Canada
University degrees and applied credentials across provincial systems.
Study overview
Canadian institutions include universities, colleges and polytechnics. Degrees, diplomas and graduate certificates are different awards, with transfer and progression governed by the receiving institution. Bachelor’s programmes commonly last three or four years; programme duration and tuition vary by province and institution.
Tuition / Year
Statistics Canada preliminary 2026/27 international undergraduate average. Graduate average: CAD 24,693, excluding MBA. Actual course fees vary.
Living / Month
University of British Columbia, Vancouver example through August 2027: housing, food and personal costs, rounded monthly. Transport, books, health insurance and flights extra.
Typical degree length: Bachelor’s: 3–4 years
Master’s: usually 1–2 years
Medicine: 3–4 years after prior study
Fields: Engineering; business; computing; sciences; social sciences.
Official references
- https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3710004501
- https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/tbl/csv/37100045-eng.zip
- https://students.ubc.ca/finances/student-loans/funding-us/cost-of-attendance-for-us-students/
- https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/get-documents/financial-support.html
- https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251120/dq251120e-eng.htm
- https://www.educanada.ca/programs-programmes/education_cost-cout_education.aspx?lang=eng
- https://www.educanada.ca/programs-programmes/pathways-voies.aspx?lang=eng
- https://www.cma.ca/healthcare-for-real/how-long-does-it-really-take-become-doctor-canada
- https://future.mcmaster.ca/programs/medicine/
- https://www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions/programs/mdcm
Study and admission
Qualifications and admissions
Provincial systems govern recognition; universities assess qualifications and admission to individual programmes.
Institutions and recognised awards
Canada’s postsecondary system is organised through provincial and territorial jurisdictions. Universities offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, while colleges and other providers can offer diplomas, certificates and authorised degree programmes. The institution’s legal recognition and the specific award therefore matter more than the word college alone. CICIC’s directory identifies educational institutions within these systems. Universities Canada provides a membership directory, which serves a different purpose from provincial recognition. Immigration designation is another separate status: a designated learning institution is approved to host international students.
Official references
- https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/settle-canada/education/school-types/post-secondary.html
- https://www.cicic.ca/869/1208/canadian_information_centre_for_international_credentials_%28cicic%29.canada
- https://univcan.ca/about-universities-canada/our-members/
- https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/study-canada/study-permit/prepare/designated-learning-institutions-list.html
Undergraduate routes and Quebec
Universities admit applicants according to their previous education and the chosen programme’s subject requirements. Quebec’s standard university pathway follows a pre-university college diploma, the DEC, rather than directly following the province’s secondary school diploma. This normally produces thirteen years of schooling before university entry. Applicants from other school systems are assessed under different categories and may have a different degree length or preparatory requirement. McGill, for example, publishes separate admission routes for Quebec CEGEP, Canadian school, overseas school and university-transfer applicants.
Applications and academic records
There is no single national university application or entrance examination. Ontario’s OUAC processes undergraduate and specified professional applications on behalf of participating universities, including applications from international students. Other institutions operate their own application routes. The university evaluates academic records against the selected programme’s prerequisites and makes the admission decision. A transfer application adds assessment of previous postsecondary study; admission and the award of transfer credit are separate determinations. Language evidence, portfolios and other supplementary material attach to particular programmes or applicant categories.
Research and course-based master’s
A Canadian master’s can be research-based, course-based or a programme combining both approaches. At UBC, research-based degrees normally begin with coursework and then centre on supervised investigation culminating in a thesis or dissertation. Course-based programmes follow a different balance of taught study and assessment. Eligibility depends on the previous qualification and the programme’s academic standards; recognition of a three-year overseas bachelor’s is not uniform. UBC, for example, accepts many three-year Bologna-compliant degrees from research-intensive European institutions as a basis for master’s admission.
Language, co-op and student costs
Course design, location and immigration category produce different practical requirements for international students.
English and French instruction
The teaching language belongs to the programme, rather than to Canada as a single national admissions standard. English-language institutions set accepted tests, component scores and exemptions from prior education. UBC graduate admissions, for example, publishes university requirements alongside programme-specific expectations. French-language institutions assess oral and written competence through their own rules. Université de Montréal accepts specified French tests, diplomas and training routes, with programme-dependent thresholds. A language test accepted for an immigration purpose is not automatically the correct version or sufficient result for academic admission.
