This list of Canadian university leaders includes the chancellors and vice-chancellors of Canadian universities. In most cases, the chancellor is an outside ceremonial head, while the vice-chancellor is the on-site academic leader. The vice-chancellor usually holds the position of president.
== Universities with both a Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor ==<!-- All have been recently checked in 2025. Also ending term dates for chancellors/presidents when known, which will help with future updates -->
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|- "
! University
!Province/Territory
! Chancellor
! Vice-Chancellor/President
|-
| Acadia University
|Nova Scotia
|Nancy McCain
|Jeff Hennessy
| Sheila Embleton (interim)
|-
| Bishop's University
|Quebec
| Daniel Fournier
|Sébastien Lebel-Grenier (until 2028)
|-
| Brandon University
|Manitoba
| Mary Jane McCallum
| Christine Bovis-Cnossen
|-
| Brock University
|Ontario
| Hilary Pearson
| Lesley Rigg
|-
| Capilano University
|British Columbia
| Yuri Fulmer
| Laureen Styles (interim)
|-
| Cape Breton University
|Nova Scotia
| Annette Verschuren
| David Wheeler
|-
| Carleton University
|Ontario
| Nik Nanos
|Wisdom Tettey
|-
| Concordia University
|Quebec
| Jonathan Wener
| Graham Carr
|-
|Concordia University of Edmonton
|Alberta
| Alan Huehn
| Tim Loreman
|-
| Crandall University
|New Brunswick
| Donald Simmonds
| Bruce Fawcett
|-
| Dalhousie University
|Nova Scotia
|Rustum Southwell
|Kim Brooks (until 2028)
|-
| Emily Carr University of Art and Design
|British Columbia
| Carleen Thomas
|Trish Kelly
|-
| Huntington University
|Ontario
| Bela Ravi
| Kevin McCormick
|-
| Kwantlen Polytechnic University
|British Columbia
|Kim Baird
| Bruce Choy
|-
| Lakehead University
|Ontario
|Rita Shelton Deverell
| Gillian Siddall
|-
| Laurentian University
|Ontario
|Vacant (as of December 2025)
|Lynn Wells
|-
| McGill University
|Quebec
| Pierre Boivin
| Deep Saini
|-
| McMaster University
|Ontario
| Santee Smith
| David Farrar
|-
| Memorial University of Newfoundland
|Newfoundland and Labrador
| Earl Ludlow
| Janet Morrison
|-
| Mount Allison University
|New Brunswick
|Lynn Loewen
| Ian Sutherland
| Timothy Rahilly
| Joël Dickinson
|-
| Nipissing University
|Ontario
| Scott Russell
| Kevin Wamsley
|-
| OCAD University
|Ontario
|Jamie Watt
|Ana Serrano
|-
| Queen's University at Kingston
|Ontario
|Shelagh Rogers
|Patrick Deane (principal)
|-
| Royal Military College of Canada
|Ontario
| David McGuinty (ex-officio as Minister of National Defence)
| Jill Scott (principal)
|-
| Royal Roads University
|British Columbia
| Nelson Chan
| Philip Steenkamp
|-
| St. Francis Xavier University
|Nova Scotia
| Mila Mulroney
| Andrew Haken
|-
| Saint Mary's University
|Nova Scotia
| Michael Durland
| Michael Khan
|-
| Simon Fraser University
|British Columbia
|Tamara Vrooman
| Joy Johnson
|-
| St. Thomas University
|New Brunswick
| Graydon Nicholas
| M. Nauman Farooqi
| Arini
|-
| Toronto Metropolitan University
|Ontario
| Donette Chin-Loy Chang
| Mohamed Lachemi
|-
| Trent University
|Ontario
| Stephen Stohn
|Cathy Bruce
|-
| University of Alberta
|Alberta
| Nizar Somji (until 2028)
|Bill Flanagan
|-
| University of British Columbia
|British Columbia
| Judy Rogers
| Benoit-Antoine Bacon
|-
| University of Calgary
|Alberta
| Jon Cornish
| Ed McCauley
|-
| University of the Fraser Valley
|British Columbia
| Jo-Ann Archibald
| James Mandigo
|-
| University of Guelph
|Ontario
| Mary Anne Chambers
|Rene Van Acker
|-
| University of King's College
|Nova Scotia
| Debra Deane Little
| William Lahey
|-
| University of Lethbridge
|Alberta
| Terry Whitehead
| Digvir Jayas
|-
| University of Manitoba
|Manitoba
|David Angus
| Michael Benarroch
|-
| Université de Moncton
|New Brunswick
| Madeleine Dubé
| Denis Prud’homme
|-
|Université de Montréal
|Quebec
|Frantz Saintellemy
|Daniel Jutras
|-
| University of New Brunswick
|New Brunswick
| Wade MacLauchlan
| Paul Mazerolle
|-
| University of Northern British Columbia
|British Columbia
| Darlene McIntosh
| Bill Owen (interim)
|-
|Université de l'Ontario français
|Ontario
|Paul Rouleau
|Norman Labrie
|-
| University of Ontario Institute of Technology
|Ontario
| Mitch Frazer
| Steven A. Murphy
