If you want to experience a blend of North American and European influences, Quebec offers historic cities, major arts institutions, outdoor recreation, and distinctive regional cuisine. Quebec is primarily French-speaking: French is its sole official language, while English-speaking and multilingual communities are also significant, particularly in Montreal.
International students choose Quebec for its universities and research environments. However, tuition varies by university, program, residency status, and immigration status, while career prospects differ by occupation and region. Prospective students should confirm current costs and labor-market conditions using official sources before making a decision.
Data science is used across academia and industry in fields such as health care, business, public policy, and engineering. In Quebec, Canada’s Job Bank currently rates the province-wide employment outlook for data scientists as limited for the 2025–2027 period, so students should evaluate each program’s curriculum, research opportunities, internships, language requirements, and career fit. Below are the top Quebec universities offering data science or closely related programs.
Top Schools Offering Data Science in Quebec
1. McGill University
McGill University was founded in 1821 and has a long history of education and research. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, McGill placed 30th globally and was the highest-ranked Canadian university.
McGill does not present a single bachelor’s-to-PhD sequence titled Data Science on its official data science portal. Instead, the portal brings together related undergraduate programs in areas such as computer science, mathematics, statistics, and combined statistics and computer science. It also lists graduate and professional options in computer science, biostatistics, information studies, public health data science, quantitative life sciences, and management analytics.
McGill’s Computational and Data Systems Institute serves as a central hub for data-science-related research, training, and support. Its work emphasizes collaboration across disciplines and the application of computational and statistical methods to complex problems.
2. Concordia University
Concordia University describes itself as a next-generation university. It was officially founded on August 24, 1974, following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University.
Concordia offers a Bachelor of Computer Science in Data Science that combines computer science with mathematics and statistics. The program includes a 72-credit data science major within a degree requiring 90 to 120 credits, depending on the student’s academic background. Students may also apply for a co-op option with paid work terms.
Concordia Continuing Education offers an online, synchronous Diploma in Data Science Programming consisting of four required courses and one elective. At the graduate level, related options include the 45-credit, two-year Master of Science in Business Analytics and Technology Management and the research-based PhD in Computer Science. These graduate programs are related to data science but are not degrees formally titled Data Science.
3. University of Montreal
The University of Montreal, officially Université de Montréal or UdeM, is a major French-language research university. UdeM’s current facts-and-figures page lists the institution 150th globally and seventh among French-language universities.
UdeM’s relevant graduate offerings are its 45-credit master’s degree and 90- to 92-credit PhD in computer science, rather than standalone master’s and doctoral degrees formally titled Data Science. The master’s program is available through research, internship, and directed-study pathways.
Master’s students can pursue options in artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational biology, programming and software engineering, imaging, operations research, and theoretical and quantum computing. PhD research areas include artificial intelligence, machine learning, operations research, software engineering, bioinformatics, quantum computing, and computer graphics.
4. Université Laval
Université Laval was founded in 1852 and traces its roots to the Séminaire de Québec, established in 1663. The university identifies itself as the first French-language university in North America.
Université Laval currently offers approximately 600 programs across 17 faculties and more than 60 departments, schools, and institutes. Its Institute Intelligence and Data supports research, innovation, and training in artificial intelligence, data science, and related disciplines.
The university’s professional Master of Science in Computer Science–Artificial Intelligence is a 45-credit program with an estimated full-time duration of two years. It includes two internships totaling eight months and covers data analysis, model development, intelligent systems, and big-data applications. Research students can also pursue data-related work through the PhD programs in computer science or statistics, while shorter programs are available in big-data processing.
5. University of Quebec in Montreal
The University of Quebec in Montreal, officially Université du Québec à Montréal or UQAM, is a French-language public university located in central Montreal. Its official website currently lists more than 375 academic programs across its downtown location and four metropolitan-area campuses.
UQAM offers a professional master’s degree in Computer Science for Data Intelligence and Management. The program develops practical skills in databases, data-storage and processing infrastructure, security, data mining, large-scale data analysis, and artificial intelligence. Its expected duration is six terms of full-time study or 12 terms of part-time study.
UQAM also offers a research master’s in computer science with concentrations that include artificial intelligence and bioinformatics. Its PhD in computer science supports research in areas such as artificial intelligence, theoretical computing, software engineering, computer systems, and electronic systems. The PhD normally takes four years of full-time study or six years of part-time study.
Quebec offers several strong pathways into data science, artificial intelligence, analytics, statistics, and data-intensive computer science. Because the programs differ substantially in degree title, research focus, delivery method, language, and professional orientation, prospective students should compare the official curricula and admission information before applying.
We hope this article on the Best Universities for Data Science in Quebec was helpful. If you are interested, make sure to check out the Study in Canada and Available Courses for International Students!
