Statistics Canada · 2025

How much does it cost to study in Nova Scotia?

International undergraduates pay a median CA$29,893 a year@if($gap), about what a Canadian student pays@endif. That fee has risen 103% since 2015. These are the government's own figures, published annually.

International undergraduateCA$29,893per year, 2025
International postgraduateCA$24,948per year
Canadian undergraduateCA$9,988for comparison
Ten-year rise+103%international undergraduate

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

YearInternational undergraduateInternational postgraduateCanadian undergraduate
2025 CA$29,893 CA$24,948 CA$9,988
2024 CA$27,973 CA$23,870 CA$9,934
2023 CA$25,885 CA$22,501 CA$9,551
2022 CA$21,650 CA$21,787 CA$9,270
2021 CA$20,120 CA$22,197 CA$9,035
2020 CA$19,531 CA$21,995 CA$8,746
2019 CA$18,621 CA$20,604 CA$8,478
2018 CA$17,719 CA$19,281 CA$8,086
2017 CA$16,717 CA$18,348 CA$7,718
2016 CA$15,747 CA$17,662 CA$7,322

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.

Need student health insurance for studying in Nova Scotia?

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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 Nova Scotia: common questions

How much is tuition in Nova Scotia for international students?
International undergraduates pay a median CA$29,893 a year (2025), and international postgraduates CA$24,948. These are Statistics Canada figures, not university marketing.
Is tuition in Nova Scotia rising?
Yes — the international undergraduate fee is up 103% since 2015, from CA$14,705 to CA$29,893.
How much more do international students pay than Canadians?
About 3× as much: CA$29,893 against CA$9,988 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.