Edmonton, one of Canada’s biggest education hubs is also home to some of the world’s top-ranked universities and colleges. Situated on the North Saskatchewan river, Edmonton is also the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta and a true pivot of global education.
Colleges in Edmonton are highly acclaimed for their academics, as well as research impact; the University of Alberta is ranked the fifth best university in Canada and accounts for five per cent of the annual GDP of the city.
Here’s what we’re looking at today…
Colleges in Edmonton have become the popular choice of international students from all around the world because of the top-quality education, diverse courses, path-breaking research outcomes and affordable cost of living.
Edmonton Canada is one of the most popular cities in Canada for top-notch education; known for their academic and teaching excellence, the city is home to some of the best universities in Canada. University of Alberta, MacEwan University, Concordia University of Edmonton and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology are a few well-acclaimed universities in Canada.
Courses are offered in almost all the academic areas in the universities and schools of Edmonton. Engineering, IT, business studies, Law, Environmental science and commerce are few of the top areas of study in the popular universities of Edmonton.
The city is also popular for engineering degrees in different fields, and most of the universities are research-based universities where teaching goes hand in hand with research.
“Holistic education and shaping the future through advanced research” has always been the motto of the institutions in Edmonton. The University of Alberta is the home to leading experts in established and emerging fields like artificial intelligence, health care, food safety and security, nanotechnology, energy, environment and earth’s resources, clean technology, smart technology, climate change and aerospace.
From 2020 to 2021, the university of Alberta saw 83 reports of inventions, 36 license/options executed, and 6 new spinoff companies created.
MacEwan University is also popular for its research services; nine MacEwan faculty members have received NSERC and SSHRC funding. The Concordia University of Edmonton has a special centre for science, research and innovation that is named after CUE’s first Chancellor and is a 30,000 ft2, $16.37 million facility.
The cost of education and living in Canada is really affordable compared to countries like the USA, UK or Australia, and Edmonton is one of the cheapest cities in Canada for international students.
International students typically spend lesser amounts on accommodation, travel, food and other miscellaneous expenses in Edmonton when compared to provinces like Ontario, Ottawa or Toronto.
Affordable and quality education has been the tagline of most of the universities in Canada. Tuition fees and cost of living in Canada are the cheapest for international students when compared to countries like the UK, USA or Australia, and this is why Canada has always been a popular choice for international students.
Even with the current housing crisis and the Canadian government’s decision to limit the number of student visas, Canada continues to be one of the sought after study destinations due to the quality of education and the costs involved.
Now let’s break this down further to see the tuition fee, application fee, living costs and study permit fee in Edmonton city, Canada. The following indicative figures will clearly show you the expenses you might incur while studying as an international student at a university in Edmonton.
The average undergraduate university education in Edmonton will cost about CA $20,000 to CA $ 45,000 for an academic year. This is much cheaper when compared to cities like Toronto, where the cost is CA$34,400, Vancouver -CA $36,000, and Montreal – CA $32,275.
For instance, if a student wants to do an undergraduate program at the University of Alberta, the average tuition fee will be between CA $28,000 – CA$45,000 per year, while at MacEwan University an undergraduate program will cost between CA $25000- CA $ 30500, depending on the program.
Each university will have different application fees, and the average application fees of the universities in Edmonton will range anywhere from CA $17 to CA $150.
A study permit is an important criterion for studying in Canada. Students can apply for a study permit after receiving the letter of acceptance from the university. This will cost CA $150 per person.
Cost of living: When you compare the living expenses, transportation, and food expenses in Edmonton with all the other cities in Canada, you can find a big difference in the price as the prices in Edmonton are relatively cheap and budget friendly.
Students can find cheap accommodation in Edmonton; the cost of university-offered accommodation is between CA$ 13,000-15,000 per year, including food. According to the University of Alberta estimator, the total annual cost of living typically ranges between $21,320 – $28,640 for a student.
Looking at the cost involved in studying in a global ed destination like Canada, students would always want to seek financial assistance and scholarships. This can be in the form of a student loan or a fellowship, or a scholarship.
The government, educational institutions, and private organisations generally offer financial assistance and scholarships for international students based on a few criteria, so now, let’s take a look at a few of the major scholarships that students can apply for while studying in Edmonton.
One of the major providers of scholarships is, of course, the government of Canada; as the country becomes one of the top destinations for global education, the government of Canada provides an entire range of scholarships to help international students. All these scholarships and the necessary details are listed on the official website of the Canadian Bureau of International Education.
All the top universities and colleges in Canada also offer a number of scholarships and other financial aid to help domestic and international students. These scholarships can be total or partial and offered in terms of merit or need basis. You can apply for these scholarships either with your application or after having secured admission.
Here are some of the top scholarships in different Edmonton colleges:
Disclaimer: This video reflects details and rankings from 2023
| University | Average Tuition Fee | Courses offered |
| University of Alberta | CA $28,000 – CA$ 45,000 | Engineering Arts Science Commerce Medicine |
| MacEwan University | CA$ 22,000 | Fine arts Health and community studies Liberal arts Nursing Business |
| The King’s University | CA $ 30,000 | Arts Science Commerce Business |
Established in 1908 in Edmonton, the University of Alberta is one of the most popular research institutions in Canada. The university has a total of 5 campuses and 18 faculties, with more than 40,000 students from over 156 countries.
