There are a number of organizations that produce a ranking of post-secondary institutions on an annual basis. This activity continues to gain prominence as various organizations attempt to provide their interpretation of how universities are performing according to proprietary methodologies and factors. Many of these agencies set out to provide an international ranking of universities while some are focused on ranking institutions nationally. Additionally, some of these organizations attempt to rank institutions in particular subject or program areas. As part of University of Saskatchewan’s interest in continuous improvement, we welcome external assessments that provide perspectives on our performance that help us understand areas of strength and areas of potential opportunity. Although numerous rankings exist, we pay close attention to three international and two national rankings described below.
Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU)
ARWU institutional rankings are published annually by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy. In total, over 2,500 universities are ranked and the top 1,000 are published. The University of Saskatchewan is currently placed in the top quintile of all universities ranked.
Summary of institutional ranking results:
Subject Rankings
ARWU publishes a Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) each summer, where more than 1,800 institutions from about 96 countries are ranked across 54 subjects in five broad discipline areas.
Summary of subject ranking results:
Official website: http://www.shanghairanking.com/
Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings
Quacquarelli Symonds, a British company specializing in education and study abroad services, releases their ranking of universities in the world on an annual basis. They consider over 2,400 universities globally and publish rankings for over 1,400 institutions. The University of Saskatchewan is currently positioned within the top quintile of all schools considered in their analysis.
Summary of institutional ranking results:
Sustainability Rankings
QS publishes an annual ranking of universities to determine their environmental and social impact. Their initial ranking for 2023 included 700 universities, and it includes an overall rank in addition to rankings within two categories and eight performance lenses.
Summary of sustainability ranking results:
Subject Rankings
QS publishes a World University Rankings by Subject, typically near the end of the first calendar quarter. Overall, close to 1,600 institutions are ranked across 54 subjects in five broad subject areas.
Summary of subject ranking results:
Official website: https://www.topuniversities.com/qs-world-university-rankings
Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings
Times Higher Education is a weekly British magazine that reports specifically on news and issues related to higher education. As part of this, they produce an annual ranking of over 1,800 universities from across the world. The University of Saskatchewan is currently situated in the top third of all universities ranked.
Summary of institutional ranking results:
Impact Rankings
THE publishes an annual ranking of over 1,400 universities based on their performance against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An overall global ranking is published along with specific rankings in each of the 17 SDGs.
Summary of impact ranking results:
Subject Rankings
THE publishes an annual ranking of subjects, typically later in the calendar year, ranking institutions in 11 broader subject areas.
Summary of subject ranking results:
Official website: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings
Maclean’s University Rankings (Canadian medical/doctoral)
Maclean’s, a Canadian news magazine, provides an annual release of 49 universities in Canada separated into three categories: medical/doctoral, comprehensive, and primarily undergraduate. Because of its comprehensive set of health science programs (including medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and nutrition, rehabilitation science, public health, physical therapy, and nursing), the University of Saskatchewan is ranked in the medical/doctoral category.
Summary of institutional ranking results:
Program Rankings
Maclean’s releases an annual ranking of programs, typically in the Fall, which assess research and reputation in five popular areas in the sciences and social sciences.
Summary of program ranking results:
Official website: https://www.macleans.ca/education/university-rankings/
Research Infosource Top 50 Research Universities in Canada
Research Infosource, a company that specializes in providing research and development intelligence, produces an annual ranking of the top 50 research universities in Canada. The University of Saskatchewan is currently ranked 10th in this list.
Summary of results:
Official website: https://researchinfosource.com/top50_univ.php
For more information on topics relating to university rankings, please contact the Assessment and Analytics team.