The University of Canterbury has the following subjects ranked in the world’s top 300 (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023):
| Subject | QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024 (released April 2024) |
| Accounting | Top 300 in the world for Accounting & Finance (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Biological Sciences | Top 600 in the world for Natural Sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Civil Engineering | Top 100 in the world for Engineering - Civil & Structural (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Computational Linguistics | =71 in the world for Linguistics (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Economics | Top 350 in the world for Economics and Econometrics (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Education | Top 250 in the world for Education & Training (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering | Top 300 in the world for Engineering - Electrical & Electronic (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Engineering | =316th in the world for Engineering & Technology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| English | Top 300 in the world for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| English Language | Top 300 in the world for English Language and Literature (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Environmental Hazards and Disasters | Top 200 for Geophysics (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Environmental Science | Top 250 in the world for Environmental Sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Finance | Top 300 in the world for Accounting & Finance (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Forestry Science | Top 200 in the world for Agriculture and Forestry (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Freshwater | Top 200 universities in the world for Earth and Marine Sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Geography | Top 100 in the world for Geography (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Geology | Top 200 in the world for Geology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Human Resource Management | =315th in the world for Social Sciences & Management (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Law | Top 250 in the world for Law (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Linguistics | =71st in the world for Linguistics (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Management | =315th in the world for Social Sciences & Management (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Political Science and International Relations | Top 200 in the world for Politics (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Product Design | =316th in the world for Engineering and Technology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Psychology | Top 250 in the world for Psychology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Spatial Data Science | Top 100 in the world for Geography and Top 200 for Geophysics (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Sustainable Coasts | Top 200 in the world for Earth & Marine Sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Taxation and Accounting | Top 300 in the world for Accounting & Finance (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Teacher Education | Top 250 in the world for Education & Training (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
| Water Science and Management | Top 200 in the world for Earth & Marine Sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) |
5 Star University
In 2011, the University of Canterbury was the first New Zealand university to receive the 5 Star rating by QS and has maintained its 5 Star status since then.
The QS website states “A typical five-star institution is generally world-class in a broad range of areas, enjoys an excellent reputation and has cutting-edge facilities and internationally renowned research and teaching faculty.”
