U of T scores top marks in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023

Mar 28, 2023

In morning sunlight, shadows stretch tall as students walk into the instructional building at U of T Scarborough. — *Photo by Ken Jones*

From environmental sciences to classics and ancient history, the University of Toronto continues to gain global esteem as a leader across a wide range disciplines.

The 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject ranked U of T first in Canada in four of the five broad fields assessed and placed it in the global top 10 in five specific subjects: sports-related subjects (5^th), data science (6^th), education (7^th), nursing (tied for 7^th) and anatomy and physiology (8^th).

U of T was also among a small group of universities that ranked in the top 25 in 34 subjects. The others comprised: University of California, Berkeley; Cambridge University; Harvard University; University of Oxford; National University of Singapore; Stanford University and University of California, Los Angeles.

Internationally, U of T was ranked among the top 50 schools in 48 subjects – more than any other university in the world.

“This latest ranking confirms again that the University of Toronto encompasses world-leading excellence across an incredibly wide range of disciplines and professions,” said U of T President Meric Gertler.

Our faculty, students and alumni are recognized by their global peers as major contributors to the creation of new knowledge and solutions in every field.

“Our faculty, students and alumni are recognized by their global peers as major contributors to the creation of new knowledge and solutions in every field.”

Quacquarelli Symonds, whose head office is in London, ranked nearly 1,600 institutions across 54 subjects this year. The results are based on surveys of academics and employers, citations per paper, an index that aims to measure the productivity and impact of published work and a metric that aims to capture the scope of international collaborations. These indicators were assigned different weights depending on the subject.

Our faculty, students and alumni are recognized by their global peers as major contributors to the creation of new knowledge and solutions in every field.

U of T led the country in 36 subjects while its ranking improved in 22 subjects, ranging from civil and structural engineering to modern languages. It also saw overall improvements in four fields: arts and humanities, engineering and technology, natural sciences and social sciences and management.

In total, U of T ranked in 50 of 54 subjects – a distinction shared with University of British Columbia and University of Queensland. That included being ranked in two of three brand new QS subject categories: data sciences and marketing, where U of T placed sixth and 13^th, respectively.

Overall, U of T continues to be the highest ranked Canadian university and one of the top ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings: Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, Shanghai Ranking Consultancy’s Academic Ranking of World Universities, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.

By Adina Bresge