History
- Founded on March 7, 1878 by Bishop Isaac Hellmuth (1817–1901) ‘The Western University of London Ontario’ opened its doors to students for the first time in 1881. Four faculties – Arts, Divinity, Law and Medicine were there at Western's inception.
- In 1916, the current campus was purchased from the Kingsmill family, and in 1923 the university was renamed The University of Western Ontario.
Education
Faculties / Schools:
- Arts & Humanities
- Don Wright Faculty of Music
- Education
- Engineering
- Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
- Health Sciences
- Information & Media Studies
- Law
- Ivey Business School
- Schulich Medicine & Dentistry
- Science
- Social Science
Research
- Western ranks as one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities. From fundamental to applied discovery and other scholarly activities, its scholars advance knowledge that provides tangible benefits for the economic, social, health and cultural development of citizens in London, in Canada and around the world.
Career
- Western’s alumni, a network of 305,000 across more than 150 countries, are making significant contributions in every corner of society – be it business or medicine, politics or engineering, music or athletics.
- Western's Careers & Experience department supports all students in building a meaningful life and career.
- Prepare for work in a changing world
- Enhance your degree with practical experience
- Make connections and grow your professional network
University Ranking
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2025
120 -6
2024
114 58
2023
172
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.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2025
201
2024
201
2023
201
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.
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2024
201 100
2023
301 -100
2022
201
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.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2025
-
2024
311 -11
2023
300
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.
Student services
- The University Students’ Council (USC) is a student-led organization that first and foremost exists to advocate for and represent undergraduate students at Western University.
- Since 1965, we have grown beyond an advocacy organization, becoming one of the largest student governments in Canada and one of the largest not-for-profits in London, Ontario Canada.
- Each day, we work to support, improve and enhance your student experience, because we believe that students have the power to change the world.
Housing services
- Traditional-Style Buildings - Traditional-style residences are known for making the closest connections, where your floormates become like your family.
- Suite-Style Buildings - Geared toward more independent living, in Suite-Style you’ll look after more of your own domestic responsibilities, including the option to cook some of your own meals in a shared kitchen.
- Hybrid-Style Buildings - This style boasts the best of both worlds! You’ll have a roommate living in the same room as you, but you’ll have more privacy in this semi-private style.
Library services
- Library Book Holdings: 5.7 million
- Archives and Special Collections
- Content Management, Discovery and Access
ICT services
Thanks to Western Technology Services (WTS), getting online or helping get technology issues fixed is easy.
You can use WTS services to monitor system uptime, learn how to keep your Western identity safe, and learn how to make technology work smarter for you.
Medical services
- Health and Wellness offers an appointment based medical clinic for all registered part-time and full-time students at Western and affiliated colleges.
- Urgent problems such as infections or injuries can often be seen the same day. Appointments can also be booked for non-urgent medical issues.
- Patients may see a physician of a specific gender and may also ask to see the same doctor for each visit.
Campus life
- Considered Canada’s most beautiful university, Western’s main campus spans 481.2 hectares of Gothic-style buildings mixed with modern, LEED-certified structures that provide an idyllic environment for our community of scholars.
Sports facilities
Western boasts more than 7 million square feet of space in 87 buildings that are joined together by 16 km of roadway and 15 km of sidewalks situated on more than 500 acres of land.
There are more than 7,000 parking spaces available in 21 lots.
Student clubs
- A Cappella Association of Western
- Active Minds Western
- Actuarial and Statistical Undergraduate Association
- Advancements in Medicine Society
- African Students Association
- ALS Western
- Alzheimer's Western Club
- Amnesty International at Western
- Anthropology Society
- Arab Students Association
Accreditation
- Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS)