Canadian universities and colleges offer some of the top nursing degree programs in the world for a quality nursing education, with highly-sought after graduates and an endless possibility of career opportunities. Once you’ve given thought to the important factors to consider when choosing a nursing program, you can better select the school that best aligns with your circumstances and goals.

Maclean’s recently released their 2023 University Rankings for Canada’s Best Nursing Programs with the top ranking nursing programs in Canada. Whether you plan to live on the East or West Coast, you’ll be pleased to know you have the option of attending one of the top schools — The University of British Columbia (UBC) and The University of Toronto (U of T) both tied for 1st place ranking on the reputable list of top schools. The University of Alberta, McGill and McMaster University round out the Top 5. Check out the full list to see which other schools made the cut.

Let’s take a closer look at the Top 5 Nursing Schools in Canada and what makes them stand out from the rest.

University of British Columbia Nursing - UBC’s School of Nursing not only boasts a beautiful west coast backdrop, but the title of one of the top nursing schools in Canada. The school’s BSN program is an accelerated program that integrates innovative classroom study and clinical practice experiential learning to ensure graduates are prepared to thrive in the ever-evolving healthcare industry.  With a 100-year history of nursing education, cutting edge research, and award-winning faculty, the program stands in a league of its own. While a competitive admission process, students of the program are highly successful in passing the RN licensing exam and are highly sought after graduates in the workforce.

University of Toronto Nursing - University of Toronto’s Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing has been well established as a top nursing school in Canada for quite some time. The school offers a comprehensive foundational curriculum, coupled with a clinical practicum. Professional development and research adds to the program’s breadth of scope. The program offers an accelerated 2-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program option, which while demanding, can help accelerate your career start. The program’s initial year of foundational courses can be applied broadly to all clinical settings. The 11-week integrative clinical practicum at the end of the program’s 2nd year is the perfect way to put into practice all you’ve learned with first-hand patient experience in a clinical setting. With a hiring rate of 93% for U of T Nursing graduates, you can be confident in the program’s excellence, reputability and foundation to kickstart a rewarding career in healthcare.

University of Alberta - U of A School of Nursing is one of the largest nursing schools in Canada and continuously ranked amongst the best. The school offers multiple degree and program options accommodating a wide range of interests for students. It is one of the few schools in Canada to offer an Honours BScN Degree for those interested in a research component to their studies, and bilingual degree options to make you a more competitive applicant post-grad. The school also offers a Collaborative Program that enables students to complete the program at U of A in the fourth year, as well as one of it’s affiliated institutions in Alberta for the other years. Clinical placements are also part of the program to apply your learnings.

McGill University - McGill’s Ingram School of Nursing in Montreal maintains a high reputation of nursing education year after year. The school adopts an innovative Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare holistic approach that teaches students to collaborate with patients and families to apply a patient’s strengths to promote health and healing. Students are further able to jumpstart their real-world clinical experience from the get-go, with the program allowing first-year students to partake in clinical studies within the community. If you’re looking to work internationally, the program also offers a study abroad semester.

McMaster University - Located in Hamilton, Ontario, McMaster offers a unique problem-based learning model in its BScN program that is renowned world-wide and applied to its Medical and Health Sciences programs as well. It aims to emphasize hands-on learning, collaboration and communication with small classes of about 20 students. The school offers extended clinical practice and experiential learning opportunities to ensure students are able to put into practice all they’ve learned in and out of the classroom. With a 95.5% hiring rate post-grad, you know McMaster’s nursing education is top-tier.

While choosing the right school and successfully completing the journey through your nursing education may be a challenge, it is one well worth it. You can look forward to a higher-than-average earning potential, plenty of great benefits, excellent job security, and the satisfaction of making a difference while caring for others.

We'll be ready to outfit you in the most comfortable performance-ready scrubs and cheer you on every step of the way as you shape your big dreams into reality. We can’t wait to see where your nursing studies and career take you!