Founded in 1887 in Toronto through a bequest from the estate of Senator William McMaster, a member of the first senate after Confederation and founding president of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Maroon and grey were adopted as the official colours in 1912. We relocated from Toronto to Hamilton in 1930.
One of only four Canadian universities consistently ranked among the top 100 in the world by the major global ranking systems. We are the named Canada's most research-intensive, medical-doctoral university by Research Infosource in 2017 and 2018. The McMaster Model, a problem-based, student-centred approach to learning, has been adopted worldwide.
The Research Office for Administration, Development and Support (ROADS) helps researchers access funding from external granting agencies. ROADS supports McMaster’s research community through the funding application process and helps bring awarded projects into operation.
Research and High Performance Computing Support (RHPCS) provides support for all matters related to the use of computers and digital infrastructure in research including applications for funding, design, procurement and administration of IT systems and application development. RHPCS staff can also assist researchers with programming, data visualization, creating research data management plans, and implementing backup solutions.
Do you want to work within a culture of innovation, courage and collaboration, lead by challenging what is and embracing what could be? The Faculty of Health Sciences offers this and more. We seek outstanding applicants for a variety of positions at various levels across the Faculty.
McMaster University is committed to the pursuit of lifelong learning and to the professional growth and development of its Faculty and Staff. A variety of programs are available not only to assist you in your current role but to help you realize your career dreams and aspirations at the University.
The Student Success Centre engages students and alumni in diverse learning opportunities to support their academic, personal and professional growth.
Every Marauder deserves a great place to call home. Housing & Conference Services serves our McMaster University students and supports on and off-campus student success through inclusion, community engagement, and activities that promote personal growth, health and wellbeing. Through continual improvements to the student living experience, we are helping to shape a Brighter World.
McMaster's four libraries provide books and journals in the humanities and social sciences (Mills), science and engineering (Thode), business (Innis), and medicine (Health Sciences Library). Online resources - and print - are available from our Catalogue and Databases.
McMaster's main campus, located in the Westdale neighbourhood of Hamilton, Ontario, is comprised of 300 acres of scenic property at the western end of Lake Ontario, between Toronto and Niagara Falls.
The Department of Athletics & Recreation serves our McMaster University and greater Hamilton communities, offering programs and services, facilities and expertise to support the cultivation of the human potential and wellness in each of us - and we aim to be the best at what we do. We recognize the value in offering active invitations, not just open doors, and are committed to leading and learning alongside our community members to build a strong and inclusive community over time.
Similar to a high school student council, the MSU (or McMaster Students Union Inc.) is the representative/governing body for all full-time undergraduate students at McMaster. It supports and administers more than 250 cultural, academic and social issues clubs on campus. It also operates one of our campus pubs 1280, the Union Market convenience store, and a number of other services. As a full-time student, you automatically become a member of the MSU.
McMaster University, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is fully accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME).
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 4 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.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 127 | 146 | 150 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By TopUniversities
Dropped 1 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.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 176 | 173 | 174 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
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.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 116 | 116 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
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.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | 101 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Based on 70 reviews
In my first year at McMaster, the courses I took were extremely versatile and there each one focused on so many interesting topics and I found that they often blended into each other in terms of content in such an interesting way remaining unique. For example, Intro Psych, Organization Behaviour and social psychology had so many similar elements, while being so unique, Organization Behaviour (OB) and Psychology covered many similar terms, while OB applied it to workplace dynamics and what causes turnover etc. Introductory Psychology broke down clinical psychology as well as human psychological aspects like heuristics, cognitive patterns and neuroanatomy! The campus was very welcoming, especially for first years and my experience was great! Would highly recommend my program, there are so many gateways and other programs at McMaster.
I am currently studying Business at McMaster University and overall I�ve had a positive experience so far. The program has a good balance between academics, group work, and real-world business concepts, especially in areas like finance, operations, and management. Many professors are knowledgeable and supportive, and there are lots of opportunities to get involved through clubs, networking events, competitions, and internships. One thing I really like about the university is the campus atmosphere and student community. The campus feels welcoming, and there are always activities happening. The DeGroote School of Business also encourages teamwork and professional development, which helps students build communication and leadership skills. A downside is that some courses can feel heavily theory-based, and internship opportunities can be competitive, so students need to take initiative outside the classroom. However, if you are motivated and involved, there are many ways to grow personally and professionally here. Overall, I would recommend this university to students looking for a strong business education and an engaging campus experience.
My experience so far has been generally positive. I am doing a degree completion program, which has been such an amazing opportunity to combine college and university experience. I am even able to expand on this with a new, exciting minor program that will help my career. Overall, the range of programs and offerings here is amazing. I do wish there was better faculty for the degree completion programs. They employ some college professors who are not qualified to teach at the university level/were not prepared to do so. I have had some excellent professors, but I also had one awful, disorganized professor who made the course a huge struggle for everyone. He has been doing this for a while, and I know the university has not kept and will not keep him in check despite consistent bad feedback. I pay too much to have profs like this. It's unacceptable.
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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