Top 10 MBA Programs in Canada 2020

By Niamh Ollerton Updated Aug 16, 2021

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Introduction
10) Sobey Business School
9) HEC Montréal
8) John Molson School of Business
7) Sauder School of Business
6) Alberta School of Business
5) Schulich School of Business
4) Smith School of Business
3) Ivey Business School
2) McGill University
1) Rotman School of Management

Discover the full QS Global MBA Rankings 2021

Discover the full Global MBA Rankings 2021 here

The QS Global MBA Rankings 2020 have been released today, ranking business schools from around the world. The rankings are also split up into regions: Asia, Europe, Canada, Oceania, Latin America, and the US.

MBA programs were ranked based on the indicators of employability, entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes, return on investment, thought leadership, and diversity. You can find out more about the methodology used to produce the rankings here.

This year, 18 schools in Canada were ranked – the top 10 business schools in the Canadian MBA Rankings 2020 are:

QS Global MBA Rankings 2020: Top MBA Programs in Canada
Canadian Rank	Global Rank	Business School
1	54	Rotman School of Management
2	=71	McGill University
3	75	Ivey Business School
4	78	Smith School of Business
5	83	Schulich School of Business
6	101-110	Alberta School of Business
7	111-120	Sauder School of Business
8	111-120	John Molson School of Business
9	131-140	HEC Montréal
10	151-200	Sobey School of Business, Saint Mary’s University

10) Sobey Business School

St Mary's University, Halifax by Coastal Elite from Halifax, Canada via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$30,541
Students in class: 23
Percentage of female students: 43 percent
Percentage of international students: 52 percent

The 16-month Sobey MBA program consists of 54 credit hours with 18 courses and six electives. In the summer before starting the program, participants will complete online prep courses: Mathematics for Managers; Accounting; Economics.

A local service-learning immersion connects students with businesses and organizations through volunteer projects. Similarly, in the summer of their first year, students will undertake an international/intercultural experience.

9) HEC Montréal

HEC Montréal by Riba via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$24,940
Students in class: 102
Percentage of female students: 30 percent
Percentage of international students: 64 percent

The 12-month program begins in September every year. Of the 54 credits on the MBA program, 40.5 credits are earned through compulsory courses in the likes of: Ethics and Social Responsibility; Macroeconomic Environment; Organizational Design: People, structure and Culture.

The remaining 13.5 credits are earned through elective courses in: Consulting; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Digital Business; Finance and Economics; Leadership; Strategy and International Business.

HEC Montréal boasts 16 professors in the Royal Society of Canada, and 27 research chairs, including five Canada Research Chairs.

8) John Molson School of Business

John Molson School of Business by Jeangagnon via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$9,756
Students in class: 68
Percentage of female students: 40 percent
Percentage of international students: 49 percent

The first part of the 12-month MBA program is made up of 10 core courses, providing students with an integrated body of basic practical skills. Each core course is worth 3 credits.

In the second part, students must complete 15 credits from a variety of electives, and/or experiential learning activities, like the MBA Community Service Initiative; Small Business Consulting Bureau, and Strategies in Action.

Concordia University’s John Molson scored the highest score for ROI in Canada, and with students earning a post-graduation average salary of US$59,321 up from US$28,571, it’s easy to see why.

7) Sauder School of Business

Sauder School of Business by UBC via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$56,835
Students in class: 97
Percentage of female students: 42 percent
Percentage of international students: 46 percent

Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia’s 16-month program scored the second highest for thought leadership in Canada.

The UBC MBA encompasses: Creativity; Decision Making; Global Issues & Macroeconomics; Ethics & Sustainability; Leadership Development.

Students can choose from five career tracks in Finance; Product & Service Management; Innovation & Entrepreneurship; Technology & Analytics Leadership; Custom.

The Hari B. Varshney Business Career Centre (BCC) is staffed with MBA Career Coaches who will help you develop your market skills and shape your career.

