Top 10 Computer Schools in Canada

For those of you looking to further your tech education in Canada, here’s a thorough look at Canada’s top ten computer science schools.

As we pointed out in our recent 2019 review of Express Entry, tech jobs were those that received the top Invitations to Apply in 2018, occupying the top 3 spots in our list of top occupations. In other words, if you have a degree in one of these areas (and in other related areas that didn’t make the top ten list):

• Information systems analysts and consultants
• Software engineers & designers
• Computer programmers & interactive media developers.

Then you are that much likelier to receive an ITA should you upload a profile to Express Entry. So, it’s clear that a degree in computer science – which nowadays includes up to a dozen areas of specialization – is the ticket you need to a good paying job in Canada. But using your degree in information technology/computer science/etc. is not the only way to get to Canada and get that tech job you’ve been dreaming of.

There is another way that takes a little longer and might cost more but often yields great results as well.

Maybe you don’t yet have that degree, or you wish to upgrade a tertiary degree in programming, or you have some post-secondary education and some computing skills, but you wish to first upgrade your skills by coming to Canada to study. Getting a degree at a recognized Canadian University or College is a great first step towards being offered a job in Canada. You will gain not just a top-notch education, but your language skills and knowledge of Canada’s business world and society in general will get a big boost.

This means that when you do apply to immigrate to Canada on a permanent resident basis, you’ll likely end up using the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) stream rather than the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) stream, after gaining your degree and possibly some related work experience in Canada.

So, for those of you looking to further your tech education in Canada, here’s a thorough look at Canada’s top ten computer science schools.

 

10. Carleton University School of Computer Science

by Aidolon / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 3.0

Carleton’s computer science school – formally founded in 1980 – is tied up with the history of Silicon Valley North, Canada’s tech hub in the Ottawa area. While the collapse of companies like Nortel has meant that other tech sectors in places like Toronto, Waterloo, and further west have gained in stature over the last decade, the combination of universities and government agencies still means that Ottawa is an important focal point for anyone interested in technology and in working in tech in Canada.

If you use Java, for example, you likely owe a debt to people like Carleton’s John Pugh, Wilf Lalonde and Paul White who were key innovators and helped train people around the world in that programming language from the late-1980s onward. As well, in 1988 Carleton’s Computer Science School launched a co-op program to enable their students to acquire real-world on-the-job experience in their field as they completed their studies. In other words, there is a rich history of academic, business, and government collaboration at Carleton University that will give you real insight into the tech world in Canada.

Further, Carleton’s Computer Science School has nearly 10 research groups from the Carleton Computer Security Lab (CCSL) to the Graphics, Imagining and Games Lab (GIGL). There’s an Institute for Data Science as well as an Adaptive Systems Group among others. You will also have access to possible scholarships, summer research internships for undergraduate students, and an undergraduate student research awards program.

Here’s how Maclean’s ranked Carleton’s Computer Science School in their recent survey:

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
10	13 (+3)	9	12	11	13	18

The first 3 columns show Carleton’s general rank and reputation as a computer science school. The last 4 columns are more an indication of the research papers produced by Carleton academics and how much impact they have had in their field.

While perhaps Carleton’s research is not ranked quite as high as it’s overall reputation, it is still a very respectable ranking overall. You could do far worse than pick Carleton as your place to get computer science degree in Canada.

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9: University of Ottawa Computer Science

[Public Domain]

Surprise! Right next to Carleton in the rankings we have the University of Ottawa. Actually, it’s no surprise at all seeing that the two universities’ computer science departments have collaborated in the past, jointly launching a Master’s Degree in Computer Science back in 1984. And at Ottawa the computer science department is part of the engineering faculty and the no-nonsense applied-science approach is evident on their website. They list starting salaries for their graduates ($59,170 – $69,884) and mention that 100% of their graduates have found work within 2 years of obtaining their degrees.

