Cost of Studying in Canada

International tuition is set by each school board. Students may live with a parent, relative, family friend, approved guardian, or homestay family, so accommodation must be priced separately.

• The tuition range does not include accommodation. Homestay pricing and what it includes vary by city and provider.
• Application, assessment, medical-insurance, activity, homestay-placement, and custodianship fees may be charged separately. Confirm the board's complete fee schedule.
• An unaccompanied child under 17 must come with a parent or legal guardian or have a custodian in Canada. For students age 17 through the provincial age of majority, an immigration officer may request one.
• Minors applying from outside Canada generally need a study permit for studies longer than six months. Exceptions exist for shorter programs and some minors already in Canada.
• Paid tuition or housing can form part of proof-of-funds evidence, but applicants must still meet the applicable living-expense and transportation requirements.

Sources: EduCanada school-cost ranges (opens in new tab), IRCC guidance for minors (opens in new tab), IRCC proof of financial support (opens in new tab).

Day-school tuition normally excludes accommodation. Boarding schools often bundle tuition, a room, and meals, but their inclusions and mandatory add-ons differ substantially.

• Current school fee schedules can sit outside these national ranges, including above $90,000 before one-time charges. The range is not a cap.
• Application, registration, uniforms, trips, sports, technology, insurance, and learning-support charges may be separate.
• Some residences close during school breaks; others offer paid stays or trips. Check the academic calendar and residence policy.
• The same minor-student, custodianship, study-permit, and proof-of-funds qualifications described above still apply.

Sources: EduCanada school-cost ranges (opens in new tab), IRCC guidance for minors (opens in new tab), IRCC proof of financial support (opens in new tab).

College diploma pricing and university degree pricing are different enough that they are shown separately. Billing may be by credit, course, term, academic year, or full program.

• University tuition varies sharply by province and faculty. Use the average to understand the national scale, then use the institution's official program fee.
• Compulsory fees are institution- and program-specific. Do not assume they fit a single national range.
• The IRCC amount is a proof-of-funds threshold, not a spending forecast. Actual housing and living costs may be higher, especially in expensive rental markets.
• IRCC revises the general amount outside Quebec every September 1. Recheck it if your application will be submitted on or after September 1, 2026.
• For programs longer than one year, applicants must show first-year funds and explain how they plan to pay for the full program duration.

Sources: EduCanada college-cost range (opens in new tab), Statistics Canada 2025/2026 tuition averages (opens in new tab), IRCC proof of financial support (opens in new tab), Quebec 2026 study-cost requirements (opens in new tab).

Statistics Canada publishes a combined graduate average covering master's and doctoral degrees. Individual master's programs can sit far below or above that benchmark.

• Low-cost programs do exist: Memorial University currently publishes $6,654 in tuition for some one-year standard master's programs. That is a named example, not a Canadian minimum.
• Professional and course-based programs can cost far more than the graduate average, especially MBAs and specialized professional degrees.
• Programs may bill per credit, term, year, or full program, and some require three terms of registration. Do not assume a two-semester annual fee.
• Research funding may include scholarships or assistantships, but it is not universal. Count only funding stated in the written offer or funding letter.
• For programs longer than one year, applicants must also explain how they plan to fund the remaining duration.

Sources: Statistics Canada 2025/2026 tuition averages (opens in new tab), Memorial University graduate fees (opens in new tab), IRCC proof of financial support (opens in new tab).

Doctoral fees and funding models vary by university and department. Some universities use domestic-equivalent PhD rates; others charge a separate international rate.

• An upcoming domestic-equivalent example exists at the University of Saskatchewan, which publishes the same $5,637 annual doctoral tuition for domestic and international students for September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. It is not a national minimum.
• Many research PhD offers include funding, but the sources, amount, tuition treatment, duration, and conditions vary. Rely only on the written offer or funding letter.
• Funding can count toward proof of financial support, but it does not remove the study-permit requirement.
• Published program length is often four or five years, while actual completion can take longer. Budget beyond the advertised minimum duration.
• Supervisor requirements are program-specific: some require a commitment before admission, while others match students later.

Sources: Statistics Canada 2025/2026 tuition averages (opens in new tab), University of Saskatchewan graduate fees (opens in new tab), IRCC proof of financial support (opens in new tab).

Other costs to price separately

Fixed government fees are shown where a current official amount exists. The remaining costs depend too heavily on the student, institution, and destination to support one honest national range.

Amounts in CAD. Confirm current government fees with IRCC (opens in new tab) and, when applicable, the Government of Quebec (opens in new tab). Third-party fees can change without notice.