Top Law Schools in Canada

The strongest law schools in Canada are generally considered the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of British Columbia, Osgoode Hall at York University, and Queen's University. Canada ranks law through global surveys like QS rather than a domestic U.S. News list, and their QS positions and median entering LSAT and GPA are published by QS and by each school, not in the verified U.S. sources used here.

By Ali Unar, JD candidate at Georgetown Law and founder of Lovare Institut. Last updated August 2026. Every figure on this page was verified in August 2026 against the sources listed below.

Which law schools in Canada are considered the best?

Among Canada's roughly two dozen law faculties, the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of British Columbia, Osgoode Hall at York University, and Queen's University are the names that appear most often at the top of reputation and employer surveys. There is no Canadian equivalent of the U.S. News ranking, so no school can claim an official number-one spot. Their global subject positions are published in the QS World University Rankings by subject and are not part of the verified U.S. ABA and U.S. News data used for this page.

Common law and civil law: how Canadian law schools differ

Canada is a bijural country, so the legal tradition a school teaches matters as much as its reputation. Most provinces are common-law jurisdictions, while Quebec uses civil law, and Quebec faculties such as the Universite de Montreal and Universite Laval teach it in French. McGill teaches both systems together in its transsystemic program, and the University of Ottawa runs separate common-law and civil-law sections, which is useful if you want to keep more provinces open.

Table of top Canadian law schools by province

The table groups leading schools by province and city so you can weigh where you would study and, later, be licensed. Median entering numbers come from each school's own admissions data because Canadian schools report admissions figures less uniformly than US schools do.

Law schoolCityMedian entering LSATMedian entering GPAUniversity of TorontoToronto, ONSee school admissions dataSee school admissions dataMcGill UniversityMontreal, QCSee school admissions dataSee school admissions dataUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouver, BCSee school admissions dataSee school admissions dataOsgoode Hall, York UniversityToronto, ONSee school admissions dataSee school admissions dataQueen's UniversityKingston, ONSee school admissions dataSee school admissions dataUniversity of AlbertaEdmonton, ABSee school admissions dataSee school admissions data

Canada has no U.S. News style ranking or ABA 509 equivalent, so median entering LSAT and GPA for these schools are published by each faculty's own admissions office and are not captured in the verified U.S. sources used for this page.

How should you pick a Canadian law school?

Start with the province where you intend to practise, since each provincial law society licenses lawyers and Quebec requires civil-law training. Then compare tuition, language of instruction, class size, and where graduates article and are hired. A school ranked slightly lower but located in your target market, with strong local hiring and lower cost, is often a better practical choice than a distant higher-reputation school.

Frequently asked questions

Is McGill or the University of Toronto better for law?

Both McGill and the University of Toronto sit at the top of Canadian law reputation, so neither is objectively better; they suit different goals. McGill's transsystemic program teaches civil and common law together, which travels well internationally and within Quebec, while Toronto is a large common-law school with deep Bay Street and clerkship hiring. Choose by jurisdiction, language, and cost; their relative QS standings are published by QS rather than in the U.S. data used here.

How much is the LSAT weighted at Canadian law schools?

Most Canadian common-law JD programs weigh the LSAT heavily alongside undergraduate GPA, but the exact formula varies: some schools use your highest score, others average attempts, and a few use an index that blends LSAT and GPA. Quebec civil-law programs may weigh it less. Each school's policy is published on its own admissions pages rather than in the verified data used here.

How are Canadian law schools ranked?

There is no official annual ranking of Canadian law schools; the Maclean's law ranking ended, so applicants rely on the QS World University Rankings by subject, research reputation, and employer surveys. Because no single scoreboard exists, standing is a matter of consensus rather than a published number, and outcomes and location often matter more than reputation alone.

What LSAT score do you need for law school in Canada?

There is no fixed national cutoff; each Canadian law school publishes its own competitive range, and top schools like Toronto, McGill, and UBC expect scores well above the national average paired with a strong GPA. Aim for a score at or above your target school's typical admitted range, which each school lists in its own admissions data rather than in the U.S. sources used here.

Verified August 2026.