Two B.C. schools just topped a new North American university ranking

Two B.C. schools have landed in the top 10 for sustainability impact in North America, according to a new university ranking— and surprisingly, UBC isn’t one of them.

In the latest Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025, both the University of Victoria (UVic) and Simon Fraser University (SFU) ranked among the continent’s top schools based on how well they’re addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UBC didn’t crack the top 10 schools in North America, and it was not mentioned in the overall global list.

The university rankings assessed 2,526 universities across 130 countries, looking at real-world contributions in areas like climate action, innovation, and social equity.

The only global performance tables of their kind, THE’s Impact Rankings evaluate schools based on 18 categories, including teaching, research, outreach, and stewardship.

Canada dominated the list.

When it comes to the global university ranking for overall sustainability, Canada remains impressive with seven universities in the top 50, just behind Australia.

Out of the top 10 universities in North America, nine are Canadian, with Arizona State University (Tempe) as the only American school in the mix.

“While Canada’s universities are showing clear global leadership in driving forward the sustainability agenda, US universities’ general lack of direct engagement with the SDGs, with a few notable exceptions, is disappointing,” said Phil Baty, THE’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, in a press release.

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Here are the top 10 universities in North America in the 2025 university ranking:

1. Queen’s University (Canada)

Overall impact ranking: 6

1. Arizona State University, Tempe (Tied with Queen’s)

Overall impact ranking: 6

3. University of Alberta

Overall impact ranking: 8

4. McMaster University (Canada)

Overall impact ranking: 14

5. University of Victoria (Canada)

Overall impact ranking: 14

6. Western University (Canada)

Overall impact ranking: 14

7. Simon Fraser University (Canada)

Overall impact ranking: 35

8. York University (Canada)

Overall impact ranking: 38

9. Université Laval (Canada)

Overall impact ranking: 52

10. Université de Montréal (Canada)

Overall impact ranking: 55

UVic also ranked #2 globally for Sustainable Cities and Communities and #5 for Climate Action, while SFU’s impact score placed it ahead of major US schools like Penn State and MIT.

The full 2025 university rankings were announced at the Global Sustainable Development Congress in Istanbul this week.

With files from Irish Mae Silvestre

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