Official references
Co-operative education
Co-op integrates academic study with organised work terms. Waterloo’s model alternates study and work periods, commonly in four-month blocks, and its undergraduate sequences contain four to six work terms depending on the programme. International students can participate in the relevant co-op routes. Employment involves applications and employer selection; the university’s employment service is not the employer. Co-op students complete the academic course requirements as well as the work components. Additional work terms can alter the programme calendar, housing periods and movement between study and employment locations.
Tuition, housing and health coverage
International tuition depends on the institution, programme, level and province. Compulsory ancillary fees and living expenses sit alongside tuition, so a published annual fee does not represent the total degree cost. Housing options include campus residences, private rentals and homestays, with rent, utilities and meals covered differently. Health coverage also varies by province or territory. Where public coverage is unavailable to international students, institutions offer medical insurance arrangements. EduCanada’s budget guidance treats accommodation, food, communication, transport and insurance as distinct recurring expenses.
Study permits and graduate work
A university offer supports the study-permit application but does not authorise entry. Since 1 January 2026, degree-granting master’s and doctoral programmes at public institutions have been exempt from the federal provincial or territorial attestation letter requirement; Quebec requirements still apply. Private institutions and graduate certificates do not share that blanket exemption. For a post-graduation work permit, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral graduates need level 7 in each skill on the Canadian English or French language benchmarks, with no field-of-study restriction. Other awards can have different language and subject requirements. The programme and applicant must also satisfy the remaining eligibility conditions.
Entrance and language assessments
English-language tests
Applies to: English-taught programmes requiring formal language evidence.
UBC graduate admissions accepts specified English tests and publishes programme-level requirements. Accepted versions, component scores and exemptions depend on the institution. There is no universal Canadian university IELTS or TOEFL threshold.
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/english-language-test
French-language evidence
Applies to: French-taught programmes and applicant categories requiring proof of proficiency.
Université de Montréal recognises specified TEF, TCF, DELF, DALF and other routes. Programme rules establish the required oral and written components and thresholds. Evidence sufficient for immigration does not automatically satisfy academic admission.
https://francais.umontreal.ca/etudier-en-francais/tests-diplomes-formations-francais-acceptes/
GMAT / GRE / TAGE MAGE
Applies to: Selected graduate business programmes.
HEC Montréal’s MSc Finance admission route lists these examinations, while some other HEC MSc specialisations make testing optional. Requirements depend on the programme and previous study; no one graduate aptitude test is compulsory across Canadian universities.
MCAT
Applies to: Medical schools and applicant categories that require the examination.
The Medical College Admission Test assesses preparation for medical education. Canadian requirements vary by school; a score does not overcome citizenship, residency, degree or prerequisite restrictions. International application availability is school-specific.
https://www.afmc.ca/strategic-priorities/education/aspirants-applicants/
LSAT
Applies to: Law programmes using the Law School Admission Test.
A programme’s admissions rules determine whether the LSAT is required and how overseas academic records are assessed. It is not a national test for all Canadian law qualifications, and French-language or graduate law routes can use different requirements.
https://www.lsac.org/choosing-law-school/find-law-school/canadian-law-schools
Casper
Applies to: Specified health, teacher-education and other professional programmes.
This situational-judgement assessment is required only by participating programmes. Vancouver Island University uses it for named nursing and education routes. The required test type, language and result-distribution list depend on the particular application.
Scholarships and funding routes
University of Toronto — Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship
Support: Tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years of first-entry undergraduate study.
Eligibility: Non-Canadian applicants requiring a study permit, completing secondary school in 2026/27 or graduated no earlier than June 2026, and entering Toronto in September 2027. Selection assesses academic achievement, creativity and leadership.
Application: School nomination comes first, followed by a Toronto admission application and the separate Pearson form. Each has its own annual deadline, normally well before September entry.
Conditions: Approximately 37 awards annually; each school may nominate one student. Current postsecondary students and those starting postsecondary study in January 2027 are ineligible. The award is restricted to the applicant’s highest-choice programme when decisions are made.
UBC — International Major Entrance Scholarship
Support: CAD 10,000–25,000 annually at the published 2026/27 rate, renewable for up to three further years.
Eligibility: International students entering UBC directly from secondary school on a Canadian study permit, with exceptional academics and extracurricular involvement; International Scholars nominees are excluded.
Application: Automatic consideration after admission for eligible applicants who applied by the admission deadline; scholarship decisions run from mid-February through April.
