The University of Toronto has the top engineering program in Canada and now ranks first in all its disciplines, according to the first-ever QS World University Rankings by Subject. The rankings were released on Tuesday, as U of T Engineering saw a record number of prospective undergraduate students vying for fall 2011 admission, with nearly half of them selecting U of T Engineering as their first choice.
“These numbers demonstrate the strong reputation of our engineering programs, including among student applicants,” said Dean Cristina Amon, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.
Last year, U of T Engineering was one of four Canadian institutions to be included in UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds’ World University Rankings top 50 in Engineering & Technology, placing 14th among world universities. McGill University placed 29th, the University of British Columbia ranked 30th, and the University of Waterloo tied with another school in 39th place.
In the new rankings by subject, U of T Engineering again led all Canadian universities, placing 10th in Computer Science & Information Systems, 13th in Electrical Engineering, 14th in Chemical Engineering, 20th in Civil & Structural Engineering, and 31st in Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing among global universities.
U of T Engineering saw a record number of prospective students apply for undergraduate admission for the 2011-2012 academic year, up 12.5% from the previous year and up 17% for first choice in Ontario. In fact, nearly half of all applicants this year made U of T Engineering their first choice, with international applicants making up 27.2% of the pool – an increase of 23.0% over last year – and applications from women surging by 17.2%.
“Our record number of applicants speaks to the growing importance of engineering in providing education for the new knowledge-based economy in Canada and around the world,” said Dean Amon. “With U of T graduates making up about 10% of engineers in Canada, we are gratified that U of T Engineering remains the flag-bearer in international rankings.”
The 2011 QS World University Rankings by Subject – Engineering & Technology is the first in a series of unique world university rankings by subject. The company – which has produced the QS World University Rankings since 2004, rating the world’s top 500 universities – said it would publish league tables in a further 30 subjects in the coming weeks “along with a personalized ranking tool to help students make the right choice.” QS World University Rankings are based on academic and employer reputation surveys, and research quality using a citations-per-paper indicator.
