University of Toronto

This article is about the university's St. George campus in Downtown Toronto. For other uses, see University of Toronto (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Toronto Metropolitan University.

University of Toronto
Coat of arms
Latin: Universitas Torontonensis[1][2][3]
Former name
King's College
(1827–1849)
Motto
Velut arbor ævo (Latin)
Motto in English
"As a tree through the ages"[4]
TypePublic research university
EstablishedMarch 15, 1827
(197 years ago) (1827-03-15)
Academic affiliation
AAU, ACU, Universities Canada, URA, U15
Endowment
  • c. C$3.27 billion (excl. colleges)[5]
  • c. C$3.99 billion (incl. colleges)[5]
ChancellorWes Hall[6]
PresidentMeric Gertler[6]
ProvostL. Trevor Young[7]
Academic staff
3,246[8]
Administrative staff
7,462[8]
Students64,218[a][9]
Undergraduates44,763[a][9]
Postgraduates19,455[a][9]
Location
Toronto
,
Ontario
,
Canada

43°39′42″N 79°23′42″W / 43.66167°N 79.39500°W / 43.66167; -79.39500
CampusSt. George; Urban, 55.8 hectares (138 acres)[a][10]
ColoursPMS 655 Blue[11]
NicknameVarsity Blues
Sporting affiliations
U Sports – OUA, CUFLA
MascotTrue Blue (the Beaver)
Websiteutoronto.ca

The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada. Originally controlled by the Church of England, the university assumed its present name in 1850 upon becoming a secular institution. As a collegiate university, it comprises 11 colleges each with substantial autonomy on financial and institutional affairs and significant differences in character and history. The university maintains three campuses, the oldest of which is St. George, located in downtown Toronto. The other two satellite campuses are located in Scarborough and Mississauga.

The University of Toronto offers over 700 undergraduate and 200 graduate programs. The university receives the most annual scientific research funding and endowment of any Canadian university. It is also one of two members of the Association of American Universities outside the United States, alongside McGill University.[12] Academically, the University of Toronto is noted for influential movements and curricula in literary criticism and communication theory, known collectively as the Toronto School.

The university was the birthplace of insulin,[13] stem cell research,[14] the first artificial cardiac pacemaker,[15] and the site of the first successful lung transplant and nerve transplant. The university was also home to the first electron microscope, the development of deep learning,[16] neural network, multi-touch technology, the identification of the first black hole Cygnus X-1, and the development of the theory of NP-completeness. The University of Toronto is the recipient of both the single largest philanthropic gift in Canadian history, a $250 million donation from James and Louise Temerty in 2020, and the largest ever research grant in Canada, a $200 million grant from the Government of Canada in 2023.[17][18]

The Varsity Blues are the athletic teams that represent the university in intercollegiate league matches, primarily within U Sports, with ties to gridiron football, rowing and ice hockey. The earliest recorded instance of gridiron football occurred at University of Toronto's University College in November 1861.[19] The university's Hart House is an early example of the North American student centre, simultaneously serving cultural, intellectual, and recreational interests within its large Gothic-revival complex.

University of Toronto alumni include five Prime Ministers of Canada (including William Lyon Mackenzie King and Lester B. Pearson), three Governors General of Canada, nine foreign leaders, and 17 justices of the Supreme Court of Canada.[20] As of 2024, 13 Nobel laureates, six Turing Award winners, 100 Rhodes Scholars, and one Fields Medalist have been affiliated with the university.

  1. ^ Record of the Jubilee Celebrations of the University of Sydney. Sydney, New South Wales: William Brooks and Co. 1903. ISBN 9781112213304.
  2. ^ Records of The Tercentenary Festival of Dublin University. Dublin, Ireland: Hodges, Figgis & Co. 1894. ISBN 9781355361602.
  3. ^ Actes du Jubilé de 1909 (in Swiss French). Geneva, Switzerland: Georg Keck & Cie. 1910. ISBN 9781360078335.
  4. ^ Originates from Horace Odes, book I, ode 12, line 45: "crescit occulto velut arbor ævo fama Marcelli" ("The fame of Marcellus grows like a tree over time unseen").
  5. ^ a b Endowment figure does not include separate endowment funds maintained by individual colleges, which amount to C$555.7 million for Victoria University, C$83.7 million for Trinity College, and C$88.5 million for the University of St. Michael’s College in their respective most recent financial reports (2020-2023) Financial Report - 2023 (PDF). Financial Services Department, University of Toronto. 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023. Financial Statements of Trinity College - 2022 (PDF). KPMG LLP. 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2023. Financial Statements - 2023 (PDF). Financial Services Department, Victoria University. 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023. Financial Statements of the University of St. Michael's College - 2020 (PDF). KPMG LLP. 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "About The Chancellor". Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  7. ^ Siddiqui, Tabassum. "Trevor Young appointed U of T's vice-president and provost | University of Toronto". www.utoronto.ca. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Financial Report - 2021 (PDF). Financial Services Department, University of Toronto. 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c "Quick Facts". University of Toronto. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  10. ^ "Facts & Figures: Facilities". data.utoronto.ca. University of Toronto. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  11. ^ "Brand Colours – Trademark Licensing - Spaces & Experiences". University of Toronto. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  12. ^ "Association of American Universities". Aau.edu. Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Altman, Lawrence K. (February 1, 2011). "Ernest McCulloch, Crucial Figure in Stem Cell Research, Dies at 84". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference pearce_2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Werbos, Paul J. (Paul John). Beyond regression : new tools for prediction and analysis in the behavioral sciences. OCLC 77001455.
  17. ^ "University of Toronto receives single largest gift in Canadian history from James and Louise Temerty to support advances in human health and health care". University of Toronto. September 24, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  18. ^ "Accelerating Progress". University of Toronto Magazine. October 11, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  19. ^ Bernstein, Mark F. (September 19, 2001). Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-3627-9.
  20. ^ "Canadian PMs' Higher Education Experiences". Higher Education Strategy Associates. November 30, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2008.


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