Conditions: Competitive merit funding, with no financial-need assessment. Award numbers and values depend on funding; the published rate is for 2026/27, not a confirmed 2027/28 rate.
UBC Okanagan — Global Elevation Award
Support: CAD 8,000 annually as two CAD 4,000 winter-term tuition credits, renewable for three additional years or until degree completion, whichever comes first.
Eligibility: All new international undergraduate students enrolling at UBC Okanagan.
Application: Automatically credited to the student account after acceptance of the admission offer and enrolment.
Conditions: Eligibility-based tuition support at Okanagan only; it provides no separate living allowance and is not a competitive full scholarship.
McGill — McCall MacBain Scholarships
Support: Tuition and fees for the programme’s normal duration, CAD 2,300 monthly during academic terms, a relocation grant and summer-funding options; leadership development and mentoring are included.
Eligibility: For the 2027 cohort: current students finishing their first bachelor’s by August 2027; graduates since January 2021; or earlier graduates aged 30 or younger on 1 January 2026. Domestic and international candidates must enter an eligible full-time McGill programme of at least 45 credits.
Application: Separate scholarship application with two references, followed by McGill admission. Finalists must apply to McGill by December, even where the degree deadline is later.
Conditions: The published 2027 cohort offers up to 30 full scholarships, including 10 international places. Applications take place in the preceding year, with different deadlines by applicant group.
Selected university profiles
Search the national directory of institutions recognized, authorized, registered or licensed by provincial and territorial authorities. This selected university directory is not exhaustive. Separately check IRCC’s DLI list and the exact programme’s immigration eligibility.
University of Toronto
Toronto is a public university with three campuses: St. George in central Toronto, Mississauga and Scarborough. St. George combines a college system with professional faculties, while Scarborough offers co-operative education across arts, sciences and business. Each campus provides undergraduate teaching and research opportunities.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Computer science; Commerce; Life sciences; Humanities
- Address
- 27 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
- Website
- https://www.utoronto.ca/
University of British Columbia
UBC is a public university with campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna’s Okanagan Valley. Vancouver includes the Sauder School of Business and faculties spanning medicine, engineering and forestry. Okanagan offers arts, sciences, health and management, with its School of Engineering forming part of UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Business; Forestry; Sciences; Arts
- Address
- 6200 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Website
- https://www.ubc.ca/
Official references
McGill University
McGill is a public university with a downtown Montréal campus and the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Macdonald houses Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Human Nutrition and the Institute of Parasitology, supported by farmland and greenhouses. Downtown teaching includes medicine, law, engineering and the Schulich School of Music.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Management; Sciences; Arts; Agriculture
- Address
- 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
- Website
- https://www.mcgill.ca/
University of Alberta
Alberta is a public university operating five campus locations, four in Edmonton and one in Camrose. Campus Saint-Jean provides francophone programmes, while Augustana in Camrose offers liberal arts and sciences. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and professional study.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Business; Agriculture; Nursing; Sciences
- Address
- 116 Street and 85 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Website
- https://www.ualberta.ca/
University of Waterloo
Waterloo is a public university organised into six faculties: Arts, Engineering, Environment, Health, Mathematics and Science. Its co-operative education programmes combine academic terms with employment. Beyond the main Waterloo campus, Architecture is based in Cambridge and Pharmacy operates at the Health Sciences campus in Kitchener.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Mathematics; Computer science; Environment; Arts
- Address
- 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
- Website
- https://www.uwaterloo.ca/
- askus@uwaterloo.ca
University of Ottawa
Ottawa is a public bilingual university offering study in English and French in Canada’s capital. Its Faculty of Law teaches common law and civil law, alongside study of Indigenous legal traditions. Medicine, engineering, social sciences and the Telfer School of Management form part of its wider academic provision.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Management; Social sciences; Health sciences; Arts
- Address
- Tabaret Hall, 75 Laurier Avenue East, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
- Website
- https://www.uottawa.ca/
University of Calgary
Calgary is a public university combining engineering, business, arts and sciences with medical and veterinary education. The Cumming School of Medicine is based at Foothills. Veterinary research uses Foothills and Spy Hill facilities, while clinical training includes a distributed network of veterinary practices and partner facilities.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Business; Sciences; Nursing; Architecture
- Address
- 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Website
- https://www.ucalgary.ca/
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie is a public university with three campuses in Halifax and an Agricultural Campus in Bible Hill, near Truro. Halifax’s Sexton Campus houses engineering, architecture and planning. The Agricultural Campus combines degree teaching with agricultural research, complementing the university’s wider programmes in health, science, business and the humanities.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Computer science; Management; Health; Agriculture
- Address
- Henry Hicks Building, 6299 South Street, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Website
- https://www.dal.ca/
University of Manitoba
Manitoba is a public university whose two main Winnipeg campuses are Fort Garry and Bannatyne. Fort Garry accommodates fields including engineering, agriculture and business. Bannatyne houses much of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, concentrating professional health education within the city’s clinical and research district.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Business; Agriculture; Architecture; Health sciences
- Address
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
- Website
- https://www.umanitoba.ca/
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a public university in Saskatoon with programmes spanning agriculture, engineering, health and the humanities. Its research infrastructure includes the Canadian Light Source synchrotron and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine combines professional training with a veterinary teaching hospital.