Here are the degrees they offer:

• Honours BSc with specialization in Computer Science
• Honours BSc with specialization in Computer Science, Management & Entrepreneurship
• Honours BSc with specialization in Computer Science; Data Science
• Joint Honours BSc in Computer Science & Mathematics
• Major in Computer Science.

And the following complimentary programs as a second option:

• Minor in Computer Science
• Minor in Computer Science for Scientists.

As well as the following accelerated stream over a 5-year period:

• Honours BSc with specialization in Computer Science along with a Master of Computer Science.

• Honours BSc with specialization in Computer Science along with a Master of Computer Science

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
9	13 (+4)	10	10	9	9	23

Both Ottawa and Carleton shared 13^th spot last year but this year Ottawa edged ahead with better scores in areas like research reputation, fractional publications and citation claims. Although the field-weighted citation was disappointing in the rest of the factors relating to research, Ottawa’s computer science faculty has an edge on its cross-town rivals and collaborators.

So, you get the same mix of government and business as well as academic as Carleton. Both are great schools and Ottawa is a wonderful mid-sized city with green spaces galore and cottage country much closer than is the case in places like Toronto or Montreal. A good choice for any aspiring computer scientist, systems analyst or data wonk.

 

8. McMaster University Department of Computing and Software

by ShaneI / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5

McMaster’s computing and software department is a pretty interesting place. First of all, their research focuses on what’s called cross-disciplinary studies. They focus on the intersection between computer science and areas like:

• Health sciences
• Social sciences
• Business & Management
• Natural sciences
• Engineering disciplines.

Secondly, their computing and software department is one of the most diverse faculties in the engineering faculty which is a world-ranked engineering school. For an international student looking to find their way through the labyrinth of academic life at a Canadian university, McMaster’s computing and software department provides a great environment and one that’s part of a first-rate engineering faculty.

The range of degrees offered display the importance of engineering as a supporting discipline that often is part of the courses students take at McMasters. Here are the undergraduate degrees related to computing and software:

• B.A. Sc Computer Science
• B Eng. Mechatronics: the study of embedded systems involving Mechanical, Electrical, and Computer Engineering
• B. Eng. Software Engineering
• B. Eng. BME: Mechatronics & Biomedical engineering
• B. Eng. BME: Software & Biomedical engineering
• B. Eng. Management: Mechatronics
• B. Eng. Management: Software Engineering
• B. Eng. Society: Mechatronics
• B. Eng. Society: Software Engineering.

There are also master degrees in similar fields – for example Master degrees in: Mechatronics, Software Engineering, and Virtual Systems Design and eHealth – as well as PhD programs in both Computer Science and Software Engineering.

Here then are the rankings for McMaster’s department of computing and software.

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
8	8	10	8	15	8	4

While McMaster’s rankings are all solid, the one that jumps out is the field-weighted citation impact which basically shows how ahead of the curve a given university’s research papers are compared to its peers. Here they rank in 4^th place in a tie with UBC. This is an impressive achievement for any university and shows how seriously McMaster’s Department of Computing and Software takes their role as a leader in cross-disciplinary studies. You could say that McMaster’s Department of Computing and Software is helping to build the future. Not a bad place to get a degree from.

 

7. Simon Fraser University Computing Science

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Simon Fraser has been near the top of Maclean’s rankings at various times over the past couple of decades so perhaps 7^th spot might seem like a bit of step down; but make no mistake, this is a computing science school that has a storied history and still is one of the better schools around.

The school was established in 1973 by the late Ted Sterling who wrote one of the first computing science textbooks. By 1975 they were putting together a co-op program which was rolled out in full force in 1978. In 1981 they were one of the first faculties to move from a mainframe to a Unix server with a network of Sun workstations.  In 1985 they set up CSIL Lab, one of the first distributed computing networks in Canada. By early this century they were celebrating an intake of 50 graduate students from all over the world. In 2005 they became the first computer science program in Canada to offer a Dual Degree Cohort program with Zhejiang University in China. In 2009, SFU Women in Computing Sciences, which was already about a decade into its program, introduced professional development services for women in computing. In 2013 a Digital Health Hub was set up with Fraser Health and the city of Surrey, BC. And in 2014 along with top rankings in various surveys, the School of Computing Science launched its Professional Master in Big Data program.

