Find Roommates & Rooms at Top 10 Universities in Canada
There are many things to consider when moving away to college or university. If you'll be living on your own, you may need to find a roommate. Finding roommates or rooms at Canada's Top 10 Universities can be challenging.
In this article we will share a list of top universities in Canada, as well as top resources of where to find roommates at these Canadian universities.
University of Toronto
(also referred to as UofT) is renowned as one of the world’s best research-intensive universities and renowned for its medicine program and historic buildings.
Overall Canada ranking (2021): #1
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #18
University size: Three campuses, including Mississauga, St. George, and Scarborough. Students at the St. George campus are affiliated with one of seven colleges, a similar system to the University of Cambridge. Over 93,000 students were enrolled for the 2019-20 academic year. Programs: Over 200 post graduate degree programs and more than 700 undergraduate degrees. UofT ranks among the top post secondary institutions in the world for its entrepreneurship.
Notable Alumni: Writers Margaret Attwood and Micheal Ondaatje, director Norman Jewison, and former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
Looking for University of Toronto, Ryerson Roommates & Rooms? Click here
University of British Columbia
(also referred to as UBC) is the province’s oldest university and has a reputation for being a global centre for research and teaching. Overall Canada ranking (2021): #2
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #34
University size: Two campuses, one in downtown Vancouver close to the beach, as well as Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley. UBC also has a Regional Office in Hong Kong and Liaison office in New Delhi, India, to facilitate teaching and research partnerships and support alumni. UBC has over 66,000 students, including more than 18,000 international students from 166 countries.
Programs: Over 40 undergraduate degrees, as well as post-graduate programs.
Notable Alumni: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and environmentalist David Suzuki. The university is also associated with eight Nobel prize winners, 65 Olympic medalists and over 70 Rhodes scholars.
For University of British Columbia Roommates & Rooms, Click here
McGill University
recently celebrated their 200th anniversary and is recognized as the only Canadian institution among the 26 top institutions represented in the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders Forum.
Overall Canada ranking (2021): #4
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #40
University size: Three campuses, the main one is located on the base of the Mount Royal in downtown Montreal, as well as MacDonald campus and Gault Nature Reserve. Students come to McGill to study from over 150 countries around the world, making it an internationally diverse university and currently there are over 39,000 students enrolled.
Programs: The publicly funded university offers over 400 programs in more than 80 departments. McGill is also known for its excellent medicine program and was Canada’s first faculty of medicine, which was established in 1829.
Notable Alumni: Actor William Shatner, singer Grimes, and poet Leonard Cohen. The school also boasts 145 prestigious Rhodes scholars.
Looking for University of McGill, Montreal Roommates & Rooms? Click here
McMaster University
is located in Hamilton, Ontario, close to downtown Toronto. The research-intensive university is world-renowned for its medical school, as well as faculties in engineering, humanities, and social science.
Overall Canada ranking (2021): #5
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #69
University size: Four campuses, the main one is in Hamilton near the Royal Botanical Gardens, as well as Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Niagara. There are over 33,000 students enrolled, including international students from 120 countries.
Programs: McMaster offers programs in 25 different disciplines, from arts and science to engineering, medicine, computer science, midwifery, and more.
Notable Alumni: Comedian Eugene Levy, actress Cammy Chiang, and entrepreneur Michael Lee-Chin. McMaster has educated a number of Nobel laureates.
For Roommates & Rooms at McMaster University, Click here
University of Montreal (Université de Montréal)
in Quebec is a francophone school known for its sports teams and graduates going on to become renowned leaders in business and scientific research.
Overall Canada ranking (2021): #9
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #73
University size: The main campus is based on the north slope of Mount Royal in Montreal. It also has two affiliated schools – the Polytechnique Montreal and HEC Montreal (School of Business). There are over 67,500 students enrolled, including around 10,000 international students, making it the third most international university in Canada.
Programs: The university offers 600 programs, including undergraduate, post-graduate and doctorate. Programs are delivered in French and undergraduate students must meet the French admission requirements.
Notable Alumni: Former Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean, filmmaker Denys Arcand, and businessman Pierre Karl Péladeau.
