(University of Toronto)
With more than 14,000 faculty, 650 undergraduate programs and 92,000 students on three campuses, the University of Toronto is in a class of its own. St. George, the leafy downtown campus, has historic stone buildings alongside sleek modern architecture, while the newer Scarborough and Mississauga campuses are located in vibrant neighbourhoods in the east and west end of the city respectively.
U of T’s halls have echoed with the debates of future premiers and prime ministers. It is famous for research on insulin, bone-marrow transplants and regenerative medicine, and for pioneering work in artificial intelligence. In 2018, the university established the School of Cities to bring together researchers from across disciplines and its three campuses to address the challenges facing urban areas. The university also has initiatives to support student start-up companies. Given its size, one might think professors would be too busy for undergraduates, but the university fosters small-group learning opportunities, such as first-year seminars. In 2019,
U of T was named the top-placed Canadian university in Times Higher Education’s global ranking on employability of graduates for the seventh year in a row. “The university has worked hard to make sure graduates are equipped with both the academic credentials and the core competencies they need to succeed,” says president Meric Gertler.
READ: An insider’s guide to the best place to study, live music venue and more
Standout Programs
• Urban Studies: Explore perspectives from urban planners, engineers, architects and economists. The program includes an internship in a municipal or another government office, or with a non-profit research group.
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology: This specialization covers biochemistry, cellular biology, genetics, computer science, math and statistics. The emphasis is on research opportunities and hands-on labs.
• Machine Intelligence: This is Canada’s first undergraduate engineering program in machine intelligence. Learn about the engineering and computer science behind artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data analytics. Students also develop and apply algorithms that can learn from data.
Cool Courses
• Intelligence, Artificial and Human: Explore AI through perspectives in philosophy, history and literature; consider human intelligence, AI and related ethical challenges.
• Introduction to Forensic Semiotics: Learn how forensic scientists analyze body language, sign-based clues at crime scenes and written materials created by criminals.
Tuition
$7,658 (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 75-81% · Science: 75-92% · Commerce: 83-92% · Engineering: 88-94%
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 65,794 · Part-time: 6,136
Graduates: Full-time: 17,835 · Part-time: 1,521
International Students: First-year: 28.9% · Graduate: 19.3%
Male-Female Ratio: 44 to 56
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 8,971 (5,408 reserved for first-year students)
Residence Costs: Double room with meals: $11,225 to $16,680 · Single room with meals: $13,250 to $19,558 · Apartment-style: $5,991 to $10,359
More Schools: York University, McGill University, Ryerson University, University of Waterloo, Queen’s University
