Three RoutesGuides · 5 min read · updated 2 November 2026
Ontario college application guide for September 2027
The dates, the fee, the programs with a hard deadline, and how to avoid finishing Grade 12 with nothing confirmed.
Short answer: Ontario colleges use one application at ontariocolleges.ca, not OUAC. It opened September 26, 2026 for September 2027 programs. The fee is $150 for up to five program choices (no more than three at one college). Apply by February 1, 2027 to be considered equally with everyone else; for highly competitive programs such as nursing, paramedic and dental hygiene, February 1 is a hard deadline. Offers can start November 1, 2026 and most must be accepted by May 1, 2027.
The dates that matter for September 2027
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| September 26, 2026 | The application for programs starting in the 2027-28 year opened at ontariocolleges.ca. Your school sends your marks automatically once you link your Ontario Education Number. |
| November 1, 2026 | The earliest date a college may send an offer, and the earliest date you can accept one. Offers keep going out until a program is full or has a waitlist. |
| November 19, 2026 | Your school's deadline to send first-semester midterm marks. Early offers are often based on these. |
| February 1, 2027 | Equal consideration date. Every application received and paid for by this date is assessed together. For highly competitive programs this is the final deadline. |
| February 12, 2027 | First-semester final marks go to the colleges. Highly competitive programs rank applicants on these and send offers from late February. |
| April 23, 2027 | Second-semester midterm marks go in. Conditional offers are checked against these. |
| May 1, 2027 | The most common deadline to accept an offer. Offers made after this date carry their own deadline, printed in the offer. |
| June 2027 | Colleges may ask for a tuition deposit to hold your seat. Each college sets the amount and the date. |
| July 2, 2027 | Final marks and proof of graduation go to the colleges. Conditional offers are confirmed or withdrawn on these. |
Dates from ontariocolleges.ca and the OCAS high school calendar for Fall 2027. Universities run a separate system, OUAC, with a January 15 deadline; see the OUAC guide.
What the $150 buys
One fee, up to five program choices, at any of Ontario's 24 public colleges, with a limit of three choices at any one college. All five must start in the same academic year (August to July). You can change your choices as often as you like at no extra charge, but a choice added after February 1 is handled first come, first served, so decide before then. The fee is not refundable, there are no exemptions, and there is a $5 transcript processing fee on top. The fee went from $125 to $150 in September 2024.
What equal consideration actually means
Most college programs are not ranked by marks. If you meet the admission requirements (an OSSD with Grade 12 English at the C or U level, plus any program-specific courses) and you apply by February 1, you are considered alongside everyone else and will usually get an offer. After February 1, open programs take applicants in the order they arrive until the seats are gone, which can be well into the summer for many programs and within weeks for popular ones.
Highly competitive programs are the exception. These are programs where more qualified people apply than there are seats: practical nursing, BScN, paramedic, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, veterinary technician, massage therapy and a few others, depending on the college. For these, the college waits until February 1, ranks everyone who met the deadline (by marks in the required courses, an assessment score, or both), makes offers to the top of the list from late February, and puts the rest on a waitlist. Applying on February 2 means you are not in the ranking at all. Each college flags these programs on its program page; Conestoga, for example, also limits its oversubscribed programs to Ontario residents.
Six common programs with the same columns
| Program | Length | Cost to the credential | Earnings at start | Earnings at year 5 | Demand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical nursing (RPN) | 2 years | $9,900 | $49,000 | $60,000 | High |
| Paramedic | 2 years | $17,500 | $60,000 | $82,000 | High |
| Dental hygiene | 3 years | $30,000 | $64,000 | $86,000 | High |
| Civil engineering technology | 3 years | $13,500 | $43,000 | $63,500 | Steady |
| Business administration | 3 years | $14,000 | $45,000 | $58,000 | Steady |
| Early childhood education | 2 years | $9,500 | $34,000 | $43,000 | High |
Ontario figures from the pathway pages: tuition plus mandatory fees from 2026-27 college fee pages, wages from Job Bank (November 2025). Living costs are extra. Practical nursing, paramedic and dental hygiene are highly competitive at most colleges.
Offers, conditions and waitlists
- Accepting. Log in, open View Offers, click Accept. You can hold only one accepted offer at a time, but you can switch to a different offer as long as it has not expired; the first college is told you declined.
- Conditional offers. Most Grade 12 offers are conditional on graduating and on final marks in the required courses. Miss a condition and the college can withdraw the offer in July, so the second semester still counts.
- Waitlist. A waitlist offer means you qualify but the program is full. You get in only if someone ahead of you declines. Accept a real offer elsewhere while you wait; you can switch later if the waitlist comes through.
- Missed May 1. You may lose the seat. Phone the college; if the program is still open they can repost the offer with a new date.
The honest downsides
Ontario colleges are shrinking. Colleges Ontario said in December 2025 that about 600 programs had been suspended and more than 8,000 positions cut since the federal cap on international students, and several colleges have announced more suspensions for 2026 and 2027. A program listed in October can be suspended before September, usually with notice and an offer to transfer your application. Apply to more than one college for the same program, and prefer colleges that have not announced suspensions in your field. The second downside is the waitlist trap: students who only apply to highly competitive programs can finish Grade 12 with nothing confirmed. Put one program you would be happy with, and that is not competitive, among your five choices.
Before you pay the fee
Put your top college choice next to a trade and a degree with the same columns. A practical nursing diploma is about $9,900 over two years and starts around $49,000; the BScN degree is $36,000 over four years and starts around $75,000; an electrician apprenticeship is paid from month one with about $2,000 in school costs. None is the right answer for everyone, and the quiz below ranks them for your marks, budget and timeline.
Quick answers
When is the deadline to apply to Ontario colleges for September 2027?
February 1, 2027 is the equal consideration date. Apply by then to be assessed with everyone else. For highly competitive programs such as nursing, paramedic and dental hygiene it is a firm deadline; most other programs stay open after it, first come, first served, until they fill.
How much does it cost to apply to college in Ontario?
$150, not refundable, for up to five program choices with no more than three at one college, plus a $5 transcript fee. The fee rose from $125 in September 2024.
When do Ontario colleges send offers?
From November 1, 2026 for most programs, based on your Grade 11 marks and first-semester midterms. Highly competitive programs rank everyone after February 1 and send offers from late February. Most offers must be accepted by May 1, 2027.
What is a highly competitive program?
A program with more qualified applicants than seats. The college ranks everyone who applied by February 1, using marks in the required courses or an assessment, offers the top of the list and waitlists the rest. Applications after February 1 are not considered.
Can I apply to both college and university?
Yes, and many students do. Universities use OUAC (deadline January 15, 2027); colleges use ontariocolleges.ca (February 1, 2027). The two fees are separate, and you can hold one accepted offer on each system until you decide.
See your own three options
Seven questions, five minutes, no sign-up. The same numbers as this page, ranked for your answers.
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.