Let’s see how the rankings worked out for Simon Fraser:

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
7	7	6	9	10	9	14

These are solid numbers but perhaps a little disappointing as far as research papers rankings. But don’t think that research isn’t a vital part of the school. The Computing Science Instructional Labs (CSIL) is a key nerve centre for undergrads and uses the latest in Unix technology. As far as research goes, they focus on 6 key areas:

• Algorithms & Complexity Theory
• Artificial Intelligence
• Data Bases, Data Mining & Computational Biology
• Graphics, Multimedia, Vision and Medical Image Analysis
• Networks & Systems
• Programming Languages & Software Engineering.

So, summing up, there’s no question that SFU’s School of Computing Science remains a top-ranked school and one you should always keep in mind when looking for the right school to study software and computing.

 

6. University of Alberta Department of Computing Science

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Up in Edmonton, they were the first department of computing science in Canada founded back in 1964 and are now one of the largest in the country with around 1,500 undergraduates and over 300 graduate students. They offer both courses and research opportunities in the following disciplines:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Database Systems
• Computer Games
• Machine Learning
• Robotics
• Software Engineering
• Artificial Man-Machine Interfaces
• Bioinformatics
• Communication Networks
• Algorithmics
• Computer Graphics
• Computer Vision
• Software Systems
• Human Computer Interaction
• Internetworking
• Multimedia.

Did we mention that they have one of the largest Computing Science Departments in Canada? And what’s fascinating is that within this sweeping offer, students can work with the department to map out their own path by blending core courses with different disciplines. Talk about a flexible and detailed program!

Because of this, University of Alberta’s Computing Science Department always recommends that undergrads talk to the undergraduate advisor to plan their way through the multitude of options as far as courses go.

But there’s another way to look at what type of education you will receive at U of A. Take a look at the names of computing science professors at the department in case you have the notion that Alberta is just cowboys and oil workers. Here’s a small sample of the faculty staff:

• Marianne Kerolus – Introduction to Computing
• Sadaf Ahmed – Introduction to the Foundations of Computation
• Sarah Nadi – Practical Programming Methodology
• Jia You – Algorithms I
• Vadim Bulitko – Computers & Games
• Mohammad Salavatipour – Formal Systems & Logic in Computing Science
• Omid Ardakanian – Introduction to Tangible Computing II
• Ken Wong – Introduction to Software Engineering
• Ehab Elmallah – Computer Networks.

If you’re familiar with Canada and the academic world at our nation’s universities this will hardly surprise you – it’s what happens when you seek the best from around the globe. But this certainly shows anyone perhaps not as familiar with the province of Alberta what a diverse place the University of Alberta’s Computing Science Department truly is.

So how do the ranking factors look for U of A?

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
6	5 (+1)	5	5	5	5	11

This is a very solid set of ranking factors and now that we’re on the threshold of seeing the top 5 of our top 10, one notices that a difference in one single factor can impact a school’s ranking. In the case of U of A’s school of computing it’s the field-weighted citation impact. Recall that this metric describes how many citations academic papers from a given school/department receive in comparison to the overall average for universities worldwide. But while U of A’s computing science department might have slipped a little in this regard, it’s clear that they remain a vital research hub for computing in various activities and industries. It’s an excellent school and one that should be on your list. No ifs or buts. Or loops.

