The University of British Columbia Rankings 2025

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a top-tier public university in Canada, ranked #38 in QS Rankings 2025 and #41 in THE Rankings 2025. It holds the #39 spot in U.S. News rankings and is ranked #2 among global universities in Canada.

Beyond academics, UBC excels in sustainability, securing the #5 position in the QS Sustainability Ranking 2025. With an acceptance rate of 50.5%, the university offers 600+ undergraduate, graduate, and PhD programs across business, engineering, law, medicine, humanities, and more.

With a legacy of producing Prime Ministers and Nobel laureates, UBC remains a leader in global education through its academic excellence and international influence.

University of British Columbia World Rankings 2024-25

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is ranked #38 in QS Rankings and #41 in THE Rankings. This reflects its reputation as one of the top universities in Canada and globally. Its #39 position in U.S. News rankings highlights UBC’s continued excellence in areas such as academic performance, research output, and graduation rates.

Here’s how University of British Columbia’s rankings have changed over the years:

Here’s a graphical representation of the University of British Columbia's ranking performance over the years:

In 2023, UBC ranked #47 in QS Rankings, making a jump to #34 in 2024 before slipping slightly to #38 in 2025, reflecting global competition. 

Meanwhile, its THE ranking remained stable at #40 in 2023 and #41 in both 2024 and 2025, indicating consistent academic and research performance. 

Despite minor shifts, UBC maintains a strong global position with stable rankings and a growing research impact. This makes it a great choice for students seeking high-quality education, strong research opportunities, and global career prospects.

After reviewing the University of British Columbia rankings, let’s explore how it performs across different programs.

Subject-Wise Ranking of University of British Columbia

Subject-wise rankings, such as those for engineering or medicine, help students make informed decisions based on their field of interest.

Programs like engineering (#31 in QS, #49 in THE) and medicine (#38 in QS, #28 in THE) demonstrate strong global performance. Arts and humanities (#19 in QS) and business (#29 in THE) are also highly regarded, reflecting UBC’s academic excellence across diverse fields.

QS Rankings 2025

QS world rankings consider criteria such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, research impact, and international diversity. 

UBC’s programs in engineering (#31), medicine (#38), law (#38), and arts and humanities (#19) are among the best globally. However, its business program (ranked 101-110) has room for improvement in global standings.

Here’s the performance for specific subjects:

Note: The rankings may vary based on specific subjects.

Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2025

The Times Higher Education (THE) world university rankings are based on criteria like teaching quality, research influence, international outlook, and industry income. 

Programs like engineering (#49), medicine (#28), law (#41), arts and humanities (#53), and business (#29) all rank within the top 100, indicating diverse program excellence.

Here’s how UBC performs across different subjects:

U.S. News and World Report Rankings 2025

Criteria such as academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, and research output help in deciding the U.S. News rankings.

The U.S. News rankings reflect a more modest performance for subjects like engineering (#82), business (#78) and medicine (#42) compared to other rankings. However, these programs still rank among the top 100 globally, highlighting UBC’s strong reputation in peer assessments and graduation outcomes.

Here’s how UBC performs across different subjects:

Note: The rankings may vary based on specific subjects.

Now, let’s explore the University of British Columbia rankings across alternative ranking assessments.

Miscellaneous Ranking 2025

The University of British Columbia (UBC) ranks among the top globally in research assessments like CWUR (#52) and Shanghai Rankings (#47). Additionally, it is at the #5 position in the QS Sustainability Rankings.

Here’s how UBC performs in other rankings:

UBC's #52 rank in CWUR (2024) reflects its strong global standing, particularly in research output, faculty quality, and employability. 

The #47 position in the Shanghai Ranking further reinforces its reputation as a research-intensive institution with high academic performance. 

Notably, UBC's #5 ranking in the QS Sustainability Rankings highlights its leadership in environmental and social impact.

Now, let’s explore the performance of the University of British Columbia in academics and extracurricular. 

University of British Columbia: Excellence and Achievements

The University of British Columbia’s academic achievements include four Rhodes Scholars in the past five years and Wall Fellowships to address environmental challenges. 

