Best law schools in Canada 2026

Discover the Times Higher Education rankings for the best law schools in Canada 2026.
This list highlights the top 17 institutions offering law degrees in Canada, helping prospective students make informed choices about their legal education.
Universities across Canada are ranked based on key factors such as teaching quality, research excellence, industry collaboration, and international outlook.
The methodology behind these rankings is developed by our in-house data team ensuring accurate, data-driven insights trusted by students, academics and professionals worldwide.

January 21 2026

Top law schools in Canada 2026

Canada Law Rank 2026	Global Law Rank 2026	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	23	University of Toronto	72.4	73.6	80.6	61.1	55.9	79.7
2	33	McGill University	68.2	73	73	58.8	41.4	73.2
3	43	University of British Columbia	63.1	56.6	59.2	73	36.5	83.9
4	65	York University	56.3	53.1	53.3	59.1	47.1	73.8
5	80	University of Ottawa	52.3	51.4	48.4	52.8	57.6	64.3
6	=85	Dalhousie University	51.4	42	49.6	60.6	49.1	67.2
7	95	Queen’s University	50	45.5	37.3	64.6	53.8	66
8	101–125	University of Victoria	47.3–49.4	42.4	38.2	61.4	30.7	65.7
9	126–150	Université de Montréal	44.4–47.1	29	38.3	61	46.8	77
10	151–175	University of Alberta	42.5–44.3	32.9	33.7	68.2	60.2	46
11	176–200	Western University	40.6–42.4	32.1	21.7	67	51.9	63.3
=12	201–250	Toronto Metropolitan University	37.7–40.5	32.3	23.1	70.8	17.5	39.5
=12	201–250	University of Calgary	37.7–40.5	32.8	22.8	55.8	77.2	56.8
=12	201–250	Université Laval	37.7–40.5	23	29.7	56.5	44.1	67.8
=12	201–250	Université du Québec	37.7–40.5	28.8	29.7	56.6	40.3	62
=16	251–300	Carleton University	34.7–37.6	18.9	27.1	60.1	55.5	67.3
=16	251–300	University of Saskatchewan	34.7–37.6	29.6	20.7	60.6	58.3	42.7

Key Insights into the best law schools in Canada

The University of Toronto is the top university in Canada for law degrees.
Université de Montréal dropped from seventh place in 2025 to ninth place in 2026, despite maintaining strong international recognition.
There are 17 universities from Canada featured in the law ranking.
The University of British Columbia scores highly for international outlook.

Choosing the right university in Canada for law

Canada is both a French- and English-speaking country, which makes it an ideal place for students wishing to study law in a diverse, global environment.

Like in the US, students who study at a Canadian law school will graduate with a juris doctor (JD) degree, which takes three years to complete. Before applying for law school in Canada, students are required to sit the LSAT test to ensure they have enough prior knowledge of Canadian law.

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Because it was once a colony of England, Canada’s legal system is based on the British common law system. Canada has a parliament, like Britain, and the federal government has jurisdiction over certain areas of the law.

Selecting a good law school in Canada requires careful consideration of multiple factors. The Times Higher Education rankings are based on five core pillars:

1. Research environment – quality of academic research output and support.

2. Teaching quality – faculty expertise, student engagement, and learning resources.

3. Research quality – influence of published legal research in the field.

4. Industry collaboration – links with the legal profession and practical opportunities.

5. International outlook – global partnerships, diversity, and academic exchange.

The table for the best law schools in Canada was derived from data collected from the THE Subject Rankings: Law. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page.