 

5. McGill University School of Computer Science

by Jeangagnon / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

We’re now in the top 5 and McGill has a well-balanced and in-depth school with a number of degree options for an undergraduate in the school of computer science. They include:

Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Computer Science includes:

• Honours in Computer Science
• Honours in Software Engineering
• Major in Computer Science
• Major in Computer Science – Computer Games option
• Major in Software Engineering
• Core Science Component in Computer Science (as part of McGill’s Liberal program)
• Core Science Component in Software Engineering (as part of McGill’s Liberal program)
• Joint Honours in Mathematics & Computer Science
• Joint Honours in Statistics & Computer Science
• Joint Honours in Computer Science & Biology
• Joint Honours in Physics & Computer Science
• Joint Major in Mathematics & Computer Science
• Joint Major in Statistics & Computer Science
• Joint Major in Physics & Computer Science
• Joint Major in Computer Science & Biology
• Minor in Computer Science.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Computer Science includes:

• Major Concentration Computer Science (more credits than a BSc Minor but less than the other BSc degrees)
• Major Concentration Software Engineering (more credits than a BSc Minor but less than the other BSc degrees)
• Minor Concentration Computer Science
• Supplementary Minor Concentration in Computer Science.

Bachelor of Arts & Sciences in Computer Science includes:

• Major Concentration Software Engineering
• Major Concentration Computer Science
• Minor Concentration Computer Science.

In viewing this selection of courses keep in mind that an honours degree requires more credits than a major which in turn requires more credits than a core component. A joint honours degree requires roughly the same as an honours degree and a joint major about the same credits as well. A minor degree requires the least amount of credits and is taken with some other major.

As far as research goes, McGill’s School of Computer Science across a number of areas with further focus on specific applications within each area:

• Artificial Intelligence:
  • Machine Learning
  • Applied Machine Learning
  • Network Science
• Bioinformatics & Computational Biology:
  • Breast Cancer Research
  • Bioinformatics
  • Computational Biology
• Computer Games
• Computer Graphics:
  • Rendering
  • Computer Animation
• Computer Systems & Networks:
  • Internet
  • Networks
  • Cyberphysical Systems
• Robotics:
  • Swarm Robotics
  • Multiagent Systems

Among other research areas, one can find specialities like quantum computing for example which is within the Theory of Computation research area.

So how does McGill rank?

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
5	4 (-1)	4	4	4	6	12

These are great numbers except for that final ranking factor, the infamous Field-weighted citation impact where McGill’s School of Computing can’t quite maintain its high level against the papers of its peer institutions. Still, a very good ranking report from Maclean’s for McGill.

Overall, McGill’s School of Computing has both a broad array of degrees and courses as well as a well-funded and diverse research arm that is involved in both practical and leading-edge areas of innovation in the tech world. This is a top school in Canada that holds its own against better schools around the globe. A must on any list of international students looking to further their education in computing and software.

 

4. University of Montreal Department of Computer Science & Operations Research

by jeangagnon / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Like the University of Alberta, the University of Montreal has had a Computer Science Department for about 50 years – that would be since the 1960s for those of you who can’t access the cloud or the calculator on your cellphone in order to do the math. This is a renowned centre for innovation in computing and its applications. But, mais oui, it is a French language university. So, if you have a good level of French, it is a top choice.

Here’s some of what the University offers:

• Professors who are all well-respected researchers in their areas;
• 3 Canada Research Chairs – that means talented people and money;
• More than $4 million in research grants (yes that’s money researchers actually can use to do research) and contracts;
• Nearly as many graduate students as undergraduate students.

But one of the key features of the University of Montreal’s Department of Computer Science is its Operational Research arm. So, what exactly is operational research (OR)? It’s the intersection of:

• Computer Science
• Applied Mathematics
• Management
• Industrial Engineering.

OR’s goal is being able to provide logic-based decision-making systems that are automated. They tend to be used to optimize tasks or improve efficiencies across a number of industries. Here are some examples of Operational Research:

• Manage healthcare in hospitals
• Organize police and ambulance services
• Plan public transportation systems
• Manage production, inventory, and distribution in manufacturing
• Design communication and computer systems.

While most scholarships at U of M’s Department of Computing and Operational Research are reserved for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, there are some scholarships for international students as well who are encouraged to apply as soon as their admission to U of M has been confirmed (before you even arrive at the university.

