Three RoutesGuides · 3 min read · updated 17 October 2026
How much college and university cost in Canada, by province
Twelve programs, four provinces, total cost to the credential, from the institutions' own fee pages.
College programs: total cost to the credential
Total tuition and mandatory fees for the whole program, domestic student, books and living costs excluded. Quebec figures are for residents at a cégep, where tuition is free and only fees apply; a three-year DEC replaces the two- or three-year Ontario diploma.
| Program | Ontario | British Columbia | Alberta | Quebec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical nursing (RPN) | $9,900 | $19,600 | $19,870 | $1,900 |
| Paramedic | $17,500 | $10,000 | $6,701 | $3,400 |
| Computer programming | $13,300 | $16,750 | $23,180 | $2,600 |
| Business administration | $14,000 | $13,500 | $15,310 | $2,600 |
| Early childhood education | $9,500 | $18,900 | $16,348 | $2,600 |
| Dental hygiene | $30,000 | $33,600 | $43,220 | $6,100 |
University degrees: total cost to the credential
Four years in Ontario, BC and Alberta. In Quebec, two years of pre-university cégep plus a three-year bachelor's (four for engineering), at resident tuition of about $3,000 a year plus fees.
| Degree | Ontario | British Columbia | Alberta | Quebec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | $52,000 | $37,700 | $50,900 | $21,000 |
| Computer science | $50,000 | $30,300 | $35,152 | $16,000 |
| Nursing (RN) | $36,000 | $25,700 | $35,152 | $3,300 |
| Business / commerce | $40,000 | $40,400 | $43,600 | $16,000 |
| Psychology | $32,000 | $30,300 | $35,152 | $16,000 |
| Arts & humanities | $32,000 | $30,300 | $35,152 | $16,000 |
Sources: institution fee schedules for 2025-26 or 2026-27 (Ontario colleges and universities, BCIT, VCC, UBC, NAIT, SAIT, University of Alberta, cégeps, CCAFE). Program-specific rates at the most common institution; others vary by a few thousand dollars.
Debt is not the same as cost
Student loans cover rent and food too, so typical debt for graduates who borrowed can exceed tuition: about $16,700 for an Ontario college graduate and $30,600 for a university graduate, by Statistics Canada's measure. About half of graduates finish with no debt at all, because grants, family and part-time work cover it.
What lowers it
- Grants you do not repay. OSAP, StudentAid BC, Alberta Student Aid and Quebec's AFE all give grants to lower-income families first; the estimators take ten minutes and most families have never run them.
- Co-op. Programs with paid work terms cost the same and pay for a large part of themselves. Ask for the co-op placement rate, not the brochure.
- Living at home. Rent is the biggest line in any student budget; a commuter degree can cost less than half of one away from home.
- Quebec residency. For families who can move, the cheapest post-secondary system in Canada by a wide margin, if the student can study in French or finds an English cégep and university.
Quick answers
How much does college cost in Ontario?
Roughly $8,000 to $12,500 in tuition and fees for a two- or three-year diploma (early childhood education, business, computer programming, civil technology), $9,000 to $10,000 for nursing and paramedic programs, and about $30,000 for dental hygiene, which is mostly offered privately. Books and living costs are extra.
How much does university cost in Canada per year?
Domestic tuition plus fees runs about $7,500 to $13,000 a year depending on province and program: Ontario $8,000 to $13,000, BC $7,500 to $9,500, Alberta $8,800 to $12,700, Quebec residents about $4,200. Four years of engineering is roughly $52,000 in Ontario, $38,000 in BC, $51,000 in Alberta and $21,000 in Quebec including cégep.
Is university free in Quebec?
No, but close for residents: cégep tuition is free (about $540 a year in fees) and university tuition is about $3,000 a year plus roughly $1,160 in fees. A three-year degree costs around $16,000 including the two cégep years.
How much debt does the average student have in Canada?
Statistics Canada's average for graduates who borrowed is about $16,700 for college and $30,600 for a bachelor's degree. About half of graduates have no debt at all.
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Figures are medians and typical costs from Job Bank, Statistics Canada, provincial wage surveys and institution fee pages, verified in 2026; the data page lists every source. Your own numbers will differ by employer, region and overtime.