US and Canadian universities face different challenges

NORTH AMERICA

While the United States is still home to many of the world’s best higher education institutions, US universities are experiencing a decline in academic reputation and research impact in rankings such as the QS World University Rankings 2025, released on 4 June.

Canadian universities shine in sustainability and international collaboration yet face challenges in employability and international student attraction.

As global competition intensifies, universities worldwide must address these challenges to maintain and enhance their positions. The focus on sustainability, employability and internationalisation will be crucial for future success.

US and Canadian universities compared

Academic and Employer Reputation: Both the US and Canada excel in academic reputation, but the US leads significantly. However, there is a notable decline in the perceived academic excellence of US institutions, with 73% recording lower scores year-on-year.

International Student Ratio: Canada has seen a decline in its ability to attract international students, partly due to recent government policies aimed at curbing student mobility amid housing and migration concerns. This decline threatens the international standing and economic health of Canadian universities. In the US, international student interest remains high, but the financial burden of studying in the US compared to other regions may shift preferences in the future.

Research and Citations: Canadian universities have shown strength in international research collaboration. The University of Toronto, for instance, is highly ranked for its international research network. In contrast, 86% of US universities have seen a decline in citations per faculty, indicating a relative decrease in research impact.

Sustainability: Canadian universities have emerged as global leaders in sustainability. The University of Toronto, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia are all in the top ten globally for this indicator. In the US, the University of California at Berkeley is a standout performer in sustainability, ranking second globally.

At the heart of the US’ hegemony since rankings began has been its unparalleled research power and levels of internationalisation: a cosmopolitan knowledge-producing, knowledge-disseminating machine, according to Ben Sowter, QS senior vice-president.

But this year, its scores for internationalisation and research impact have dropped across the board.

US consistently losing ground

Overall, the 2025 QS World University Rankings reveals a US sector that has consistently lost ground to its global peers in the past year:

• Of the 25 American institutions that rank among the global top 100, six have recorded drops of ten places or more;

• University of California at Berkeley (12th) has lost its place among the world’s top ten, while University of Chicago (21st) has fallen ten places to exit the top 20;

• Of the world’s major higher education powers – those with 30 or more ranked universities – none record as high a proportion of drops as the United States.

Underlining the US’ declining position is growing sentiment among the global academic community that excellence is increasingly to be found elsewhere. Some 73% of the US’ ranked universities have recorded lower scores year-on-year in QS’ Academic Reputation metric, which accounts for the expert insights of over 175,000 academic faculty members.

QS’s dataset indicates that the US’ declining relative regard among the academic community is not simply a question of sentiment: the rest of the world continues to gain ground on the US’ research performance and 86% of American universities have recorded lower year-on-year scores in QS’ Citations per Faculty indicator, which captures research impact adjusted for faculty body size.

“In light of these trends, it’s unsurprising that the global academic community is less certain than ever that educational excellence resides stateside – and more convinced than ever that the rest of the world, slowly but surely, is gaining ground,” Sowter said.

Canadian universities lead on sustainability

Canadian universities have demonstrated remarkable performance in sustainability. The University of Toronto, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia lead globally, with Toronto recognized as the world leader in sustainability, according to analysis by QS.

The highest ranked Canadian institution is the University of Toronto – ranked 25th globally, down from 21st last year. It is a world leader in sustainability with a near-perfect score in academic reputation. Despite its high international academic standing, it has noted declines in employability and research metrics.

McGill University climbed one spot to 29th, showing improvements in employer reputation, international research collaboration, and sustainability; and the University of British Columbia, ranked 38th, excelling in sustainability, positioned 4th globally.

However, Canada faces challenges, particularly in employability and international student attraction, with 60% of its universities showing a decline in the International Student Ratio indicator.

Sowter commented on the performance of Canadian universities: “Since QS piloted its Sustainability indicator in the last edition, Canadian universities have emerged as global leaders for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategies and SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) initiatives.

“The University of Toronto is firmly at the forefront of these efforts, driving environmental sustainability, social equity, and advancing human knowledge to tackle the most pressing global challenges through research, pedagogy, hiring practices, and management,” he said.

However, sustainability is the only indicator in which more of Canada’s universities have climbed the table than dropped.

“In indicators related to research, employability, reputation, and internationalisation, Canadian universities are increasingly losing ground to their global peers. There are particularly noteworthy relative declines in QS’ two employability indicators, demonstrating the need for a refocus upon this central pillar of any higher education sector’s mission,” Sowter said.

Jessica Turner, QS CEO, highlighted the issue of international student mobility. “Among the other challenges illuminated by this year’s ranking is a decline in the International Student Ratio, in which 60% of Canada’s universities have dropped,” she said.

She pointed out that this was an impact of the Canadian government’s recent effort to curtail inbound student mobility amid housing and migration concerns.

“Restrictions on international students, which only represent one-fifth of temporary residents yet contribute over $22 billion to the Canadian economy, stand to jeopardise the international standing, intellectual culture, and economic health of Canada’s universities,” she explained.