📊 Elementary & Secondary Public Schools
| Metric | Source | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| EQAO scores (reading, writing, math) | Ontario Data Catalogue — School Information and Student Demographics | Open Government Licence — Ontario |
| Overall school score | Computed: average of EQAO reading, writing, and math percentages at provincial standard | Derived |
| Historical EQAO performance trends | Ontario Data Catalogue — School Information and Student Demographics | Publicly available |
Ranking method: Schools ranked by EQAO-based composite score (average of percentage at or above provincial standard across reading, writing, and math). Board and city ranks shown contextually when filters are active.
🏫 Private Schools (Elementary & Secondary)
| Metric | Source | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| School list and contact information | Ontario Data Catalogue — Private School Contact Information | Open Government Licence — Ontario |
| Association memberships | Cross-referenced from CIS Ontario, CAHEA, AMI, CCMA | Publicly available |
Ranking method: Ranked by accreditation tier. Schools with membership in recognized associations (CIS Ontario, CAHEA, AMI, etc.) are ranked higher. Within the same tier, alphabetical order is used. EQAO scores are not available for private schools.
👶 Licensed Child Care (Daycares)
| Metric | Source | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed facility list, addresses, program types | Ontario Data Catalogue — Licensed Child Care Facilities in Ontario | Open Government Licence — Ontario |
| Original licence issue date | Same dataset (field: Original Issue Date) | Same |
| Program options, language of service | Same dataset | Same |
Ranking method: Ranked by establishment longevity (years since original licence issue date). Longer-operating facilities rank higher as a proxy for stability, regulatory compliance track record, and community trust. Only actively licensed facilities are included; revoked/terminated licences are excluded.
Limitations: Longevity is one proxy for quality, not a direct measure. The dataset does not include parent satisfaction, inspection results, staff-to-child ratios, or fee information. Newer centres may be equally excellent but will rank lower simply due to recency.
🎓 College Rankings (ROI)
| Data Point | Value Used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate at 6 months | Per-college percentage (2022–23) | Ontario Data Catalogue — College Graduate Outcomes Survey Colleges Ontario — KPI Reports |
| Average graduate salary | $45,000 | Statistics Canada Table 37-10-0115-01 — Median earnings of postsecondary graduates, Ontario college diploma holders |
| Annual tuition | $3,500 | Ontario Tuition Framework — Average domestic tuition for diploma programs (frozen since 2019–2020 under Ontario Regulation 7/07) |
| Graduation rate, satisfaction | Per-college percentages | Same KPI survey as above |
Formula:
Why this works: Ontario college tuition is effectively uniform (frozen by the province), so employment rate is the primary ROI differentiator. A college with 94% employment → ROI = $45,000 × 0.94 ÷ $3,500 = 12.1x.
Limitations: Salary estimate is a provincial average, not per-college. Actual graduate earnings vary by program (e.g., skilled trades vs. general arts). Tuition uses the average domestic diploma rate; specific program fees may be higher.
🏛️ University Rankings (ROI)
| Data Point | Value Used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2-year employment rate | Per-university percentage (2020 grads) | Ontario Data Catalogue — Ontario University Graduate Survey (OUGS) |
| Estimated graduate salary | $52,000 – $78,000 (per institution) | Estimated from program mix × OUGS per-program salary data + CUDO program enrollment distributions. Base salaries by field: CS $87K, Eng $75K, Health $70K, Business $64K, Science $58K, Social Sci $55K, Arts $52K |
| Annual domestic tuition | $5,800 – $8,500 (per institution) | Ontario Tuition Framework, institutional fee schedules, and CUDO |
| Historical employment trends | 6-month rates, 2010–2020 | Same OUGS dataset |
Formula:
Why 2-year instead of 6-month? The 6-month rate penalizes universities whose graduates pursue graduate studies, professional school, or extended job searches. The 2-year rate better captures long-term employment outcomes and gives a fairer comparison.
Why institution-specific salary? Using a flat provincial average ($64K) would make tuition the sole differentiator, unfairly ranking low-tuition institutions highest regardless of graduate earning potential. Program-mix-adjusted estimates better reflect that engineering/CS-heavy universities (Waterloo, UofT) produce higher-earning graduates.
Limitations: Salary estimates are modelled, not directly measured per-institution. Actual individual outcomes vary significantly by program, GPA, co-op participation, location, and field. Tuition reflects average domestic undergraduate rates; professional and international programs cost more.
⚖️ Transparency & Limitations
- All government data is sourced from the Ontario Data Catalogue under the Open Government Licence — Ontario.
- Derived metrics (ROI ratios, composite scores, salary estimates) are clearly labelled and documented above.
- No proprietary data is used. All sources are publicly accessible and verifiable.
- Rankings are one perspective. They should not be the sole factor in education decisions. Consider program fit, location, campus culture, support services, financial aid, and personal goals.
- Date of data: School data from 2023–24 EQAO cycle. College KPIs from 2022–23 reporting year. University data from 2020 graduate cohort (latest available in OUGS).
📝 How to Cite
Ontario Education Rankings. (2024). Rankings methodology and data sources. Retrieved from this page. Data sourced from Ontario Data Catalogue, Statistics Canada, and institutional websites under publicly available licences.