University of British Columbia vs McMaster University

The University of British Columbia ranks at #3 in Canada according to QS World University Rankings 2020 while McMaster University ranks #6. According to THE 2020 Rankings, UBC ranks at #2 and McMaster at #4 among universities abroad.

Overview Comparison
The University of British ColumbiaMcMaster University
Collegedunia Score6.7 Out of 105.5 Out of 10
ranking (overall)# 34 QS World University 2024
# 41 Times Higher Education 2024
# 35 US News 2023
# 103 Times Higher Education 2024
# 189 QS World University 2024
# 85 Times Higher Education 2023
Subject Strength# 49 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2024
# 22 for Medicine by QS World University 2023
# 37 for Law by Times Higher Education 2024
# 176 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2024
# 48 for Medicine by QS World University 2023
ProgramsUG Programs -75
PG Programs -104
Doctorate Programs -3
UG Programs -44
PG Programs -43
Doctorate Programs -6
Acceptance Rate69.0 %42.0 %
Exam ScoreGMAT - 550
IELTS - 6.5
PTE - 65
TOEFL - 90
IELTS - 6.5
PTE - 60
TOEFL - 86
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   46295
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  9500
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 29650 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   33407
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  8548
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 28865 Per Year
placement (average package)

Top recruiters at UBC were Deloitte, P&G, Labatt, Netsle, Telus, GE Healthcare, etc. Base salaries offered were around $160,000 for Executive MBA,$91,000 for Master in Finance, $80,000 for MBA,$68,000 for Other Degrees,$67,000 for Master Of Science,$68,000 for Master Of Arts


Ranked #81 for graduation emplyment rate

Salaries by degree:

Doctrate: $111,000

MBA:$101,000

Master(Other):$63,000

Master in Science:$58,000

Bachelor of Science:$50,000

Master Of Arts:$45,000


application requirements

Core subject requirements like Maths, Science, Language. 
Other subjects may be requried at the basic level depending upon the choice of program

LOR;
Personal Statement;
Resume;
Portfolio;
Supplementary Application (for a few programs);
Test scores (such as TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, GMAT)
 

Campuses and B-SchoolsSauder School of Business
The University of British Columbia, Okanagan
DeGroote School of Business
CollegeDunia Reviews7.2/10 Read 94 reviews7.9/10 Read 21 reviews
General Facts Comparison
General FactsThe University of British ColumbiaMcMaster University
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1908
1887
Student:Faculty Ratio15:1
21:1
Male:Female46% Male, 54% Female45% Male, 0% Female
Location Facts

Two campuses: Vancouver and Okanagan; Vancouver is the main campus located at the western tip of Point Grey Peninsula.


Located on the western end of lake Ontario, McMaster University is located in the Golden Horshoe. It is surrounded by Cootes Paradise and natural marshlands.


Library

More than 7 million printed books, over 2.1 million ebooks, 5.3 million microforms, and 923000 other multimedia materials.


McMaster University has a total of 4 libraries. There are 1.9 million print and electronic books, 86,000 print and electronic journal titles, 14,000 linear feet of archival resources combined. 


Campus Life

The campus has Astronomy Club, Beads and Craft Club, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (Great Wall Club), Food Society, Photographic Society, Red Cross International, Ski and Board Club and Vancouver Student Entrepreneurship Association.


Located in the Waterfall Capital of Canada- Hamilton, the campus has McMaster Museum of Art, W.J. McCallion Planetarium, McMaster Nuclear Reactor, McMaster Hall, 16 sports clubs, Bertrand Rusell Archives, etc. 


Hostel#Shared Room - $4855
#Connected Single Room - $5712
#Single Room - $6133
#One Bedroom Apartment - $6452
#Triple Residence Room - $7000
#Double Residence Room - $8025
#Single Residence Room - $8965
Famous Alumni

Justin Trudeau (PM of Canada), Rick Hansen (Paralympic athlete), Kim Campbell (Former PM of Canada), Evangeline Lilly (Actress), William Gibson (Fiction writer), and Albert Bandura (Psychologist).


Tihomir Oreškovi (11th PM of Croatia); Bertram Brockhouse (Nobel Laureate in Physics); Stephen Elop (President and CEO of Nokia Corporation); Myron Scholes (Nobel Laureate in Economics); Roberta Bondar (Canada’s first female astronaut and neurologist in space)


City Life

Vancouver itself serves 7.5% of Canada’s economy. Due to its prosperity, the freshers get good opportunities across Vancouver. The GDP is around 137 billion CAD. Some of the highly popular industries located in Vancouver are tourism, technology, housing and construction.


Hamilton is 3rd largest metropolitan city in Ontario. It offers multiculturalism, low rent accommodations, various night clubs, restaurants, cafes and more. It plays an important role in the manufacturing industry of Canada. The city has an extensive waterfront, beautiful lakeshore, and several conservation areas. 


Weather
Comparison Notes

Based on the global rankings for the two universities, UBC (University of British Columbia) would seem to be the obvious choice among students. However, this cannot be the only criterion considered while choosing an institution for higher studies abroad. A detailed overview below of UBC or McMaster might help students to choose one.

With around 64,798 students, UBC takes a lead when it comes to the total number of students enrolled in the university. The international student community at UBC had an enrollment of around 17,225 students from over 160 countries while McMaster had a much smaller number of international students with just over 4,400.

India is among the top countries for the international student population with 9.2% and 7.8% enrollment at UBC and McMaster respectively.

Students who want to be part of a smaller community can choose McMaster while UBC for more socially inclined people who love a bigger social group.

Coming to the cost, McMaster University would be the first choice among students looking for a cheaper study option. The average annual cost of study for programs at McMaster is about 20% less than that of the University of British Columbia.

When it comes to eligibility, UBC has a higher score requirement than that of McMaster University where the average scores for GRE/ GMAT as well as TOEFL or IELTS are lower. Therefore it can be interpreted that admissions to McMaster University would be comparatively easier than admissions to UBC.

For the year 2018-19, McMaster University also provided more financial aid options with over 26 million USD investment on scholarships, fellowships and bursaries. On the other hand, UBC also had an investment of over 21 million USD on financial aid.

With an alumni of 339,000+ students representing 140+ countries, UBC boasts of around eight Nobel Prize winners while McMaster has had only three among an alumni of 195,162.

UBC receives around 477 million USD for research work. However, with only 265 million investment for research work, the strength of McMaster University’s research continues. This can be backed up by the fact that McMaster is the only university in Canada that is a part of Universitas 21, a prestigious global network of 26 research-intensive universities in the world.

Although the University of British Columbia ranks higher than McMaster and has more facilities available, McMaster can be on the priority list for students looking for a more cost-friendly higher education in Canada. Because of more financial aid options, a lower fee structure and also lower admission score requirements than UBC, MacMaster University outstands UBC when it comes to admissions.