A trio of Atlantic Canadian universities are offering STEM programs ranked among the top 20 percent globally by Times Higher Education’s prestigious World University Rankings, which rate the quality of post-secondary institutions.

The University of New Brunswick’s computer science and engineering faculties have both ranked among the top 20 percent in the world for 2023, as has Dalhousie University’s life sciences programming and Memorial University’s engineering and technology programming.

Although faculties are not assigned individual rankings, Times Higher Education rated the programming from UNB, Dalhousie and Memorial as being in the top 251-300 institutions out of 1,799 worldwide, by discipline, while Dalhousie University’s computer science school is in the 501-600 range.

“Engineers and computer scientists offer the innovative ideas we need to solve complex problems and support economic growth,” said UNB President Paul Mazerolle in a statement. “In response to Canada’s demand for technological and digital leadership, UNB has put a lot of effort and resources into equipping our students with the tools they need to succeed after graduation, including housing more than 20 research institutes and centres and more than 65 research laboratories within the Atlantic Provinces."

All three institutions have a history of working closely with startups in the fields for which Times Higher Education rates them. Dalhousie, for example, has given rise to promising life sciences companies like NovaResp, which is developing technology to treat sleep apnea, and 3D BioFibR, which plans to sell advanced materials based on substances found in nature. Memorial University's marine engineering program, meanwhile, has ties to Genoa Design International, which is providing the 3D modeling software being used to build the Canadian Coast Guard's new polar icebreaker.