|-
| University of Ottawa
|Ontario
| Claudette Commanda
| Marie-Eve Sylvestre
|-
| University of Prince Edward Island
|Prince Edward Island
| Diane Griffin (until June 30, 2027)
| Wendy Rogers
|-
| University of Regina
|Saskatchewan
| Cadmus Delorme
| Jeff Keshen
|-
| Université Sainte-Anne
|Nova Scotia
|Noël Després
|Kenneth Deveau
|-
| University of Saskatchewan
|Saskatchewan
|Scott Banda
| Peter Stoicheff
|-
| University of Toronto
|Ontario
| Wesley J. Hall
| Melanie Woodin
|-
| University of Victoria
|British Columbia
| Marion Buller
| Robina Thomas (acting)
|-
| University of Waterloo
|Ontario
|Jagdeep Singh Bachher (until June 2027)
| Vivek Goel
|-
| University of Western Ontario
|Ontario
| Kelly Meighen
| Alan Shepard
|-
| University of Windsor
|Ontario
| Dwight Duncan
| John-Justin McMurty
|-
| University of Winnipeg
|Manitoba
| Barb Gamey
| Vacant
|-
| Vancouver Island University
|British Columbia
| Judith Sayers
| Dennis Johnson (interim)
|-
| Wilfrid Laurier University
|Ontario
| Eileen Mercier
| Deborah MacLatchy
|-
| York University
|Ontario
| Kathleen Taylor
| Rhonda Lenton
|}
Universities with only a Vice-Chancellor
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|+
!University
!Province/Territory
!Vice-Chancellor/President
|-
|Alberta University of the Arts
|Alberta
|Janis Goldie
|-
|Atlantic School of Theology
|Nova Scotia
|Heather McCance
|-
|Athabasca University
|Alberta
|Alex Clark
|-
|Canadian Mennonite University
|Manitoba
|Cheryl Pauls
|-
|MacEwan University
|Alberta
|Annette Trimbee
|-
|Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University
|Nova Scotia
|David B. Smith (interim)
|-
|St. Stephen's University
|New Brunswick
|Bradley Jersak (principal)
Andrew Phillip Klager (vice-chancellor)
|-
|Université Laval
|Quebec
|Sophie D'Amours (rector)
|-
|Université de Saint-Boniface
|Manitoba
|Sophia Bouffard
|-
|University Canada West
|British Columbia
|Bashir Makhoul
|-
|University of Fredericton
|New Brunswick
|Don Roy
|-
|University of Niagara Falls Canada
|Ontario
|David Gray
|-
|Yorkville University
|New Brunswick
|Julia Christensen Hughes
|}
Longevity
Since the development of the university sector in Canada a small number of Vice Chancellors or Presidents or Principals have served for 20 years or more. They include:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left;"
|+
!University
!Province
!Name
!Years served
|-
|McGill University
|Quebec
|Sir John William Dawson
|38 years (1855–1893)
|-
|University of New Brunswick
|New Brunswick
|Cecil Jones
|34 years (1906–1940)
|-
|Bishop's University
|Quebec
|Jasper Hume Nicolls
|33 years (1845–1878)
|-
|University of Toronto
|Ontario
|John McCaul
|32 years (1848–1880)
|-
|University of New Brunswick
|New Brunswick
|Edwin Jacob
|31 years (1829–1860)
|-
|Dalhousie University
|Nova Scotia
|John Forrest
|26 years (1885–1911)
|-
|Bishop's University
|Quebec
|Arthur McGreer
|26 years (1922–1948)
|-
|Acadia University
|Nova Scotia
|Artemas Wyman Sawyer
|25 years (1869–1896)
|-
|Queen's University
|Ontario
|George Munro Grant
|25 years (1877–1902)
|-
|University of Toronto
|Ontario
|Robert Falconer
|25 years (1907–1932)
|-
|University of British Columbia
|British Columbia
|Leonard Klinck
|25 years (1919–1944)
|-
|Acadia University
|Nova Scotia
|Frederic Patterson
|25 years (1923–1948)
|-
|University of New Brunswick
|New Brunswick
|William Brydone Jack
|24 years (1861–1885)
|-
|McGill University
|Quebec
|William Peterson
|24 years (1885–1919)
|-
|McGill University
|Quebec
|Frank Cyril James
|23 years (1939–1962)
|-
|Dalhousie University
|Nova Scotia
|James Ross
|22 years (1863–1885)
|-
|University of Toronto
|Ontario
|John Strachan
|21 years (1827–1848)
|-
|University of New Brunswick
|New Brunswick
|Thomas Harrison
|21 years (1885–1906)
|-
|University of Manitoba
|Manitoba
|James MacLean
|21 years (1913–1934)
|-
|University of Alberta
|Alberta
|Henry Marshall Tory
|20 years (1908–1928)
|-
|Dalhousie University
|Nova Scotia
|Arthur Stanley McKenzie
|20 years (1911–1931)
|-
|Western University
|Ontario
|William Sherwood Fox
|20 years (1927–1947)
|-
|Western University
|Ontario
|George Hall
|20 years (1947–1967)
|}
See also
- Lists of university leaders
- List of universities in Canada