On the cultural front, UBC promotes diversity through events like Black History Month and actively engages in community development through the FORWARD initiative.

Here’s how the University of British Columbia performs: 

Academic Excellence and National Recognition

UBC has produced four Rhodes Scholars in the past five years and is home to eight Nobel Laureates, highlighting its academic prestige. It has also received the Wall Fellowship to tackle major environmental challenges.

Here are the major accomplishments:

Community and Lifestyle Recognitions

UBC's Climate Action Plan 2030 promotes a sustainable community by targeting net-zero emissions in buildings and energy use. The FORWARD Initiative supports students in their affordability goals.

Here are the contributions to community development:

Cultural and Creative Excellence

UBC promotes cultural recognition through Black History Month and supports Indigenous communities through its Indigenous Strategic Plan.

Here are the cultural achievements of UBC:

After reviewing UBC’s academic and extracurricular achievements, let’s explore the acceptance rates for different programs.

University of British Columbia: Ranking V/S Acceptance Rate

The University of British Columbia has an acceptance rate of 50.5% based on available data. However, specific admission rates for programs like engineering and business are not publicly disclosed.

Here’s how acceptance rates vary across different programs:

After looking at the acceptance rates across different programs, let’s explore the methodologies used to rank universities.

Ranking Methodologies

QS, Times Higher Education (THE), and U.S. News & World Report are the leading university ranking systems that have become benchmarks for assessing university performance. 

Each ranking focuses on aspects such as academic reputation, research quality, and global outlook to gauge the performance of universities.

Here’s a detailed look at the criteria used for ranking universities.

QS World University Rankings

The QS world ranking emphasizes employer reputation and academic outcomes, obtained from surveys of thousands of academic experts and employers worldwide. It also gives importance to faculty research and international student admissions.

Here are the criteria used in QS World University Rankings.

Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings focus on research influence, teaching reputation, and staff-to-student ratio. It also emphasizes international diversity and industry income, assessing how well universities collaborate with industries and global academic networks.

Here are the criteria used by THE rankings.

U.S. News and World Report Rankings

This indicator uses special criteria like first-year retention rates, graduation rates, and student-faculty ratio. 

Other criteria like borrower debt and financial resources measure how well universities support low-income students. 

Here are the criteria used in U.S. News and World Report Rankings.

The above rankings reflect how well a university is positioned to offer quality education and outcomes to students, using indicators like employability and industry applications.

Now, let’s determine how upGrad will help you study at University of British Columbia.

How Will upGrad Help you?

upGrad helps students and professionals improve their academic knowledge and career growth through expert mentorship, industry-relevant courses, and flexible learning. 

With bridge courses focusing on foundational knowledge, you can transition to specialization in fields like criminal law, cybersecurity, and business. 

Additionally, the study abroad program offered by upGrad provides students with the following benefits:

• Expert Mentorship: Get guidance from industry professionals in selecting universities and handling the application process.
• Industry-Relevant Courses: Learn practical, real-world skills through up-to-date courses designed to meet the needs of today's industry trends.
• Flexible Learning Options: Online courses and flexible schedules allow you to balance your education with other commitments.
• Career Support: Receive career coaching, job placement assistance, and networking opportunities to help you land your desired role.
• Test Preparation: Gain access to prep materials and expert strategies for standardized tests like IELTS, GRE, and SAT to strengthen your application.

Here are some study abroad opportunities offered by upGrad at the University of British Columbia:

• Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (MEng)
• Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering (MASc)
• Economics (BA)
• Bachelor of Arts Geography
• Bachelor of Science-Mathematics and Economics

Conclusion

University of British Columbia's performance in QS Rankings (#38), THE Rankings (#41), and U.S. News Rankings (#39) reflect its standing as a top global university.

Programs like engineering (#31) and medicine (#38) in QS Rankings and business (#29) in THE Rankings demonstrate strong academic reputation, employer recognition, and graduation rates.

With law (#38) and humanities (#19) securing the top 50 positions in QS Rankings, UBC demonstrates strong performance across major academic disciplines.

UBC remains one of Canada’s leading universities, closely following the University of Toronto, making it a strong choice for students planning to study in Canada.