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QS Best Student Cities ranking: 45th

The capital of Canada, Ottawa is ranked 45th in this year’s Best Student Cities ranking. A diverse and dynamic city, Ottawa is also multilingual, with many residents fluent in both English and French.

Ottawa is home to the Rideau Canal, the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America, which is also a world heritage site. There are countless other cultural and historical spots of interest to explore, including the most-visited museum in Canada, the Canadian Museum of History. The city is also home to the impressive neo-gothic parliament building ‘Centre Block’.

The two top universities in Ottawa are both ranked within the top 700 in the world, with the University of Ottawa at joint 281st in the QS World University Rankings® 2020.

Ottawa is ranked within the top 30 for the student view indicator, a score which reflects the city’s lively student life, diversity and friendliness.

It received praise in our student survey, with one respondent saying: “I love the opportunities and the diversity as well as the student-centered culture” while another praised the “diverse array of activities, programs and events you can get involved in.”

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Internationally ranked universities in Ottawa

More about Ottawa

To find out how each of the above categories is calculated, view the methodology.