 21:1:1 |
| Male:Female | 45% Male, 55% Female | 45% Male, 0% Female |
| Location Facts | Located admist of mixed green space and historical architecture | Located on the western end of lake Ontario, McMaster University is located in the Golden Horshoe. It is surrounded by Cootes Paradise and natural marshlands. |
| Library | Largest Library in Canada but ranked third in North America following Havard and Yale. Total 44 libraries are located across three campuses. More than 12 millions printed books, 1.4 million digital books, 150467 journal titles and a staff of 500 | McMaster University has a total of 4 libraries. There are 1.9 million print and electronic books, 86,000 print and electronic journal titles, 14,000 linear feet of archival resources combined. |
| Campus Life | The campus has Kinesiology & Physical Education Undergraduate Association, Annesley Student Government Association (ASGA), Radio FWD, The Underground, UTM Society- CFRE Radio 91.9 FM, The Medium, Mike- newspaper, CIUT FM 89.5, and UTM AFFILIATE - Women's Centre. | Located in the Waterfall Capital of Canada- Hamilton, the campus has McMaster Museum of Art, W.J. McCallion Planetarium, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster Hall, 16 sports clubs, Bertrand Rusell Archives, etc. |
| Hostel | #Whitney Hall - $16024 #Whitney Hall - $16973 | #Triple Residence Room - $6700 #Double Residence Room - $8590 #Single Residence Room - $9650 |
| Famous Alumni | 10 Nobel laureates, Ariana Grande (singer), Lin Chi-ling (model), Patrick Brown (Canadian Politician), Agnes Chan (Singer), Rudy Giuliani (Former Mayor of New York City), Margaret Atwood (writer) and Leslie Dan. | Tihomir Oreškovi (11th PM of Croatia); Bertram Brockhouse (Nobel Laureate in Physics); Stephen Elop (President and CEO of Nokia Corporation); Myron Scholes (Nobel Laureate in Economics); Roberta Bondar (Canada’s first female astronaut and neurologist in space) |
| Weather |
A few of the points to differentiate between the two top universities in Canada to help students looking for higher education in Canada have been discussed below.
- The University of Toronto rankings are much better than that of McMaster University, globally as well as subject-wise.
- UToronto is highly recognized not only by Times Higher Education, QS, and more, but makes its mark among the top business schools for MBA rankings by FT. UToronto grabs a position at #94. McMaster. on the other hand, did not hold a position among FT business school rankings 2020.
- McMaster, however, made its mark in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2020. Where McMaster University ranks #17 in the world while U of T ranks at #28 for its impact on the world in the previous year.
- Moving ahead of rankings, UToronto received larger international student enrollments than McMaster University. 23,000 international students (157 countries) are currently enrolled with U of T while only 4000 international students (120 countries) are a part of the total student population at McMaster.
- The admissions at McMaster University are comparatively more lenient with an acceptance rate of 58.7% as compared to the University of Toronto which has an acceptance rate of 43%.
- The score requirements for exams such as TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, GMAT, etc. are higher at U of T than McMaster, as mentioned in the table above.
- U of T also has a higher average cost of study (20,640 USD more) as compared to McMaster University.
- The University of Toronto library has a bigger collection of resources, however, McMaster University Library
- Research investment at UToronto equals to over 921 million USD. However, with only 265 million USD investment for research work, McMaster is the only university in Canada that is a part of Universitas 21, a prestigious global network of 26 research-intensive universities in the world.
- The salary packages of graduates from the University of Toronto are higher than McMaster graduates
Though UToronto clearly stands out for factors like rankings, placements, international student enrollment, research investment, and more when compared with McMaster University. Irrespective of such outstanding features, cost of studying at U of T is one of the pressing concerns when planning to study in Canada. Though there is a huge difference in the tuitions, one advantage of pursuing studies at U of T is better scholarship and funding options than McMaster. UToronto offered financial of around 247M CAD while McMaster approximate offerings were around 36,870 CAD.
We can hence conclude that if you are selected for both U of T and McMaster, your obvious inclination should be towards UToronto. The only reason to reconsider your decision can be the cost involved, if you haven’t received any scholarships.
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