This Public university is also ranked among the top five Canadian institutions for higher education and offers more than 500 graduate programs and 250 specialisations. The university has an acceptance rate of 58%, with 80% of the students pursuing undergraduate programs and the rest 20 % pursuing graduate programs and other specialisations.
Degrees from the University of Alberta possess high international recognition, which can provide the graduate student with a wide range of opportunities post-completion of the course. Many multinational companies are partnered with the placement cell of the university, and the university has a record of excellent post-study opportunities with an average salary of around CA $ 67,000 per annum.
Small classrooms with world-class instruction are another attraction of the university of Alberta; the university has a student-faculty ratio of 9:1, which is one of the best when compared to all the leading universities in Canada. The university is also one of Canada’s greenest employers since 2009.
Rank: The University of Alberta has been awarded the 87th position in the graduate employability ranking 2022 by the QS global world ranking. Currently, there are over 300,000 alumni of the university spread all around the world, and the annual revenue of the organisation funded by alumni is worth $348.5 billion.
The tuition fee at the University of Alberta will be between CA $28,000 – CA$ 45,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
The following are the general eligibility criteria of the university of Alberta :
University offers more than 500 programs in U.G. courses, and these are the disciplines that the courses are offered in :
Your application for this college happens online through the university website. The student will have to complete an online application at the official website by providing all the necessary documents along with the residence fees. Then the student will be asked to provide all the scores for standardised exams and language proficiency exams. Students can track their progress through the login account credentials.
Established in 1971 as Grant MacEwan community college, MacEwan university is a public-private partnership university. The university provides a transformative education in a creative, collaborative and supportive learning environment where creativity and innovation thrive. The university has a total enrolment of 18,300 students pursuing both full-time and part-time programs. The university offers 32 bachelor’s degree majors, ten bachelor’s programs, two applied degrees, and 43 diploma and certificate programmes. The university has been recognised with ACCC, AUCC, AACTI, CIS, CBIE, and CUP certifications.
Standing in the top 50% in more than 13 academic topics, MacEwan university is one of the top universities in the province of Alberta. The university provides on-campus work opportunities for international students while studying at the university, and also, the students can get an on-campus volunteering opportunity. The university gives prime importance to producing internationally recognised and scholarly research activities and enhanced teaching qualities.
The university has partner universities collaborating on research activities, study abroad opportunities, student awards and fund initiatives. The University of New England, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies are the top partnered educational institutions of MacEwan university. Presently there are more than 90 clubs under the Student Association of MacEwan University (SAMU), which focus on students’ holistic education.
MacEwan University provides special scholarships for students throughout the program year. There are many scholarships tailored for each course and the financial need of the student, and the university has provided financial aid of CA $ 8.4 million to more than 6,000 students.
The average fee at MacEwan University will be CA$ 22,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
The admission requirements are as follows:
Following are the disciplines in which the programs are offered at the university :
Students will have to fill out the online application form through the university’s official website. The university suggests applying at the earliest as admission turns competitive when the number of applicants exceeds the number of available seats. There will be an application fee of CA $ 110, which is to be remitted at the time of applying.
Established in 1979, King’s university is a private Canadian top university that offers bachelor’s degrees in different fields of study. For almost four decades, the university was one of the prominent Christian universities in Alberta. Presently there are students from over 16 countries who are part of the university. The university offers more than 600 courses in 37 disciplines and these programs are accredited by the Government of Alberta.
With an acceptance ratio of 70%, King’s university is a leading research university in the province of Alberta. The university offers all its programs at the undergraduate level and also offers a wide range of scholarships for international students. The Simona Maaskant Library at King’s university has over 75,000 physical materials and 200,000 electronic materials.10% of the students accepted in eh university are international students and the university has more than 7000 alumni from all around the world.
King’s university currently partners with more than 25 off-campus study programs in various locations, including the Au Sable Institute of environmental studies, Netherlandic study program, China studies, Russia studies, Middle East studies, Film studies and Uganda studies.
The average fee at King’s university is typically around CA $30,000 per year for international students, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
The following are the general eligibility to enroll at the university :
Following are the popular courses offered by the university :
Students can apply through the university’s online portal by paying an application fee of CA$ 100 or 140. The website will have all the necessary details and important dates for International students. Then you will be asked to submit all your documents, and then the final step will be notified through your email id if you are selected.
While the previous section covered the top universities in Edmonton, it is important to note that the term “colleges” and “universities” cannot be used interchangeably in Canada. A Canadian university is a larger educational institution with a higher education system geared towards academics and research. They award degrees such as bachelor’s, master’s and doctorates.
In contrast, a Canadian college has a narrower scope and takes on a more practical or application oriented approach to a discipline. Colleges typically offer diplomas at the undergraduate or graduate level, preparing their students to explore varied career opportunities. Some Canadian colleges have also been accredited to grant a bachelor’s degree.
That said, let us look at the list of colleges in Edmonton.
The city is also home to the Concordia University of Edmonton, which is not to be confused with the Concordia University in Montreal.
Colleges in Edmonton are well known for their quality education and research outputs; this has made Edmonton one of the most popular global ed destinations for international students. If you are preparing to study abroad and if you feel like the process is becoming overwhelming as there is a lot to plan and consider, you can get the best guidance and support from the team TC Global to get admission to the best college in Edmonton.
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