- Subjects
- Agriculture; Engineering; Business; Sciences; Health sciences
- Address
- 105 Administration Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A2, Canada
- Website
- https://www.usask.ca/
- admissions@usask.ca
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial is a public university with its main campus in St. John’s and specialised locations across Newfoundland and Labrador. The Marine Institute teaches fisheries and marine subjects in St. John’s. Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook offers arts, science, environmental and fine arts programmes within the university.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Business; Sciences; Humanities; Ocean sciences
- Address
- 230 Elizabeth Avenue, P.O. Box 4200, St. John’s, NL A1C 5S7, Canada
- Website
- https://www.mun.ca/
University of New Brunswick
UNB is a public university with campuses in Fredericton and Saint John. Forestry students in Fredericton use the university’s nearby forest for field learning. Saint John’s health programmes operate in the Tucker Park setting alongside Saint John Regional Hospital and Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Computer science; Business; Nursing; Forestry
- Address
- Sir Howard Douglas Hall, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
- Website
- https://www.unb.ca/
- chooseunb@unb.ca
University of Regina
Regina is a public university offering fields including engineering, business, media and social work. Campion College, Luther College and First Nations University of Canada are its three federated colleges. La Cité universitaire francophone provides French-language university education and research within the institution.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Business; Education; Media; Social work
- Address
- 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
- Website
- https://www.uregina.ca/
- international.admissions@uregina.ca
Concordia University
Concordia is a public Montréal university with the downtown Sir George Williams campus and Loyola campus in the city’s west end. Its four faculties are Arts and Science, Fine Arts, the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, and the John Molson School of Business.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Computer science; Business; Fine arts; Social sciences
- Address
- 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
- Website
- https://www.concordia.ca/
York University
York is a public university with Keele, Glendon and Markham campuses in the Toronto region. Glendon offers a bilingual English–French academic environment. The wider university includes the Lassonde School of Engineering, Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School, alongside arts, sciences and professional programmes.
- Subjects
- Business; Engineering; Social sciences; Fine arts; Health
- Address
- 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
- Website
- https://www.yorku.ca/
Carleton University
Carleton is a public Ottawa university with a campus beside the Rideau River. Journalism and public policy sit within its Faculty of Public and Global Affairs. Its professional schools include Sprott Business and the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism, alongside faculties of engineering and science.
- Subjects
- Engineering; Business; Public affairs; Journalism; Sciences
- Address
- 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
- Website
- https://www.carleton.ca/
Brock University
Brock is a public university in Ontario’s Niagara region, with the Goodman School of Business and programmes in education, health, humanities and sciences. Its Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute links research and teaching with grape growers and wineries, using a teaching winery and specialist sensory-science laboratories.
- Subjects
- Business; Education; Health sciences; Humanities; Sciences
- Address
- 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
- Website
- https://www.brocku.ca/
Trent University
Trent is a public university with a riverside campus in Peterborough and a Durham Greater Toronto Area campus in Oshawa. Its academic schools include the School of the Environment and Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. Peterborough’s Symons campus spans both banks of the Otonabee River.
- Subjects
- Environmental sciences; Business; Humanities; Nursing; Social sciences
- Address
- 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
- Website
- https://www.trentu.ca/
Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers is a public university with campuses in Kamloops and Williams Lake, combining university degrees with trades and technical education. Its Open Learning division delivers online and distance programmes. Campus study includes law, business, computing and science, while Williams Lake provides regional trades and community education.
