Studyportals

University of British Columbia

Vancouver, Canada +2
Global Rank Top 0.5% # 32 Worldwide

University of British Columbia About

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global centre for teaching, learning and research, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world and recently recognized as North America’s most international university.

University of British Columbia Short Courses

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Education

As one of the world’s leading universities, The University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.

Research

  • UBC consistently ranks as one of the world’s top research universities.
  • Globally connected, we attract the highest calibre research faculty and students and approximately $600 million in research funding each year.

Career

As one of the top-ranking universities in the world, there is an important job to do: we are making the world a better place. It means UBC has a remarkable range of career opportunities: it’s not your typical day-to-day. With this kind of range, our people need to be unique too. It’s not a cookie-cutter environment, where ordinary cuts it. It takes people with vision, with a spark, with perseverance and with passion.

University of British Columbia Key Statistics & Highlights

  • #42 Ranking
  • 23 Courses
  • 2,897 Academic Staff
  • 54,744 Students
  • 18,066 Students (int'l)
  • 30,109 Students (female)
  • Public Institution Type

University of British Columbia Overview

University of British Columbia Rankings

Study Portals Meta Ranking

Top 1.4% Canada
Top 0.5% Worldwide

Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.

Best Global Universities Rankings

42

By U.S. News & World Report

Dropped 1 places compared to 2026

Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.

3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings

2025 2026 2027
39 41 42

QS World University Rankings

45

By TopUniversities

Dropped 5 places compared to 2026

QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.

3 year trend QS World University Rankings

2025 2026 2027
38 40 45

World University Rankings

No 2027 Ranking

By Times Higher Education

This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.

World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.

3 year trend World University Rankings

2025 2026 2027
41 45 -

Academic Ranking of World Universities

No 2026 Ranking

By Shanghai Jiao Tong University

This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2026 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.

ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.

3 year trend Academic Ranking of World Universities

2024 2025 2026
47 53 -

Student services

International Student Advisors are Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) or Regulated International Student Immigration Advisors (RISIAs) who can help.

Housing services

  • On campus housing:
The Department of Student Housing and Hospitality Services, Student Housing Vancouver provides accommodation for more than 8,000 students, faculty and staff in the eight residence complexes that circle the Vancouver campus.
  • Off-campus housing.
  • Emergency housing.
Emergency housing assistance is available for students who are experiencing significant difficulties and are unable to locate temporary housing, stay with family or friends, or have another issue making it difficult to source appropriate housing (short or long term).
  • Student family housing.

Library services

With more than six million volumes, the Library is a vital support for research, learning and teaching excellence at UBC. Learn more about our collections, stay up to date with Library news and meet our team.

ICT services

All UBC students, faculty, and staff have access to the password-protected ubcsecure network.

Medical services

All students are automatically enrolled in the AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan when registering for classes (except exchange students paying tuition at their home university). Extended health insurance covers up to 80% of the cost of prescription medicine, dental care, vision care, and travel insurance.

Campus life

UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley. Also in Vancouver, UBC Robson Square is a vibrant learning centre in the heart of downtown; the UBC Learning Exchange is a community engagement initiative based in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside; and UBC’s Centre for Digital Media at the Great Northern Way Campus is located in Mount Pleasant. UBC also provides clinical education to Faculty of Medicine students at more than 80 training sites across British Columbia. In addition, UBC’s Asia Pacific Regional Office in Hong Kong and Liaison Office in New Delhi, India, facilitate teaching and research partnerships and support alumni engagement.

Sports facilities

Jump, dive, run, or leap into Varsity sports at UBC and join a rich tradition of athletic dedication that has been core to UBC’s spirit since the university opened its doors. The UBC Thunderbirds and the Okanagan’s Heat Varsity programs offer a wide range of sports to participate in or attend at any of the seven Varsity facilities on the Vancouver campus or three on the Okanagan campus including the new Hangar Fitness and Wellness centre.

Student clubs

At UBC, we have both undergraduate student societies and student associations. These are communities run by students working to connect others to their faculty.

Accreditation

The University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, Division of Continuing Professional Development (UBC CPD) is fully accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Education (CACME) to provide credits to physicians.

University of British Columbia Campus Locations

#1 Main Campus
Canada Country
Vancouver City
#2 Branch Campus
Canada Country
Kelowna City

University of British Columbia Student Reviews & Awards

4.2

Based on 100 reviews

  • 5 Star
    38 Reviews
  • 4 Star
    52 Reviews
  • 3 Star
    8 Reviews
  • 2 Star
    2 Reviews
  • 1 Star
    0 Reviews

How Students Rated This University

  • Overall Satisfaction 4.2
  • Student Teacher Interaction 4.1
  • Student Diversity 4.3
  • Admission Process 4.2
  • Quality of Student Life 4.2
  • Career Development 4.0
4/5

Good environment

I love the small class sizes as it feels like the professors pay more attention to each student. The campus is wonderful, the mountain views always make it relaxing to go outside. I also haven't had a single poor interaction with any professor.

Posted by Anonymous
Studied from Unknown
Posted on Aug 2026
4/5

Accommodating for disabilities

As a student with a learning disability, UBC was very accommodating to me, with a no-questions-asked policy as long as students sign up for the Centre for Accessibility. This made classes a lot more manageable and I feel like I was truly able to put my best effort forward with accommodations for my learning disability.

Posted by Anonymous
Studied from Unknown
Posted on Aug 2026
4/5

Smart students, high standards, great campus.

I've been here for two years now, studying International Relations. Every student here got in for a reason; they are smart and driven. That makes competition in grades and high standards being held. But that is such a good plus! It's a school that pushes you, but also helps you out along the way a lot. Great campus, I've had some really good professors, and there is always something going on anywhere.

Posted by Anonymous
Studied from Unknown
Posted on Aug 2026
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Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025

The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!

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  • Admission Process badge
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  • Quality of Student Life badge
    Quality of Student Life

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  • Career Development badge
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