Let’s see how the rankings worked out of U of Montreal:

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
4	6 (+2)	6	6	7	4	3

These numbers clearly show the importance of that last factor listed above. The famous, the lovely and talented, the daring and notorious, the one you’ve all been waiting so long to see!!! Field-Weighted Citation Impact!!! Give it up!!!

But seriously folks, as my uncle Moe always use to tell me: cut the schtick and get to the punchline. How your department’s research papers are ranked relative to their peers is a key factor and clearly boosted U of Montreal to third place. Without that, they might have ranked 6^th or 7^th. But that shows how seriously U of M take leading-edge research and if your French is good enough, this is a school you should definitely apply to.

 

3. University of Waterloo Cheriton School of Computer Science

by Sampsonchen / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

David R. Cheriton is a computer scientist who earned his PhD in 1978 and in 2005 gave a large donation to Waterloo’s Department of Computer Science, thereby transforming it into the largest academic cluster of computing researchers in Canada. We’re talking about award-winning research across a spectrum of leading-edge applications/uses of computing.

This. Is. A. World. Class. School. Of. Computing. You could say it’s #2 in Canada. (Hint: computer scientists count from zero not from one.)

Let’s take a look at some of the award-winning professors at Cheriton/Waterloo:

Professor Ian Goldberg:

Along with professors Wagner, Thomas, and Brewer, he put together a paper back in 1996 that identified key vulnerabilities in what used to be called “helper applications” used in browsers like Netscape to download untrusted data. What they created was a way to securely confine the apps themselves which weren’t built to work with untrusted data. They did this as the world wide web was exploding around the planet. 23 years later they have won the USINEX Security Symposium 2019 Test of Time Award. That means that their work is still relevant over 2 decades later, which in computing evolutionary time is closer to over half a century or more. That is truly impressive.

 

Professor Srinavasn Keshav, Christian Gorenflo PhD candidate, & Management Sciences professor Lucas Golab:

Do you know how a blockchain actually works? If you’ve read this far, we can assume you’re quite interested in tech and furthering your education in Canada. You might therefore know that a blockchain, by requiring a proof of work (or other proofs like proof of stake) for blocks of data that are chained together by hashes (a mathematically calculated alphanumerical that is a distilled representation of all the data in a given block), distributes consensus and builds collaboration where there is insufficient trust. For example, if you try to corrupt the data in a block you have to corrupt the data going all the way back along the blockchain. You’d need so much processing power that it becomes computationally infeasible. It’s a way of verifying data where you don’t necessarily trust the other parties involved.

What this super-trio are doing is applying a blockchain (which really is a way of processing, verifying and managing data) to energy distribution grids used for Electric Vehicles or EVs. The charging station operators, the property owners, and the vehicle owners are all able to see the data on what rates are charged or earned depending on which of these 3 groups one belongs to and that helps to distribute payments fairly. This means by mitigating trust issues more people would be willing to join the EV charging grid. That means more EV’s would likely be sold. It could even mean autonomous vehicles communicating directly with charging stations and driving to the nearest one when more power is needed.

 

These are just two examples of which there are plenty more. But if this is something that makes your eyes light up and your mouth water, then Waterloo’s Cheriton School of Computing has a degree for you. If you qualify, of course. It’s not easy to get in, but that’s the price you pay to join a quality school. Their degrees include:

• BSc or BMath in Computer Science
• BBA and BSc – Business Administration & Computer Science
• BCFM – Bachelor of Computing & Financial Management
• BSE – Bachelor of Software Engineering
• Bachelor of Computer Science in Data Science – this is a new degree recently added.

So how does Waterloo’s Cheriton School of Computing rank?

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
3	2 (-1)	1	1	1	1	7

It is getting a little repetitive isn’t it? But one can clearly see, all joking aside, that that last factor which keeps being, well, a key factor, once again has resulted in a school with spectacular rankings end up lower, in 3^rd rather than in 1^st spot in this case. Maybe Waterloo’s output of research isn’t quite as cited as its top-ranked peers. But that can change from year to year. Cheriton is world-class. That’s all you need to know when considering where to study computing in Canada.

