If you have ever wondered what universities in Canada are the cheapest for international students, then I did wonder also, and after a few weeks of painstaking research and surveys of over 100 international students studying in Canada, these are my list of the cheapest universities in Canada for international students;
Apart from being developed with a high level of education, Canada is home to more than 640,000 international students. Canada indeed is one of the best countries to school in. And as such most people constantly ask about the cheapest universities in Canada for international students.
This is not surprising as Canada’s education is perceived to be expensive because of its world-class standard, conducive environment, and high student retention rate.
So the question is, is it possible for me to school for free in Canada? Can I bag a partial scholarship? What are the names of the cheapest universities in Canada? This and many more will be treated here.
Before going further, I want you to know that you can successfully have a quality and decent education in Canada without spending much.
Do go through this article carefully.
This takes us straight to the main gist of today.
Top 10 Cheapest Universities in Canada
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University of Toronto
The University of Toronto (U of T) is the oldest higher education institution in Ontario. It’s also the highest-ranked Canadian university in the World Rankings at number 18, 16 notches ahead of the next-in-line University of British Columbia.
With a large student population of over 74,000+, 22% of the population are of foreign descent.
The tuition fee is:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 39,560 ($31,185) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: CAD 26,210 ($20,660) per academic session.
Established in the year 1877, the University of Manitoba is also called U of M in short. It is historically respected as the first university in western Canada.
U of M is a public research university with campuses in Fort Garry and Bannatyne. It offers numerous programs covering Agriculture, Architecture, Art, Education, Environment, Rehabilitation Science, Engineering, Kinesiology, Science, Business, Music, Social Work, Human Ecology, and Graduate Studies.
Out of a student population of almost 28,800, about 18% are considered to be international students.
Tuition fees for U of M are:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 15,800 ($12,455) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: CAD 11,694 ($9,220) per academic session
Newfoundland and Labrador’s University is also known as the Memorial University of Newfoundland or MUN. Established in the year 1925, it is regarded as the cheapest university in Canada for international students.
It is currently one of the most prominent universities in Atlantic Canada and the only university to service Newfoundland and Labrador.
MUN has six fields that cut across pharmacy, Human Kinetics, Social Work, Music, Recreation, and Graduate Studies. And also has seven faculties that cut across the Arts, Education, Business, Nursing, Medicine, Engineering, and Science.
Due to its cheap tuition fee, MUN has a large influx of students all over the globe, practically from over 100 countries of the world.
The tuition fees are:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 11,460 ($9,035) for each academic session.
- For Fee for Graduate Programs: CAD 6,654 ($5,245) for each academic session
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Ryerson University
Established in 1948 as Ryerson Insitute of Technology and later upgraded to a full-fledged university in 1993 is located in downtown Toronto, “Ryerson University.”
It is regarded as one of Canada’s cheapest public research universities that houses the most prominent business school in the country. Additionally, it offers courses that cut across programs of study like Arts, Community Services, Engineering & Architecture, Science, Communication & Design, and Continuing Education.
Unlike most Canadian universities with a high foreign student influx, Ryerson University only has 5% of its over 34,500 students population to be foreign.
The tuition fees include:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 28,633 ($22,570) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: from CAD 23,795 ($18,760) per academic session
Concordia University is a Lutheran Christian university in Southern California that offers both on-campus & online degree programs: undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate.
It is situated in Montreal, Quebec. (A french-speaking state) Although being located in a french speaking environment, it still uses English as its primary instruction tool.
Concordia is well-known for its prestigious John Molson School of Business. In addition, it is ranked as one of the best universities in Canada,
From a student population of 31 000 and above, 31% are considered to be international students.
The tuition fees are as follows:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 19,812 ($15,620) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: CAD 15,467 ($12,190) per academic session.
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McGill University
Established in 1821, McGill University is a public research institution known for its academic prowess. It has two campuses, one in downtown Montreal and the other in Montreal island.
McGill has one of the most diverse student populations in any Canadian university, with about 30% of its student population of foreign descent that cut across 150 countries of the world.
In addition, it is ranked among the top 3 universities in Canada and the top 50 globally.
The university offers over 300 courses that cut across Agriculture, Education, Engineering, Law, Management, Arts, Dentistry, Medicine, Music, Religious Studies, Science, and Continuing Education.
The tuition fee for McGill are:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 22,583 ($17,800) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: CAD 14,328 ($11,295) per academic session
When you talk about one of the most affordable universities in Canada, you are talking about the University of New Brunswick.
It was founded in 1785 and is regarded as the oldest English-language Canadian university. It offers over 75 bachelor’s degrees and graduate programs that cut across 30 fields. These include the Arts, Forestry, Kinesiology, Law, Leadership Studies, Business, Computer Science, Engineering, Nursing, and Science.
The school has a 13 % foreign student allocation from its 8,570 student population.
The Tuition fee is:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 29,399 ($23,175) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: CAD 29,399 (~$23,175) per academic session
Ranked among the top 5 universities in Canada is the University of Alberta. It is a public educational institution established in 1908 in Edmonton, Alberta.