6) Alberta School of Business

University of Alberta

Tuition: US$42,479
Students in class: 49
Percentage of female students: 39 percent
Percentage of international students: 43 percent

The UAlberta MBA is a 20 course (60-credit) program completed over 20 months. Following orientation, the MBA Association organizes a weekend retreat to the Rocky Mountains.

Students can expect to be in a class of approx. 40 students on core courses, with closer to 25 participants on elective course.

Participants can follow one MBA Career Track including: Energy Finance; Public Sector & Healthcare Management, and more, or the Real Estate focus area.

Outside the classroom, students can represent Alberta at the MBA Games, create social change with Net Impact, or get involved with the MBA Association.

5) Schulich School of Business

Schulich School of Business by Overleveraged via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$79,900
Students in class: 360
Percentage of female students: 35 percent
Percentage of international students: 47 percent

Schulich’s 16-month MBA program earned the joint highest score for diversity in Canada.

The MBA curriculum includes 33 credits of core courses, with the opportunity for students to complete 27 credits of electives.

Schulich’s Graduate Business Council hosts social events including getaway weekends in September and January, an annual Graduate Formal, pub nights and Schulich representation at the MBA Games in January – and there are over 30 student clubs and committees for you to explore.

4) Smith School of Business

Queen's University by everettjsj2 via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$70,101
Students in class: 80
Percentage of female students: 37 percent
Percentage of international students: 40 percent

Smith’s 12-month MBA program scored the number one spot for employability in Canada – with grads earning almost double their pre-course salary at US$81,320, up from US$44,379.

The curriculum is comprised of 13 courses plus an integrative project that runs for six months.

For the Mastery module, students complete a series of core and elective courses. If you pursue a specialization, participants earn an MBA and a Graduate Certificate in one of the following: Consulting; Digital Transformation; Entrepreneurship; Finance; Management Analytics; Marketing & Sales.

As the first Canadian business school to join the Forté Foundation, Smith awards numerous Forté Foundation Fellowships to highly qualified female MBA students.

3) Ivey Business School

Ivey Business School by User:Balcer via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$81,973
Students in class: 131
Percentage of female students: 31 percent
Percentage of international students: 41 percent

Located in Ontario, Ivey Business School’s 12-month program earned the highest score for entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes in the Canadian table.

Students have the option to participate in an international exchange in their final semester (January to April). Participants can travel to exchange schools in Chile; Brazil; Spain; Netherlands; China; Singapore and more.

The Ivey MBA curriculum is delivered using Ivey’s case study method (the only case-based program in Canada).

2) McGill University

McGill University by DXR via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$65,285
Students in class: 63
Percentage of female students: 35 percent
Percentage of international students: 79 percent

McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management’s 20-month program offers a number of international study opportunities including the 10-day international study trip whereby all students travel together as a cohort.

Students at the institution in Montréal can also pursue a variety of local and/or international internships opportunities or choose to study in another top business school through the exchange program.

Under the guidance of a faculty member, students may also choose to complete a specialized project during the program.

1) Rotman School of Management

Rotman School of Management by SimonP via Wikimedia Commons

Tuition: US$89,397
Students in class: 334
Percentage of female students: 36 percent
Percentage of international students: 51 percent

Situated in Toronto, the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management offers a 19-month program with more than 90 elective courses to allow for maximum customization.

The Flexible Internship Program offers three internship periods after your first year: May-August, September-December, and January-April.

Rotman’s Self-Development Lab (SDL) gives personalized feedback on your behavioural performance, communication style (to name but a few) through a series of individual coaching sessions and small group workshops – ensuring students develop key interpersonal skills needed to become an effective problem-solver in business.

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Written by

Niamh Ollerton

Niamh was Deputy Head of Content at QS (TopMBA.com; topuniversities.com), creating and editing content for an international student audience. Having gained her journalism qualification at the Press Association, London and since written for different international publications, she's now enjoying telling the stories of students, alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs and organizations from across the globe.