Trent University Ranked #1 Undergraduate University in Ontario in 2026 Maclean’s Rankings
Top marks in student services, research funding, and reputation highlight Trent’s commitment to student experience and institutional excellence
Trent University has once again been named the top undergraduate university in Ontario in the 2026 Maclean’s University Rankings, reaffirming its leadership in student success, research excellence, and institutional reputation.
The University also earned the #1 spot in Ontario across four key categories: student awards, student services, medical/science grants, and best overall reputation—placing among the top five undergraduate universities nationally in each.
“Trent is a university where collective excellence fosters individual achievement—among students, faculty, and staff,” said Dr. Cathy Bruce, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “Together, we cultivate a learning environment that sparks curiosity, drives discovery, and champions both teaching and research excellence.”
Trent’s top ranking in student services (the proportion of a university’s operating budget dedicated to supporting students) demonstrates its deep investment in the student experience. From academic advising and skill development to wellness and career planning, Trent offers wrap-around supports that help students thrive.
“At Trent, student success is our guiding priority,” said Marilyn Burns, vice-president of Communications & Enrolment. “Through the collaborative efforts of our Colleges and Student Affairs, we create inclusive spaces where students feel seen, supported, and empowered to reach their goals. These rankings affirm our commitment to investing in students and celebrating their achievements.”
Trent also continues to rise as a national leader in research. The University moved up two spots in Canada for total research dollars among primarily undergraduate institutions—an indicator of sponsored research income relative to faculty size. This rise follows a year of notable research funding received by Trent faculty and students, including several major national grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research that reinforce the University’s growing research profile.
Faculty achievements have also helped position Trent as the top undergraduate university in Ontario for faculty awards. Recent recognition for leading research by Trent faculty includes an election to the Royal Society of Canada, two King Charles III Coronation Medals, and the first Canadian to win the American Geophysical Union’s William Kaula Award. Dr. Wesley Burr, chair of Trent’s Department of Mathematics & Statistics, also received the province’s top award for excellence in teaching from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations.
Earning the top undergraduate university ranking in Ontario for 16 of the past 20 years, Trent continues to stand out as a university that combines world-class research with a personalized learning environment to deliver excellence that resonates locally, nationally, and globally.
Learn more about the student experience at Trent University.
About Trent University
One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.