For Roommates & Rooms at University of Montreal, Click here
University of Alberta
(also known as UAlberta) is located in Edmonton, Alberta. Its original historic campus sits on the edge of the North Saskatchewan River valley and spans 50 blocks. The school is also known for its athletic excellence.
Overall Canada ranking (2021): #6
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #131
University size: There are four university campuses in Edmonton, as well as one in Camrose, Alberta, making it the fifth largest university in Canada. There are currently over 38,00 students enrolled.
Programs: UAlberta offers over 200 undergraduate programs and more than 500 graduate programs across 18 faculties. It has over 800 teaching and research agreements with 50 countries.
Notable Alumni: Former Prime Minister Joe Clark, medical researcher Tak Wah Mak, and former Chief Justice of Canada Beverly McLachlin.
For University of Alberta Roommates & Rooms, Click here
University of Calgary
(also known as UCalgary) was founded in 1966 and is one of Canada’s top research universities. Located in the province of Alberta, the school’s vision is to be a global intellectual hub and recognized as one of the country’s top five research universities.
Overall Canada ranking (2021): #11
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #200
University size: There are five campuses: Main, Downtown, Foothills, Spyhill and Qatar. The main campus covers more than 200 hectares and offers views of the Rocky Mountains. There are currently more than 33,000 students, including approximately 26,000 undergraduates and more than 6,000 graduate students.
Programs: University of Calgary offers over 160 degrees and more than 250 programs across 14 faculties.
Notable Alumni: Astronaut Robert Thirsk, politician Naheed Nenshi, and speed skater Kristina Groves.
For University of Calgary Roommates & Rooms, Click here
Dalhousie University
in Nova Scotia (also known as “Dal”) was founded in 1818 and is one of Canada’s oldest universities. It is located in the East Coast city of Halifax. It offers some unique programs including a custom studies program as part of the Foundation School of Performing Arts, as well as a joint food business program with Aeres university in the Netherlands.
Overall Canada ranking (2021): #12
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #250-300
University size: Dalhousie has three campuses in Halifax, as well as an Agricultural Campus near Truro and Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick. The school attracts more than 19,000 students from around the world.
Programs: Dal offers more than 200 degree programs across 13 faculties.
Notable Alumni: Astrophysicist Arthur B. McDonald, Anne of Green Gables author Lucy Maud Montgomery, and novelist Manju Kapur.
For Dalhousie University Roommates & Rooms, Click here
University of Ottawa
(also known as UOttawa) is the largest bilingual university in the world and among Canada’s top 10 research universities. It is also known for its cooperative education programs.
Overall Canada ranking (2021): #18
World University Ranking by Times Higher Education (2021): #145
University size: UOttawa has three campuses. The main one is located in the Canadian capital within walking distance of Parliament Hill. There is also a campus in Toronto and another in Windsor, Ontario. There are over 37,000 undergraduate students and more than 7,000 graduate students in 10 areas of discipline.
Programs: The university offers a total of 500 undergraduate and graduate programs. It also offers a French Immersion Stream for students who wish to pursue part of their studies in French.
Notable Alumni: Comedian Samatha Bee, lawyer Louise Arbour, and politician Rahim Jaffer.
For University of Ottawa Roommates & Rooms, Click here
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a public institution that was founded in 1957. The Canadian university's main campus is in Waterloo, Ontario, not far from several of the Great Lakes and the U.S. border. The university also has satellite campuses in nearby Cambridge, Kitchener and Stratford. More than 30,000 students attend the university. Tuition is generally higher for international students, though a handful of graduate programs charge domestic and international students the same rate. University housing is available for both undergraduate and graduate students.
The university has six main academic divisions: applied health sciences, arts, engineering, environment, math and science. The main campus has four affiliated university colleges – Conrad Grebel University College, Renison University College, St. Jerome’s University and St. Paul's University College – where students can pursue a Waterloo degree in a smaller academic community. The language of instruction is English, and the university's academic calendar consists of three terms. Many of the university's students participate in a co-op program that allows them to alternate academic terms with terms spent in in the workforce. More than 120 of Waterloo's undergraduate programs offer a co-op option. The university also offers joint degree programs with global universities in several countries, including China's Tsinghua University, Taiwan's National Chiao Tung University and the U.K.'s University of Warwick. A sampling of the university's research institutions includes the Water Institute, the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research and the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre.