How we use rankings and data

Rankings are one input, not the answer

Global rankings measure a narrow set of institutional attributes — primarily research output, academic reputation surveys, and international diversity. They do not measure teaching quality, student satisfaction, graduate employment rates, co-op program strength, or value for money.

A student choosing a program should weigh: fit between the program's strength and their goals; co-op availability; faculty-to-student ratio; cost; city; and peer culture. A rank of #46 vs #96 in the QS world ranking is often less meaningful for an undergraduate student than whether the university has a co-op program in their field.

Which ranking edition we display

We display the QS World University Rankings because it is the most internationally recognised ranking used by students evaluating Canadian institutions. We show the most recent published edition with its publication date explicitly labelled.

Why this matters. The University of Toronto was ranked #25 in the QS 2025 edition and #32 in QS 2026. A page showing "#25" without an edition label is presenting outdated data as current fact. Every rank on this site carries its edition year.

How we handle outdated data

Every data item in our system carries a classification:

• KeepAccurate, properly sourced, current edition.
• VerifyStructurally correct but the source edition requires confirmation against a newer release.
• RewriteContent is substantially outdated or the source methodology has changed.
• ArchiveNo longer displayed publicly; retained for internal record.

Items flagged as "verify" are still displayed but carry a review indicator in our internal tracking. We do not display a public warning for items that we believe are close enough to current — but we do update them at the source's next publication cycle.

Tuition figures

International tuition figures are drawn from each institution's own published fee schedule for the 2024–25 academic year. We present them as ranges rather than single figures because fees vary significantly across faculties and program levels within the same institution.

Tuition schedules are typically published in May–July for the following academic year. We update figures annually. Because tuition changes each year, we always recommend verifying the current figure directly on the institution's official fee schedule before making financial decisions.

Graduate outcome data

Salary and employment figures come from the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC), the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), and the CAUT Almanac of Post-Secondary Education. These are national aggregates — outcomes vary by region, specific institution, individual circumstances, and labour market conditions at time of graduation.

Corrections

If you find a figure that is incorrect, outdated, or missing a source attribution, submit it via our corrections form. We investigate and update confirmed errors within 48 hours and publish a corrections log.