Western University has been ranked among the top 0.9 per cent of universities worldwide, placing 185th out of 21,462 institutions and sixth in Canada, according to the 2025 Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), released June 2. “Western is consistently ranked in the top tier of universities worldwide, solidifying our position as a high-quality global university,” said President Alan Shepard. “We build on this recognition to attract new talent – whether students or faculty – and to further advance our innovation, impact and commitment to developing the next generation of leaders.” Established in 2012 and based in the United Arab Emirates, CWUR uses objective metrics rather than surveys or institutional data submissions. Its methodology is based on seven outcome-based indicators, grouped into four key categories: employability, education, faculty and research. CWUR’s education and employability metrics focus on alumni academic and professional success relative to university size. Faculty rankings are determined by the number of members receiving top academic honours, while research is assessed through publication output, influence, citations and quality.  

Employability key measure for top universities

Western saw its most significant gains in employability, moving up nine places in this year’s ranking and maintaining first place in Canada for this metric for the fifth year. The employability metric measures the average number of alumni per year who have held top leadership positions since 2011 at the world’s 2,000 largest public companies, as determined by a composite of market value, profits, assets and sales. “This recognition reflects the strength of our academic programs, industry partnerships and the growing impact of our graduates across sectors and continents,” provost and vice-president (academic) Florentine Strzelczyk said. “As our alumni base expands, so too does Western’s influence. These results show that our students aren’t just finding success – they’re shaping it, and they’re doing so on a global scale.” The CWUR ranking follows several recent honours for Western, including a fourth-place ranking in Canada and a spot among the top two per cent globally in the QS 2025 Sustainability Rankings.