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Both McMaster University and Simon Fraser University are recognized by Times Higher Education Best University in Canada Rankings. McMasters ranks 4 while SFU ranks 11 amongst the top universities in Canada. Detailed below is an elaborate comparison of the two universities.
| McMaster University | Simon Fraser University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 5.5 Out of 10 | 4.8 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 176 QS World University 2025 # 101 QS World University 2024 # 103 Times Higher Education 2024 | # 319 QS World University 2025 # 251 Times Higher Education 2024 # 318 QS World University 2024 |
| Subject Strength | # 176 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2024 # 55 for Medicine by QS World University 2024 | # 251 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2024 # 501 for Medicine by QS World University 2024 # 301 for Law by QS World University 2024 |
| Programs | UG Programs -69 PG Programs -47 Doctorate Programs -6 | UG Programs -51 PG Programs -32 Doctorate Programs -13 |
| Acceptance Rate | 42.0 % | 65.0 % |
| Exam Score | Duolingo-120 GMAT-600 GRE-305 IELTS-6.5 PTE-60 TOEFL-86 | Duolingo-125 GMAT-550 GRE-310 IELTS-6.5 PTE-65 TOEFL-88 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 53040 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 8548 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 31210 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 22035 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 5481 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 7090 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Ranked #81 for graduation emplyment rate Salaries by degree:
| Average Salaries Are Listed Below:
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| application requirements | LOR; | Qualitative and Analytical skill assessment |
| Campuses and B-Schools | DeGroote School of Business | Beedie School of Business |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.7/10 Read 28 reviews | 6.6/10 Read 12 reviews |
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| General Facts | McMaster University | Simon Fraser University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1887 | 1965 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 21:1:1 | 32:1 |
| Male:Female | 45% Male, 0% Female | 46% Male, 54% Female |
| Location Facts | 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. | Simon Fraser University has three campuses, each located in different parts of Greater Vancouver. SFU's original campus is located in Burnaby, atop Burnaby Mountain. The Vancouver campus consists of multiple buildings in downtown Vancouver and the Surrey campus is located inside Central City. The downtown campus has expanded to include several other buildings in recent years, including the Segal Graduate School of Business. In September 2010, SFU Contemporary Arts moved into the Woodward's redevelopment, known as the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. SFU's three campuses are all accessible by public transit. The Vancouver campus is a block away from the Waterfront SkyTrain station while the Surrey campus is adjacent to the Surrey Central SkyTrain station. The Burnaby campus is linked to the Production Way–University, Burquitlam, and Sperling–Burnaby Lake SkyTrain stations by frequent shuttle bus service. |
| Library | 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. | More than 1.1 million e-books |
| Campus Life | 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. |
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| Hostel | #Triple Residence Room - $6700 #Double Residence Room - $8590 #Single Residence Room - $9650 | #Residence Per Term - $3920 |
| Famous Alumni | 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) | Terry Fox (Athlete), Margaret Trudeau (Actress, Author, Justin Trudeau’s Mother), Calvin Chen (businessman, actor), Christy Clark (Canadian Politician), Tony Buzan (Author and Education consultant), Dave Cobb (6 times Grammy record producer) |
| Weather |
Above are some quantitative aspects of the analysis of these two universities. Let us further discuss the qualitative aspects of this comparison between McMaster and SFU.
Why Study at McMaster University?
- Global and national rankings of McMaster University are better than Simon Fraser University.
- The class size at McMaster is smaller than Simon Fraser University, suggestive of the lower student-faculty ratio and better student-faculty interaction.
- There are around 13 management programs offered at McMaster University of which MBA is recognized among top 200 MBA programs across the world.
- The co-curricular indulgence at McMaster is higher than SFU in regard to the number of clubs and organizations offered to their students.
- The acceptance rate of McMaster University is around 2% higher than SFU. The admission can be considered slightly easier than SFU.
- A bigger library collection at McMaster University offers students access to lager study material options.
- Many faculties, programs, and subject areas at McMaster are recognized by global ranking agencies like THE, QS, ARWU, etc.
These parameters can result in students choosing McMaster University over Simon Fraser University. However, mentioned below are some factors that aspirants must be aware of the reasons to choose SFU over McMaster:
Why Study at SFU?
- The tuition fees for programs at SFU is lower than the tuition fees at McMaster University.
- The cost of living in a single room at SFU is as low as $3000, allowing international students to find cheaper on-campus accommodation.
- The number of international students at SFU is around 7900 while at McMaster is around 4200. The difference indicates the cultural diversity that a student comes across at SFU.
- SFU’s partner universities and research institutions are more than McMaster University.
Pursuing an education at either of the two universities- McMaster or SFU will depend on the student’s choice of program, financial status, exam score obtained, and related aspects. Though the decision may incline towards McMaster University, the choice is still highly dependent on individual choices.
