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Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science research laboratory at Ontario Tech University.
Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science research laboratory at Ontario Tech University.

As Ontario Tech begins its third decade as a young university of rising influence, it does so with a strong foundation and a well-established tradition of research excellence.

Further evidence of Ontario Tech’s research ascendency comes in the form of the latest survey of the youngest global universities (founded within the past 50 years) by the international rankings organization Times Higher Education (THE). The 2024 THE compilation published May 14 places Ontario Tech No. 2 among Canada’s young universities, and No. 144 in the world (nearly 1,200 international universities are on the list).

THE ranks all international research institutions founded since 1974 using 18 performance indicators, including research quality and reputation, learning environment, academic citation impact, industry partnerships, international outlook, and more. Ontario Tech, which was founded in 2002 and opened its doors a year later, is one of the youngest universities in the survey.

A major component of Ontario Tech’s reputational growth is its track record for new research grants and awards, and industry funding. In 2023-2024, the university attracted more than $25 million in research grants and contracts. Ontario Tech has also built significant research partnerships and relationships with other young universities ranked by THE, including Australia’s University of Technology Sydney (No. 11 in the 2024 report).

This accolade comes on the heels of Ontario Tech being named by Research Infosource as Canada’s Research University of the Year for 2023, among the country’s group of ‘primarily undergraduate’ universities. At the same time, Ontario Tech’s strength in graduate and postgraduate studies continues to grow, with more 900 students working on master’s degrees or PhDs.

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“Ontario Tech is exceptionally proud to be listed among the world’s top young research universities, and of how this narrative points to a very bright future for our local communities and for broader regional economic development. We have firmly established key research and entrepreneurship leadership in various fields such as clean energy, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, data science, human performance, and community wellness. Our success reflects our commitment to inclusive research excellence, differentiated growth, and the power of our expanding international connections.”  
-Dr. Les Jacobs, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, Ontario Tech University

Media contact

Bryan Oliver
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
289.928.3653 (mobile)
bryan.oliver@ontariotechu.ca