Statistics Canada · 2025

How much does it cost to study in Canada?

International undergraduates pay a median CA$41,746 a year@if($gap), about 5.4× what a Canadian student pays@endif. That fee has risen 87% since 2015. These are the government's own figures, published annually.

International undergraduateCA$41,746per year, 2025
International postgraduateCA$24,028per year
Canadian undergraduateCA$7,734for comparison
Ten-year rise+87%international undergraduate

What it cost, year by year Median annual tuition as reported by Statistics Canada.

YearInternational undergraduateInternational postgraduateCanadian undergraduate
2025 CA$41,746 CA$24,028 CA$7,734
2024 CA$39,974 CA$23,247 CA$7,485
2023 CA$38,251 CA$22,114 CA$7,152
2022 CA$35,836 CA$21,155 CA$6,871
2021 CA$33,446 CA$20,246 CA$6,660
2020 CA$32,039 CA$19,429 CA$6,580
2019 CA$29,883 CA$17,934 CA$6,468
2018 CA$27,613 CA$16,995 CA$6,822
2017 CA$25,549 CA$16,326 CA$6,618
2016 CA$23,677 CA$15,422 CA$6,375

Tuition is only part of the bill. A study permit application, health cover, and living costs sit on top, and provinces differ more on rent than on fees. Budget the fee as the floor, not the total.

Cheapest and dearest provinces International undergraduate tuition, 2025.

#ProvinceInternational undergraduateAgainst the national median
1 Ontario CA$6,804 −CA$34,942
2 Manitoba CA$11,195 −CA$30,551
3 Newfoundland and Labrador CA$18,867 −CA$22,879
4 New Brunswick CA$19,278 −CA$22,468
5 Prince Edward Island CA$21,157 −CA$20,589
6 British Columbia CA$21,424 −CA$20,322
7 Nova Scotia CA$29,893 −CA$11,853
8 Yukon CA$33,064 −CA$8,682
9 Quebec CA$36,279 −CA$5,467
10 Alberta CA$49,802 +CA$8,056

Need student health insurance for studying in Canada?

Most US universities require health cover before enrolment. Tell us your dates and country and we will come back with plans that meet your university’s requirement.

Free for students. We are not a insurer and give no financial advice — we pass your request to partners and may be paid by them if you go ahead. One request per person per service; sending it again simply updates what we hold.

Reading these numbers before you apply

Statistics Canada reports the median across institutions, so a well-known university in a big city will sit above it and a smaller regional one below. Use the provincial figure to shortlist, then confirm the exact fee on the university's own page — Canadian universities publish fees per programme, and professional degrees can cost several times the median.

The domestic figure is included on purpose. It shows how much of the price is the international premium rather than the cost of teaching, and it is the number to quote when you look for funding.

Studying in Canada: common questions

How much is tuition in Canada for international students?
International undergraduates pay a median CA$41,746 a year (2025), and international postgraduates CA$24,028. These are Statistics Canada figures, not university marketing.
Is tuition in Canada rising?
Yes — the international undergraduate fee is up 87% since 2015, from CA$22,346 to CA$41,746.
How much more do international students pay than Canadians?
About 5.4× as much: CA$41,746 against CA$7,734 for a Canadian undergraduate. The gap is the single biggest cost factor in studying in Canada.
Which province is cheapest for international students?
Ontario at CA$6,804 a year, against CA$49,802 in Alberta.

Source: Statistics Canada, table 37-10-0045 — Canadian and international tuition fees by level of study, current dollars. Figures are medians across institutions and exclude living costs and compulsory fees.