U15 group of universities in Canada

What is the U15 group of universities?

The U15 group is an association of 15 universities in Canada that are considered as leading their fields of research. It was formed in 2012, and each university offers a wide range of research programmes that focus on advancing knowledge, developing confident leaders for all sectors, and assist the mobilisation of knowledge throughout Canada.

Across the U15 universities, they:

• Train 58% of Canada’s full-time graduate students
• Attract 77% of Canada’s sponsored research funding
• Perform $835 million of research for business*

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List of U15 universities

• University of Alberta
• University of British Columbia
• University of Calgary
• Dalhousie University
• Université Laval
• University of Manitoba
• McGill University
• McMaster University
• Université de Montréal
• University of Ottawa
• Queen’s University
• University of Saskatchewan
• University of Toronto
• University of Waterloo
• Western University

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History of the U15 group

Although the group as it is known today was only founded in 2012, the group has its beginnings all the way back in the mid-1980s. Five of the current members joined forces to advance their research interests, and to put research focused programmes to the top of their priorities. By 1989, several other universities had joined the group, and in 1991 they formed a Group of Ten.

Since this, the group has expanded twice, once in 2006 when it became the Group of Thirteen, and again in 2012 when the two most current members joined and made it 15. They then renamed themselves the U15 Group, and created a directorate.

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Post-graduation career prospects

Due to the focus placed on research-intensive programmes, studying at a member university of the U15 group, you will be well placed for your future career. The emphasis on research means that you will not only be prepared for further studies, but also have experience with the real world applications of your field.

The collaborative nature of the U15 group also means that you will become part of a wide reaching community when studying at one of the universities. This extensive network of people and organisations means that the opportunities that are available to you will be wider and more varied, with options throughout Canada and the rest of the world.

U15 universities world ranking

University	City & Province	QS World University Rankings 2026	Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025
McGill University	Montreal, Quebec	27	45
University of Toronto	Toronto, Ontario	29	21
University of British Columbia	Vancouver, British Columbia	40	41
University of Alberta	Edmonton, Alberta	=94	=116
University of Waterloo	Waterloo, Ontario	=119	=163
Western University	London, Ontario	151	201-250
Université de Montréal	Montréal, Quebec	168	125
McMaster University	Hamilton, Ontario	=173	=116
Queen’s University	Kingston, Ontario	=191	301-350
University of Calgary	Calgary, Alberta	211	201-250
University of Ottawa	Ottawa, Ontario	=219	=191
Dalhousie University	Halifax, Nova Scotia	283	301-350
University of Saskatchewan	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	378	351-400
Université Laval	Quebec City, Quebec	=469	251-300
University of Manitoba	Winnipeg, Manitoba	=643	401-500

*Source – U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities – About Us

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Other groups of universities:

• Ivy League Universities
• League of European Research Universities
• Russell Group of Universities
• Group of Eight Universities