The University of Alberta has a sizeable foreign student population of 7,800 international students representing 151 nationalities.
The Tuition fee is:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 29,500 ($23,255) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: CAD 15,360 ($12,110) per academic session
The University of Ottawa is the largest privately held Christian university in the world. In addition to that, its tuition fees are pretty affordable.
Founded in 1848 as the College of Bytown, it is home to 7,000 international students from over 15 countries worldwide.
The U of O has ten faculties specializing in the Arts, Medicine, Social Science, Science, Education, Engines zeroing, Health Science, Law (Civil and Common), and Management.
The Tuition fee for the University of Ottawa is:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 37,676 ($29,700) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: CAD 18,570 ($14,640) per academic session
The University of British Columbia (UBC) has been consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities globally. In addition, it offers affordable tuition fee for international students that cuts across the departments of Applied Science, Forestry, Land & Food Systems, Medicine, Arts, Dentistry, Education, Pharmacy, and Science.
Also, UBC is known to have the highest percentage of international students. 32% of its over 53,000 students population are of foreign descent that cuts across over 100 countries globally.
The tuition fee for the University of British Columbia is:
- For Undergraduate Programs: CAD 37,460 ($29,530) per academic session
- For Graduate Programs: CAD 6,516 ($5,136) per academic session
What are the Cheapest MBA Universities in Canada?
MBA is one of the most sought-after study programs in Canada, not only in Canada but in other parts of the world. The exciting thing is that Canada hosts some of the best MBA universities in the world and the cheapest MBA universities.
However, MBA colleges in Canada add other programs in addition to their conventional MBA program. Also, you have the flexibility of choosing among options how you want to run your MBA program; it may be in the form of:
- Part-time MBA
- Accelerated MBA
- Executive MBA
- Professional MBA
- Dual Degree MBA, etc.
Below is the list of the cheapest MBA universities in Canada and their tuition fee:
Do note that the currency is in CAD
- Memorial University of Newfoundland
The tuition fee is 9,666 for 2 Years
- University of Saskatchewan
The tuition fee is 54,853.86
- University of New Brunswick
The tuition fee is 37,577.00
- University of Manitoba
The tuition fee is 48,300
- University of Northern British Columbia
The tuition fee is 8323.20 per term
- Wilfrid Laurier University
The tuition fee is 16,579.63 per term
- University of Victoria
The tuition fee is 36,696.82
Cheapest Universities in Canada for Master’s degrees.
Taking graduates courses at Canadian universities can be expensive at times. However, this does not say that cheap universities for Master’s students do not exist. Below are some of the cheapest universities in Canada for graduate students.
- The Memorial University of Newfoundland – major courses: Engineering, Business Management.
The tuition fee is 1966 CAD.
- University of Northern British Columbia – major courses: Business Administration, Disability Management, Health Sciences
The tuition fee is 1800 -1500 CAD.
- Simon Fraser University – major courses: Education, Business Administration, Finance
The tuition fee is 1986 CAD.
- Cape Breton University– major courses: Economic Development, IT, Sustainability
The tuition fee is 1000 – 18000 CAD.
- Nipissing University – major courses: Applied Social Research, Kinesiology, Sociology
The tuition fee is 1300 – 3000 CAD.
- The University of British Columbia – major courses: Medicine, Biotechnology Economics, Law, Engineering
The tuition fee is 7000 – 16000 CAD
- Mount Allison University – major courses: Biology, Chemistry
The tuition fee is 3000 CAD
- The University of Saskatchewan – major courses: Public Health, Public Policy, Environment, and Sustainability
The tuition fee is 1308 – 1400 CAD.
- McMaster University – major courses: Metallurgical Engineering, CS and engineering, and Transportation Science
The tuition fee is 6000 – 10000
- The University of Victoria – major courses: Arts and Humanities, Engineering, Environment, Geoscience
The tuition fee is 10883 CAD.
- University of Calgary– major courses: Medical sciences, Neuroscience, Kinesiology, Geomantic Engineering, Computer science
The tuition fee is 1963 CAD
Cheapest colleges in Canada
Are you an international student looking for cheap courses? Lambton College is a good choice. Apart from being a cheap university, it is an old university with many historical stories and architecture attached to it.
However, Lambton college is known for courses which are: information technology, health, and business.
The Tuition fee is $7,000
Unlike most colleges, in Niagara College, students pay per hour. Each student is expected to pay $420 for each credit hour.
And, this is one of the reasons it is called the cheapest college in Ontario. Also, it is a community funded college in Canada that offer quality educational programs in Canada.
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LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE
Lethbridge College is one college that has a historical imprint in academic universities in Canada. In addition to that, it stands as one of the oldest cheapest colleges in Canada for international students.
Also, the college offers 50 programs that are known as some of the cheapest courses in Canada.
The Cost of Tuition is $6,000 to $22,000
The loyalist college stands as the best on the list of cheapest colleges in Ontario, Canada. Are you looking for maximum academic satisfaction? This is one school that can help.
