McGill University was ranked 17th in Quacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) list of the top universities in the world. Since QS began ranking universities in 2004, McGill University has consistently placed among the top 25 schools on the list.

The rankings were based on six weighted factors according to QS’s website: academic reputation (40 per cent) and employer reputation (10 per cent)—both measured by a global survey, citations per faculty (20 per cent), faculty to student ratio (20 per cent), the proportion of international students (5 per cent), and the proportion of international faculty (5 per cent).

One other Canadian university, the University of Toronto, made the top 25 of global universities. No other Canadian universities were ranked within the top 50. McGill improved from 19th overall last year to 17th. The University of Toronto jumped from 29th to 23rd.

McGill felt that the ranking highlighted its position as Canada’s premier university and the diversity of its students.

McGill University released  this statement after the rankings were announced: “Founded in 1821, McGill is Canada’s leading post-secondary institution. It has more than 36,000 students, including 8,300 graduate students. McGill attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, with more than 7,200 international students making up 20 per cent of the student body.”

While there are several alternate rankings of world universities, McGill’s improved ranking this year is certainly good news for the school.

McGill Principal and Vice Chancellor, Heather Monroe-Blum, commented that “McGill’s consistently strong performance in these rankings is particularly gratifying, reflecting the University’s outstanding contributions in teaching, research and innovation across a broad range of academic fields.”

The University of Cambridge and Harvard University claimed the top two spots, while MIT jumped to third from fifth in 2010.