2025 Maclean’s University Rankings: Scholarships and Bursaries

A large factor that every student considers when deciding on their school or program is scholarships and bursaries. Figuring out how you’ll fund your education is important to every student and knowing which schools are recognized for their financial aid programs can be helpful. Maclean’s has released their list of Canada’s best universities in 2025 by scholarships and bursaries.

The following universities allocate more of their budget towards scholarships, bursaries, and awards for their students. Make sure you check out each school’s website for the latest scholarship information!

The rankings for 2025 are as follows:

Primarily undergraduate universities

Universities in this category are largely focused on undergraduate education, with relatively fewer graduate programs and graduate students, making these schools a good choice for starting your post-secondary education.

School Overall 2025 Ranking Percentage of Operating Budget Dedicated to Awards
Algoma University 1 12.1%
Saint Mary’s University 2 11.6%
University of Prince Edward Island 3 10.0%
Mount Allison University 4 9.6%
Trent University 5 9.3%
Lakehead University 6 8.9%
Acadia University 7 8.0%
St. Thomas University 8 7.9%
Bishop’s University 9 7.3%
Université de Moncton 10 7.1%
St. Francis Xavier University 11 6.7%
Brandon University 12* 6.3%*
Laurentian University 12* 6.3%*
Ontario Tech University 14 6.0%
Cape Breton University 15 5.9%
Nipissing University 16 5.6%
Mount Saint Vincent University 17 5.5%
University of Lethbridge 18 5.2%
University of Winnipeg 19 4.9%
University of Northern British Columbia 20 3.3%

An * indicates a tie.

Comprehensive universities

Universities in this category have a significant amount of research activity and a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. These are great if you're planning to take your university degree further.

School Overall 2025 Ranking Percentage of Operating Budget Dedicated to Awards
University of Waterloo 1 14.5%
York University 2 10.9%
University of Victoria 3 10.6%
Carleton University 4 10.5%
Brock University 5 9.7%
University of Guelph 6* 9.5%*
Wilfrid Laurier University 6* 9.5%*
Memorial University 8 8.5%
University of Regina 9* 8.4%*
Simon Fraser University 9* 8.4%*
Concordia University 11 7.8%
Université du Québec à Montréal 12 7.7%
University of New Brunswick 13 7.3%
Toronto Metropolitan University 14 7.0%
University of Windsor 15 6.2%

An * indicates a tie.

Medical doctoral universities

Universities in this category have a broad range of PhD programs and research, as well as medical schools.

School Overall 2025 Ranking Percentage of Operating Budget Dedicated to Awards
University of Ottawa 1 18.7%
McGill University 2 17.3%
University of Alberta 3 13.2%
University of Calgary 4 12.9%
Queen’s University 5* 12.7%*
University of Toronto 5* 12.7%*
Dalhousie University 7 12.2%
Western University 8 12.1%
University of Manitoba 9 11.5%
Université Laval 10 11.2%
Université de Montréal 11 10.9%
University of Saskatchewan 12 8.5%
University of British Columbia 13 8.3%
Université de Sherbrooke 14 8.0%
McMaster University 15 6.5%

An * indicates a tie.

Don’t forget — every school’s scholarship and bursary programs are unique. You’ll find awards based on academic performance, extracurricular involvement, program choice, and more in your search for financial aid.


Find the right scholarships for you