SAIT business and hospitality schools top Canadian charts in global rankings
SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism and School of Business are among the top in Canada in 2026, according to QS University Rankings and CEOWORLD magazine
QS University Rankings and CEOWORLD magazine have awarded SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism top honours in 2026, each ranking the school #1 in its sector in Canada.
SAIT’s School of Business was recognized as #2 in Canada on CEOWORLD’s list of Best Business Schools in the World for 2026.
“These rankings reflect SAIT’s ethos of education, which has been built over more than a century,” says James Overall, Dean, SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism and School of Business. “We believe in delivering relevant curriculum developed around industry needs and delivering it through the highest-quality teaching experience.
“We embrace learning in a deeply applied way to add value for both industry and our students in everything we do.”
The cherry on top: Reflections from the School of Hospitality and Tourism
Great hospitality comes down to details — and SAIT’s had 75 years of offering hospitality and tourism education to perfect them.
The School of Hospitality and Tourism placed #25 in the world in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026: Hospitality & Leisure Management — SAIT’s highest ranking to-date. It was the only Canadian post-secondary included in the top 50.
SAIT also once again ranked #1 in Canada — fifteenth overall — in CEOWORLD magazine’s list of Best Hospitality And Hotel Management Schools in the World For 2026.
“What we do goes far beyond delivering curriculum — we’re shaping mindsets, behaviours and future leaders,” says Hala Dehais, Associate Dean Hospitality and Tourism Programs, School of Hospitality and Tourism.
“Our students and graduates are entering the industry with a strong sense of purpose. They care deeply about inclusion, sustainability and creating meaningful experiences — whether by starting their own businesses or by working alongside industry leaders to shape how hospitality and tourism experiences are designed and delivered.”
Hospitality and tourism students can choose from degree, diploma and certificate programs, where they’ll train in immersive live classrooms that replicate tangible real-world environments.
“We’re deeply integrated with industry, so students are learning with and from the sector in real time — not just studying it from a distance. By the time they graduate, every student has 300 to 400 hours of real-world experience from events, labs, community engagement and direct industry work.”
Cheers to 75 years of hospitality and tourism at SAIT
From hat making to world renowned hospitality, tourism and culinary programming, SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism has spent the last 75 years on a transformational journey
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Standing on business: Reflections from the School of Business
SAIT’s School of Business maintained its ranking as #2 in Canada in the CEOWORLD Best Business Schools in the World For 2026 rankings — one of only seven Canadian schools celebrated. At #51 overall, it placed just behind the University of Toronto’s Rotman School (#50), and ahead of the next Canadian institute, McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management (#79).
Grace McKenna, Associate Dean, School of Business, says, “This recognition is a celebration not only of our ongoing commitment to excellence in our faculty, curriculum, and applied learning, but also of our students and grads who continue to be bold and elevate the organizations they build, support and lead.”
SAIT’s business students prepare for their chosen field in degree, diploma and certificate programs. They learn to think beyond the classroom with industry partnerships and gain hands-on experience with real-world businesses.
“By working closely with industry to bring business education to life, our faculty enable students to apply their learning through hands-on experiences, gaining skills, experience and confidence to enter their field.”
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We talk to students doing work-integrated learning for AB brewers — going from from classroom to taproom
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Overall is proud — and confident in the schools’ abilities to continuously demonstrate excellence.
“This model of applied education is in our bones. It is how we believe education should come to life. I can’t imagine an institution better positioned to continue to adapt to the world, because we’re going to continue leaning into this DNA.”
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SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.