The Cost of Tuition is $13,000
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SENECA COLLEGE
Seneca College is one of the cheapest community-owned colleges in Canada that gives students both Canadian and International platforms to acquire the best set of education. In addition, it offers pure, undiluted quality education.
The Tuition fee is $13,000
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SELKIRK COLLEGE
When you talk about a cheap college in Canada, and you haven’t called Selkirk, you haven’t yet started. It is not only affordable but one of the cheapest colleges in Canada.
You can study the cheapest courses in Canada for in Selkirk and till comes out very good.
The Tuition fee is $4,900 for undergraduates and $5,260 for postgraduate
If you are an international student seeking to be retained for work after schooling in Canada, you need to consider Northern lights college.
This institution usually has the highest number of students’ employment every year. The unique thing about this institution is that the tuition fee is paid per credit hour.
The tuition fee is$295.05 per credit hour
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HUMBER COLLEGE
Humber College is a vintage Canadian school, then go to Humber college. It’s one of the colleges in Canada for international students that still respect the culture of native Canadians.
Tuition fee is: $7,000 to $23,000
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LAWRENCE COLLEGE
When talking about Canada’s world-top class school., St. Lawrence enlists in the chart. For a while now, St. Lawrence has pride itself as this cheapest college in Ontario prides itself on the competence and impact their graduates make in society.
Tuition fee is$15,300 to $15,700 for certificate and diploma courses, $15,700 for graduate.
Here at Sheridan college, you can actively learn creative and innovative ways to solve problems. Also, this is one of the colleges in Canada for international students that focus on achieving professionalism. Here, the tuition fee is paid termly
The tuition fee is $7,200 per term
Why Should I Study In Canada?
First, Canadian universities have one of the highest rankings globally. And, International students are attracted to this,
Universities such as the University of Toronto, McGill University are being recognized globally because of their excellence, and schooling in any of them gives you this great respect and admiration.
Secondly, as an international student, you can be awarded partial or complete scholarships if you are academically outstanding. Gaining scholarships is easier in Canadian universities than in Universities in the United States.
Thirdly, Canada is known for its esteemed beauty, architecture, sound medical sector, and conducive living environment.
Also, Canada has various attraction sites that will make you love the country even more. For example, there is Vancouver, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.
Fourthly, Canadian universities offer undergraduate, Master’s, and PhD programs with affordable Tuition. Education is known to be more reasonable in Canada than in the US and the UK.
Also, you can obtain o professional degrees such as Medicine, MBA, and Pharmacy y paying affordable tuition fees. Although, tuition fees change according to the majors.
What are the requirements of studying in Canada?
The essential requirement needed to study in Canada include:
- A high school diploma/Secondary school certification for Bachelor’s degree entry.
- While for a Master’s degree, you need a Bachelor’s degree
- Academic transcripts
- GRE/GMAT results Depending on the university.
- Letter of Recommendation
- CV/Resumes (for Masters students)
- English proficiency test results (TOFEL and IELTS)
- Proficiency in French is also needed.
What are the cheapest Canadian diploma courses for international students?
As an international student, it is pertinent for you to know that some courses in Canada are expensive while some are cheap.
Some of the cheapest diploma courses in Canada are:
- Finance
- Accounting
- Project Management
- Human Resources
- Business Analytics
- Marketing
- Supply Chain Management
- International Business Management
Can you study in Canadian Universities in English?
Yes, you can. This is because most universities in Canada teach in the English Language (though some lecture classes are taught in French).
This is why most universities in Canada demand English proficiency tests through IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge exams before giving out admission to international students.
Can I Study for Free in Canada?
This is is one bothering question most international applicants ask.
Yes, you can study in Canada for free. But I must tell you, and it isn’t an easy task at all. Yes, it is possible but not easily attained. For every university we talk about in the section below, I will advise you to visit their official website and read about their funding aid schemes. This will be of help.
Do these cheapest universities in Canada offer scholarships?
Yes! The cheapest universities offer scholarships for both local and international students. So you must identify with them. With the affordable tuition fees coupled with scholarships, you will study at ease without any financial stress.
What is the Cost of living in Canada as an international student?
In addition to knowing the cheapest universities in Canada, it is also essential to know the Cost of living in Canada.
So below is the estimated Cost of living in Canada in the major cities in the country.
Kindly go through the table below:
| Province | Accommodation (CAD) | Food (CAD) | Transportation (CAD) | Miscellaneous (CAD) |
| Alberta | 481 | 282 | 73 | 338 |
| Ontario | 600 | 270 | 86 | 290 |
| New Brunswick | 458 | 245 | 71 | 237 |
| Quebec | 423 | 272 | 42 | 318 |
| Saskatchewan | 560 | 259 | 83 | 311 |
| Newfoundland | 495 | 269 | 69 | 234 |
| British Columbia | 871 | 279 | 108 | 342 |
| Manitoba | 495 | 253 | 100 | 307 |
| Nova Scotia | 500 | 245 | 68 | 247 |
Conclusion
I hope you found this article enormously educative. Kindly go through each university, understand their policies before choosing which to settle in.