- Subjects
- Business; Computing; Nursing; Tourism; Sciences
- Address
- 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
- Website
- https://www.tru.ca/
- iapply@tru.ca
University of Northern British Columbia
UNBC is a public university based in Prince George with programmes in environmental studies, health, sciences and the humanities. It hosts the Northern Medical Program in partnership with UBC’s Faculty of Medicine, using university facilities, the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia and regional clinical sites.
- Subjects
- Environmental sciences; Forestry; Business; Nursing; Social sciences
- Address
- 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Website
- https://www.unbc.ca/
- futurestudents@unbc.ca
Further institutions
| Institution | Location and type | Official website | Book page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Fraser University | Burnaby / Vancouver / Surrey / Public university | https://www.sfu.ca/ | 51 |
| University of Victoria | Victoria / Public university | https://www.uvic.ca/ | 51 |
| University of the Fraser Valley | Abbotsford / Chilliwack / Public university | https://www.ufv.ca/ | 51 |
| Vancouver Island University | Nanaimo / Public university | https://www.viu.ca/ | 51 |
| Capilano University | North Vancouver / Public university | https://www.capilanou.ca/ | 51 |
| Emily Carr University of Art + Design | Vancouver / Public specialist university | https://www.ecuad.ca/ | 51 |
| Kwantlen Polytechnic University | Surrey / Richmond / Langley / Public polytechnic university | https://www.kpu.ca/ | 51 |
| Royal Roads University | Victoria / Public university | https://www.royalroads.ca/ | 51 |
| Athabasca University | Athabasca / online / Public distance-learning university | https://www.athabascau.ca/ | 51 |
| MacEwan University | Edmonton / Public university | https://www.macewan.ca/ | 51 |
| Mount Royal University | Calgary / Public university | https://www.mtroyal.ca/ | 51 |
| University of Lethbridge | Lethbridge / Calgary / Public university | https://www.ulethbridge.ca/ | 51 |
| University of Winnipeg | Winnipeg / Public university | https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/ | 51 |
| Brandon University | Brandon / Public university | https://www.brandonu.ca/ | 51 |
| Mount Allison University | Sackville / Public university | https://mta.ca/ | 51 |
| Université de Moncton | Moncton / Edmundston / Shippagan / Public university | https://www.umoncton.ca/ | 51 |
| Acadia University | Wolfville / Public university | https://www2.acadiau.ca/ | 51 |
| Cape Breton University | Sydney, Nova Scotia / Public university | https://www.cbu.ca/ | 51 |
| Saint Mary’s University | Halifax / Public university | https://www.smu.ca/ | 51 |
| St. Francis Xavier University | Antigonish / Public university | https://www.stfx.ca/ | 51 |
| Lakehead University | Thunder Bay / Orillia / Public university | https://www.lakeheadu.ca/ | 51 |
| Laurentian University | Greater Sudbury / Public university | https://laurentian.ca/ | 51 |
| McMaster University | Hamilton / Public university | https://www.mcmaster.ca/ | 51 |
| Ontario Tech University | Oshawa / Public university | https://ontariotechu.ca/ | 51 |
| Queen’s University | Kingston / Public university | https://www.queensu.ca/ | 51 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Toronto / Public university | https://www.torontomu.ca/ | 51 |
| University of Guelph | Guelph / Public university | https://www.uoguelph.ca/ | 51 |
| University of Windsor | Windsor / Public university | https://www.uwindsor.ca/ | 51 |
| Western University | London, Ontario / Public university | https://www.uwo.ca/ | 51 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University | Waterloo / Brantford / Milton / Public university | https://www.wlu.ca/ | 51 |
| University of Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown / Public university | https://www.upei.ca/ | 51 |
| Université Laval | Québec City / Public university | https://www.ulaval.ca/ | 51 |
| Université de Montréal | Montréal / Public university | https://www.umontreal.ca/ | 51 |
| Université de Sherbrooke | Sherbrooke / Longueuil / Public university | https://www.usherbrooke.ca/ | 51 |
| Université du Québec à Montréal | Montréal / Public university | https://uqam.ca/ | 51 |
| Université du Québec à Chicoutimi | Saguenay / Public university | https://www.uqac.ca/ | 51 |
| Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières / Public university | https://www.uqtr.ca/ | 51 |
| École de technologie supérieure | Montréal / Public university-level engineering school | https://www.etsmtl.ca/ | 51 |
| HEC Montréal | Montréal / Public university-level business school | https://www.hec.ca/ | 51 |
| Polytechnique Montréal | Montréal / Public university-level engineering school | https://www.polymtl.ca/ | 51 |