About Western University:
Western University is a global community focused on making change in the world today. As a top Canadian research and teaching institution, Western brings together diverse minds and disciplines to power individual purpose for collective impact.
Home to more than 42,000 students from 134 countries, Western offers 450+ majors, approximately 170 first-year courses, over 150 graduate programs and 200+ student clubs, providing endless opportunities to explore intellectual and personal passions. Flexible academic options inspire cross-disciplinary discovery, while the close-knit, community-focused environment fosters meaningful connections and lifelong relationships.
Experiential learning is at the heart of Western’s approach, offering all undergraduate students access to education abroad, entrepreneurship, project-based learning, research and work-integrated learning opportunities.
Research is at the core of the University's mission and external support for research projects exceeds $283 million per year. With world-renowned centres like the Western Institute for Neuroscience and the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, Western connects students to groundbreaking research. Through summer research internships, undergraduates work alongside faculty mentors, gaining valuable skills and preparing for future careers.
Western’s research strengths run deep. Our world-class teams are closing in on cures for AIDS and ALS, helping communities prepare for the realities of extreme weather, growing crops in places once inhospitable to food production and advancing work that informs national conversations on democracy and justice.
Considered one of Canada’s most beautiful campuses blending historic and modern architecture, Western sits along the Thames River in London, Ontario, a vibrant, welcoming community of over 445,000 just two hours west of Toronto.
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World University Rankings | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 197 | 199 | 197 | 214 | 210 | 221 | 221 | 213 | 199 |
| Field | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | - | 298 | - | - | - | 265 | 286 | 252 | 254 | 255 | 291 | 297 | 284 | 286 | 301-350 | 293 | 301-350 | 351-400 |
| Engineering | 285 | 220 | 185 | 253 | 228 | 196 | 172 | 183 | 190 | 216 | 211 | 233 | 220 | 201 | 214 | 351-400 | 351-400 | 301-350 |
| Life Sciences | 162 | 168 | 182 | 210 | 199 | 189 | 205 | 192 | 200 | 193 | 211 | 205 | 246 | 243 | 301-350 | 301-350 | 275 | 283 |
| Medicine | 118 | 135 | 128 | 126 | 122 | 124 | 120 | 119 | 124 | 121 | 127 | 114 | 127 | 135 | 160 | 149 | 140 | 139 |
| Natural Sciences | 258 | 269 | 248 | 266 | 295 | - | - | - | - | 351-400 | 351-400 | 351-400 | 351-400 | 301-350 | 451-500 | 351-400 | 301-350 | 351-400 |
| Social Sciences | 95 | 82 | 82 | 86 | 81 | 95 | 105 | 116 | 115 | 115 | 120 | 118 | 110 | 122 | 141 | 122 | 122 | 134 |
| Subject | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Sciences | - | - | - | - | - | - | 301-350 | 301-350 | 351-400 | 351-400 | 401-450 | 451-500 | 351-400 | 451-500 | - |
| Biology & Biochemistry | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 233 | 249 | 228 | 281 | - | 292 | 268 |
| Chemistry | 290 | - | 276 | 290 | - | - | 301-350 | 288 | 267 | 243 | 237 | 301-350 | 351-400 | 351-400 | 351-400 |
| Chemical Engineering | 154 | 124 | 180 | 188 | 179 | 160 | 174 | 163 | 204 | 161 | 161 | 175 | 216 | 285 | 301-350 |
| Civil Engineering | 140 | 183 | 165 | 209 | 153 | 172 | 200 | 165 | 203 | 245 | 170 | 152 | 134 | 202 | 217 |
| Clinical Medicine | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 117 | 122 | 131 | 162 | 151 | 145 | 140 |
| Computer Science | 163 | 124 | 129 | 148 | 150 | 146 | 157 | 217 | 188 | 179 | 202 | 210 | 301-350 | 301-350 | 351-400 |
| Economics & Business | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 98 | 112 | 128 | 137 | 132 | 142 | 143 |
| Electrical Engineering | 250 | 239 | 256 | 218 | 201 | 162 | 177 | 196 | 210 | 198 | 257 | 251 | 351-400 | 301-350 | 301-350 |
| Environment / Ecology | 229 | 271 | 266 | 276 | 220 | 242 | - | - | 295 | 290 | 267 | 233 | - | - | - |
| Geosciences | 179 | 176 | 203 | 215 | 214 | 221 | 222 | 223 | 217 | 255 | 244 | 280 | 268 | 254 | 261 |
| Immunology | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 294 | - | - | - | 301-350 |
| Materials Science | - | - | 280 | 298 | 291 | 294 | 277 | 239 | 226 | 194 | 179 | 188 | 229 | 300 | 283 |
| Mathematics | 255 | 217 | 234 | - | 257 | 242 | 302 | 250 | 301-350 | 301-350 | 296 | 401-450 | 451-500 | 301-350 | 301-350 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 152 | 155 | 165 | 170 | 219 | 180 | 223 | 249 | 245 | - | - | 278 | 287 | 295 | 301-350 |
| Microbiology | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 263 | 265 | 252 | 284 | 297 | 253 | 253 |
| Molecular Biology & Genetics | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 259 | 295 | - | - | - | - | 301-350 |
| Neuroscience & Behavior | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 88 | 93 | 97 | 124 | 133 | 117 | 107 |
| Pharmacology & Toxicolog | - | 293 | 291 | 278 | 234 | 179 | 190 | 212 | 204 | 187 | 230 | 351-400 | 291 | 301-350 | 301-350 |
| Physics | 300 | - | - | - | - | - | 401-450 | 451-500 | 451-500 | 401-450 | 451-500 | - | - | - | - |
| Plant & Animal Science | 297 | 216 | 253 | 247 | 256 | 192 | 182 | 228 | 243 | 261 | 245 | 250 | - | 269 | 295 |
| Psychiatry / Psychology | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 99 | 92 | 102 | 145 | 99 | 113 | 111 |
| Social Sciences, General | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 129 | 123 | 138 | 162 | 145 | 121 | 140 |
| Space Science | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 292 | 289 |
| Energy Science & Engineering | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 97 | 84 | 109 | 112 | 123 |
| Environmental Science & Engineering | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 238 | - | 261 | 279 | 301-350 |
| Biomedical Engineering | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |