Hardest universities to get into in Canada

Canadian universities rarely publish an acceptance rate, and admission is decided program by program. So this list orders universities by how many of their programs typically need an average of about 90% or higher, then by their typical program average.

Several programs at 90%+

  1. University of Waterloo 85–98% – 12 of 18 programs at about 90%+ · hardest: Computer Science
  2. University of Toronto 85–98% – 6 of 16 programs at about 90%+ · hardest: Engineering Science
  3. McGill University 82–94% – 3 of 14 programs at about 90%+ · hardest: Computer Science
  4. McMaster University 85–99% – 3 of 15 programs at about 90%+ · hardest: Health Sciences (BHSc)

One program at 90%+

  1. Queen's University 78–94% – 1 of 14 programs at about 90%+ · hardest: Commerce (Smith School)

No programs at 90%+

  1. Ontario Tech University 85–92% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–92%)
  2. Carleton University 82–92% – Hardest: Aerospace Engineering (85–92%)
  3. Dalhousie University 82–92% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–92%)
  4. Université de Montréal 82–92% – Hardest: Computer Science (DIRO) (85–92%)
  5. University of Alberta 82–92% – Hardest: Pharmacy (BSc Pharm) (85–92%)
  6. University of Guelph 82–92% – Hardest: Biomedical Sciences (85–92%)
  7. University of Manitoba 82–92% – Hardest: Nursing (BN) (85–92%)
  8. Toronto Metropolitan University 78–92% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–92%)
  9. University of Calgary 78–92% – Hardest: Nursing (BN) (85–92%)
  10. University of Ottawa 78–92% – Hardest: Software Engineering (85–92%)
  11. Western University 78–92% – Hardest: Ivey HBA (Business) (85–92%)
  12. Wilfrid Laurier University 78–92% – Hardest: Business & Computing (BBA/CS) (85–92%)
  13. University of British Columbia 82–92% – Hardest: Computer Science (85–92%)
  14. University of Victoria 82–92% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–92%)
  15. York University 78–92% – Hardest: BBA / iBBA (Schulich) (85–92%)
  16. Acadia University 82–89% – Hardest: Computer Science (85–89%)
  17. Memorial University of Newfoundland 82–89% – Hardest: Ocean & Naval Arch. Engineering (85–89%)
  18. Simon Fraser University 82–89% – Hardest: Computing Science (85–89%)
  19. Université Laval 82–89% – Hardest: Architecture (85–89%)
  20. University of New Brunswick 82–89% – Hardest: Civil Engineering (85–89%)
  21. University of Saskatchewan 82–89% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–89%)
  22. Brock University 78–89% – Hardest: Kinesiology (85–89%)
  23. University of Windsor 78–89% – Hardest: Computer Science (85–89%)
  24. Bishop's University 82–89% – Hardest: Business Administration (82–89%)
  25. MacEwan University 82–89% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–89%)
  26. Mount Allison University 82–89% – Hardest: Sciences (BSc) (85–89%)
  27. Mount Royal University 82–89% – Hardest: Nursing (BN) (85–89%)
  28. St. Francis Xavier University 82–89% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–89%)
  29. Thompson Rivers University 82–89% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–89%)
  30. University of Northern BC 82–89% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–89%)
  31. University of Prince Edward Island 82–89% – Hardest: Nursing (BScN) (85–89%)
  32. University of Regina 82–89% – Hardest: Engineering (various) (85–89%)
  33. University of Winnipeg 82–89% – Hardest: Criminal Justice (82–89%)
  34. Concordia University 78–89% – Hardest: Computer Science (85–89%)

How this list is built

Averages are the typical ranges we list on each program page, converted to percentages. They are estimates for planning, they change every cycle, and several programs also weigh a supplementary application. Programs most students enter after some university study (medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, law, pharmacy and teacher education) are left out, as are programs admitted by audition.

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