The University of Toronto (U of T) has secured the top position in research output among publicly funded universities in North America.

U of T achieved a remarkable score of 75.1 in the August 2026 edition of the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), surpassing UCLA in fourth place with 59.8 and Berkeley in ninth place with 52.0.

ARWU assesses the research output score (PUB) by considering the number of papers indexed in two major databases: the Science Citation Index-Expanded and the Social Science Citation Index.

U of T, situated in Ontario, emerged as the sole Canadian institution competing with major American state universities in terms of research performance.

When evaluating all six indicators to calculate an overall research and academic score, U of T ranked sixth globally, with the remaining positions held by prominent American state universities.

Furthermore, U of T climbed to the 13th spot worldwide for research and academic excellence, advancing from its 14th position in the previous year’s rankings.

The six indicators used to determine a university’s ranking include Alumni, Award, HiCi, N&S, PUB, and PCP.

The 23rd edition of the ARWU rankings was released on August 15, 2026.