Want to become a CEO? These Canadian universities offer you the best chances
If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a prominent business leader, you may want to consider attending one of these Canadian universities.
Immerse Education, a global academic platform, released data in the summer analyzing which post-secondary schools produced the most CEOs.
The organization combed through the LinkedIn data of over 200 top academic institutions worldwide to determine the percentage of alumni who have gained the coveted title of CEO based on the school they attended.
This also included examining the top 50 Canadian post-secondary institutions.
So, which Canadian post-secondary schools give you the best shot at achieving your career leadership dreams?
According to Immerse Education’s findings, McGill University topped the Canadian rankings. Out of 225,497 of its alumni on LinkedIn, 4.25% (9,603) became CEOs.
Some notable McGill alumni who became prominent business leaders include Telus CEO Darren Entwistle and Susan DeVore, the former CEO of Premier Inc.
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Queen’s University was second, with 4.02% of its 153,620 alumni listed as CEOs. Western University came third, with 3.35% of its 191,077 alumni holding the leadership title.
Some of the country’s biggest and most well-regarded schools, like the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto, did not crack the top three spots and came in fourth and sixth place, respectively.
Immerse Education
No Canadian schools made the cut in overall global rankings, but American schools dominated the list.
California’s Stanford University took the top spot for the school that has produced the most CEOs worldwide.
Immerse Education reported that out of its 334,276 alumni on LinkedIn, 9.21% of those carried the title.
According to Stanford’s website, some prominent business leaders who graduated from the school include Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, and Brian Acton, executive chairman of the Signal Technology Foundation and interim CEO of Signal Messenger LLC.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) placed third with 8.49% of alumni listed as CEOs, followed by Princeton, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania, which round out the top five spots.
Immerse Education
Immerse Education also ranked UK and Australian schools. You can find all its rankings — including the full global list here.
How important is university when vying for the CEO position?
When it comes to becoming a company’s head honcho, Sean Stevens, CEO of Immerse Education and University of Oxford alumni, says that post-secondary education can be an important first step.
“University is the first building block in a lifetime of growth, development and success,” he stated.
He encourages students and CEO hopefuls to “focus on working hard and developing your skills” but also notes that making connections along the way is also important.
“In short, take every opportunity that comes your way,” he added.
This article was originally published on July 26, 2024. It has since been updated.