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Western has been named one of the top universities globally, according to the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings.
The 2027 report, released June 17 by higher education analyst QS Quacquarelli Symonds, places Western sixth in Canada and 142nd among 1,500 universities worldwide.
Western moved up nine spots since the 2026 QS World University Rankings, gaining ground across multiple categories, including academic reputation, employer reputation, international research network and sustainability.
“Rankings are one of the tools we use to measure progress on building Western’s reputation as a global university,” said Western President Alan Shepard. “Being among the top institutions in the world, scored highly for research citations, international network and sustainability, among other key categories, means we are gaining momentum and enabling Western to continue growing our impact in Canada and around the world.”
Benchmarking academic excellence
The QS rankings are a measure to benchmark academic excellence, helping guide students, scholars and institutions in their decisions.
The assessment evaluates university performance using five broad performance metrics, comprised of nine weighted indicators: research and discovery (academic reputation and citations), employability and outcomes (employer reputation and outcomes), global engagement (international faculty, international research network and international students), learning experience (faculty-student radio) and sustainability.
Western’s global rankings by the numbers
Western stood out globally in the following areas:
–Sustainability, ranking 24th in the world, and fourth in Canada, with a score of 95.3. This latest ranking – among the top five per cent globally – shows Western remains committed to sustainability, a key pillar in its strategic plan, Towards Western 150. Earlier this year, the university launched its new Climate and Sustainability Strategy, which reflects the campus community’s commitment to a regenerative future. In April, Western was named one of Canada’s Greenest Employers in an annual assessment of organizations across the country.
–Global engagement, specifically through the international research network indicator. It measures an institution’s success “in creating and sustaining research partnerships in other locations, the number of different countries represented in those collaborations and whether these relationships are renewed and repeated.”
Building and strengthening global partnerships is one of the priorities of Western in the World, the university’s global engagement plan and Mobilize for Impact, Western Research’s strategic plan.
Western also rose over last year in academic reputation, placing in the top 25 per cent, and remains first in Canada for citations per faculty. Earlier this year, the university ranked among the world’s top 400 universities in 40 subjects according to the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject, tying for second in Canada for philosophy.
The university also is positioned among the top 25 per cent globally for employer reputation. In April, Western was named one of Southwestern Ontario’s top employers for the third consecutive year.
Learn more about how Western is preparing future leaders and global citizens.