 

2. UBC Department of Computer Science

by Paul Joseph / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

Here’s how to think about UBC’s Computer Science Department, founded in 1968. Look at what they and their graduates have been involved in:

• Canadian Internet Registration Authority – they did that.
• Software start ups; Tasktop, Element AI, Brightside Technologies, AlgoLux, Zite, Webnames.ca, Silicon Chalk, Brainify, Exotic Matter, and more. – they did that too.
• A Canada 150 Research Chair – that’s theirs.
• 4 Canada Research Chairs – that’s also theirs.
• One of the strongest graphics groups on the planet – theirs.

Here are the main research areas the department is involved in:

• Algorithms
• Artificial Intelligence
• Data Management & Mining
• Graphics, Visualization, & Human-Computer Interaction
• Integrated Data Systems
• Networks, Systems, & Security
• Scientific Computing
• Sensorimotor Systems
• Software Practices.

Here are the main degrees available from UBC’s CS department:

• BUCS – Combined Major in Business and Computer Science
• BA – Computer Science Major
• BSc – Computer Science Major
• BSc – Combined Major Specializations
• Cognitive Systems Program
• BCS (ICS) Second Degree Program
• Computer Science Honours
• Combined Honours Programs
• Software Engineering Option.

How do you start studying at UBC’s CS department? You get a CS computing account. How to access all that wonderful information at the Computer Science Department? Get a CS computing account. This is a tightly run school that perhaps does not put as much information in the public domain, but their results speak for themselves. Here’s how they rank:

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
2	2	1	3	3	3	4

Guess why UBC beat out Waterloo this year? Yes, that ranking factor. But from pure research to applied research to software start-ups to a beautiful campus overlooking the Pacific, UBC’s Computer Science Department really does have it all. Including a diverse staff and student body. So, see if you can make the grade. You never know.

 

University of Toronto Department of Computer Science

[Public Domain]

It goes without saying that the top 3 or 4 places in this type of survey can change fairly quickly especially given the volatility of rankings on citations of academic papers as we’ve seen in this survey. But it sure seems that U of T’s department of computer science is near the top of almost every ranking. They’ve been in business since 1964 and have been at the leading edge of innovation in key areas for decades. Consider this:

• What were you doing from 1967 to 1969? Whoops, wrong question. What were your parents doing from 1967 to 1969? Wrong again. We should be asking what your grandparents were doing during those years. Here’s what U of T’s computer science department was doing: Developing Genesys – one of earliest interactive computer animation systems.
• Another thing they did: expanding Alan Turing’s concepts of what a computer can and can’t do – called computability – to include efficiency.
• They also did pioneering work on touch-screen tablets back in the 1980s.
• And now they are doing leading-edge work with state-of-the-art machine learning and neural networks.

We’d like to give you more detail about the degrees U of T’s computer science department offers but the top-ranked department of computer science’s website was having difficulties … Isn’t it ironic? However, here’s a list of some of the areas that the department does research in:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Computational Biology
• Computer Graphics
• Computer Systems & Networks
• Data Science
• Database Systems
• Health & Assistive Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Programming Languages & Methodologies
• Social Networks
• Software Engineering
• Sustainability Informatics.

And finally, here’s Maclean’s ranking factors for U of T’s Department of Computer Science:

Rank this year	Rank last year	Program reputation	Research reputation	Fractional publications	Citation claims	Field-weighted citation impact
1	1	1	1	1	1	1

Well … let’s just say it’s kind of hard to argue that U of T doesn’t deserve the top spot. This is what statisticians call really frickin’ good numbers. Or 127 in binary, if you’re counting bits. Toronto clearly is the most respected department of computer studies in Canada and one of the best ones in the world.

So, if you can get in, that’s wonderful. If you can’t, don’t worry. You’ve just gone through 9 other great reasons to study computer science in Canada.

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