2025 Maclean’s University Rankings: Medical Doctoral Schools

Discover the top 15 schools in Canada known for their broad range of PhD programs, research, and medical schools.

It’s that time of year again — Maclean’s has just released their university rankings for 2025! Here we’ll take a look at what schools made the list for Canada’s best medical doctoral universities for 2025. The schools in this list have a broad range of PhD programs and research, as well as medical schools.

So if you’re interested in becoming a doctor or a researcher, you’ll want to consider the schools in this list. Maclean’s determines their rankings based on 12 performance indicators, such as scholarships/bursaries, grants, student/faculty ratio, student awards, total research dollars, and more! For a better idea of what performance indicators are used, explore Maclean’s University Rankings Methodology.

Here are 2025’s rankings:

1. McGill University

Last year’s rank: 1

McGill University, located in Montréal, Québec, is among the most vibrant educational and research environment in North America, attracting the best and brightest in the health professions and sciences. It’s one of the leading universities in the world and Canada's best-known institution of higher learning. With over 8,000 medical students, McGill is one of the top medical schools in North America and enjoys an international reputation for excellence in teaching, clinical training, and research.

2. University of Toronto

Last year’s rank: 2

The University of Toronto has remained at the forefront of life-changing health research and innovation for more than a century. With nine fully affiliated research-intensive hospitals — and dozens of community and clinical care sites — they offer unparalleled opportunities in Canada’s most dynamic city for more than 7,000 learners at all levels.

3. University of British Columbia

Last year’s rank: 3

The University of British Columbia is ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth largest MD enrollment in North America. UBC’s Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine.

4. McMaster University

Last year’s rank: 4

McMaster University, located in Hamilton, Ontario, has a global reputation for offering innovation programs with high-impact research. McMaster University’s School of Medicine pioneered problem-based learning, a method that brings real-world medical issues into the classroom, empowering students to find solutions with the guidance of a tutor.

5. University of Ottawa

Last year’s rank: 5

The University of Ottawa is the largest bilingual (English and French) university in the world! Their faculty of medicine offers a competitive education in a dynamic learning environment.

Although the top five universities have stayed in the same ranking positions as last year, this year Dalhousie University and Queen’s University raised in ranks tying for the seventh position, taking the place of the University of Calgary!

That’s it! These are Maclean’s best medical doctoral schools in Canada for 2025! Remember, rankings aren’t everything. Make sure you also consider other factors that are important to you, like program offerings, campus feel, extracurricular activities, and more!