Top Public Universities/Colleges in Canada - Popular Programs & Acceptance Rate
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Bhargavi Ram's profile photo

Bhargavi Ram

Updated 3+ months ago

International students are well aware that there are a considerable number of best public universities in Canada. Pursuing one’s education from a public university has its own pros and cons. The cultural diversity, array of courses and disciplines to choose from, affordability, higher acceptance rate and international recognition are some of the reasons why students opt for public universities. The slight drawback that the students face is the faculty-to-student ratio as it is usually more than 1:300 in most of the courses because of the huge student population. Some of the best public universities in Canada:

  1. University of Toronto: Known for its state-of-the-art research facilities and diverse programs the university is considered to be one of the best public universities in Canada. They offer more than 180 programs under Bachelor’s, Master’s and research programs. The annual tuition fee is around INR 35 Lakhs. 
  2. University of British Columbia: renowned for its beautiful campus and globally recognised course curriculum the university offers an array of courses starting from Engineering, Science, Humanities, Law and many more.
  3. McGill University - Located in Montreal offers strong research programs in arts and science and is established for its achievements in the same. The main admission criteria here are based on one’s academic achievements rather than the recommendations or extracurricular achievements.
  4. The University of Alberta - founded in the year 1908 is famous for its research strengths in energy, environment, health, and artificial intelligence. With an above 60% acceptance rate the university. The university has exceptional professors who are experts in their field with industrial experience.
  5. University of Waterloo ranks #1 in Canada for its industrial connection and experiential learning. The campus spanning over 1000 acres has hundreds of buildings which is a place for extraordinary facilities including state-of-the-art laboratories research facilities, libraries and many more. The university is easily accessible and is in a prime location which plays a key role in securing high-paying jobs.
  6. Western University is considered to be one of the best public universities in Canada because of its strong reputation in the fields of business, health sciences and social sciences. With an annual tuition fee of around INR 23 lakhs, the living expenses are under INR 5 Lakhs.
  7. Queen's University - is a public research university that was established in 1841 and accepts a large chunk of international students. Students are expected to hold satisfactory scores in their previous education. The university promises to be a worthy investment with high returns.
  8. Simon Fraser University - is known for its co-op education programs and strengths in communication, business, and environmental science. With three campuses at Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver the university offers an array of courses. The cost of attendance at SFU for international students is around INR 10 Lakhs.
  9. The University of Ottawa - is the largest bilingual university in Canada and is recognized as one of the best public universities in Canada for its law, health sciences, and social sciences programs.
  10. The University of Calgary is renowned for its research expertise in the fields of energy, environment, and biomedical engineering.

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Found 193 universities

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RankCollege InfoTuition Fees & living Cost(Avg.)Top CoursesRanking & Reviews
#1University of Toronto logo

University of Toronto, Toronto

Ontario, Canada43%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $39.8K/Yr (CA$56,025/Yr)Living$9.6K/Yr (CA$13,491/Yr)Admission MS Computer ScienceTOEFL93$26K/Yr
CA$36,650
Course duration: 2 years
178+ More Programs
9.0/10(81 Users)Ranked 21 by THE in 2026Ranked 29 by QS in 2026
#2McGill University logo

McGill University, Montreal

Quebec, Canada46%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $28.3K/Yr (CA$39,878/Yr)Living$621.25/Yr (CA$875/Yr)Admission MS Computer ScienceIELTS6.5$22.2K/Yr
CA$31,269
Course duration: 2 years
126+ More Programs
5.7/10(25 Users)Ranked 41 by THE in 2026Ranked 27 by QS in 2026
#3The University of British Columbia logo

The University of British Columbia, Vancouver

British Columbia, Canada54%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $26.2K/Yr (CA$36,852/Yr)Living$11.7K/Yr (CA$16,536/Yr)Admission MS Computer ScienceIELTS6.5PTE65$7K/Yr
CA$9,883
Course duration: 2 years
182+ More Programs
7.0/10(106 Users)Ranked 45 by THE in 2026Ranked 40 by QS in 2026
#4McMaster University logo

McMaster University, Hamilton

Ontario, Canada59%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $31.1K/Yr (CA$43,847/Yr)Living$11K/Yr (CA$15,470/Yr)Admission MS Computer ScienceTOEFL88PTE70$8.1K/Yr
CA$11,398
Course duration: 2 years
121+ More Programs
8.3/10(29 Users)Ranked 116 by THE in 2026Ranked 173 by QS in 2026
#5University of Alberta logo

University of Alberta, Edmonton

Alberta, Canada58%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $19.1K/Yr (CA$26,846/Yr)Living$13.7K/Yr (CA$19,344/Yr)Admission MBAGMAT550TOEFL100PTE68$55.4K/Yr
CA$78,000
Course duration: 20 months
137+ More Programs
10.0/10(21 Users)Ranked 119 by THE in 2026Ranked 94 by QS in 2026
#6University of Montreal logo

University of Montreal, Montreal

Quebec, Canada57%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $17.8K/Yr (CA$25,087/Yr)Living$8.5K/Yr (CA$12,000/Yr)Admission MS Computer Science$22.2K/Yr
CA$31,204
Course duration: 2 years
116+ More Programs
8.2/10(15 Users)Ranked 150 by THE in 2026Ranked 168 by QS in 2026
#7University of Waterloo logo

University of Waterloo, Waterloo

Ontario, Canada53%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $33.5K/Yr (CA$47,155/Yr)Living$11.4K/Yr (CA$16,020/Yr)Admission MMath Computer ScienceTOEFL93$16.4K/Yr
CA$23,088
Course duration: 2 years
82+ More Programs
9.7/10(58 Users)Ranked 162 by THE in 2026Ranked 119 by QS in 2026
#8University of Ottawa logo

University of Ottawa, Ottawa

Ontario, Canada80%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $18.1K/Yr (CA$25,536/Yr)Living$11.2K/Yr (CA$15,758/Yr)Admission MCSDuolingo120IELTS7PTE60$12.3K/Yr
CA$17,329
Course duration: 2 years
130+ More Programs
8.0/10(38 Users)Ranked 187 by THE in 2026Ranked 219 by QS in 2026
#9University of Calgary logo

University of Calgary, Calgary

Alberta, Canada55%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $20.8K/Yr (CA$29,331/Yr)Living$11.4K/Yr (CA$16,119/Yr)Admission MBAGMAT550IELTS7PTE68$62.1K/Yr
CA$87,449
Course duration: 2 years
134+ More Programs
6.2/10(33 Users)Ranked 200 by THE in 2026Ranked 211 by QS in 2026
#10Western University logo

Western University, London

Ontario, Canada58%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $31.6K/Yr (CA$44,495/Yr)Living$13.1K/Yr (CA$18,400/Yr)Admission MBADuolingo125TOEFL92$94.4K/Yr
CA$132,994
Course duration: 1 year
97+ More Programs
8.3/10(25 Users)Ranked 201 by THE in 2026Ranked 151 by QS in 2026
#11Queen's University logo

Queen's University, Kingston

Ontario, Canada42%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $25.8K/Yr (CA$36,278/Yr)Admission MS Computing ScienceTOEFL88$9.2K/Yr
CA$12,927
Course duration: 2 years
119+ More Programs
9.3/10(24 Users)Ranked 301 by THE in 2026Ranked 191 by QS in 2026
#12Simon Fraser University logo

Simon Fraser University, Burnaby

British Columbia, Canada59%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $16.9K/Yr (CA$23,783/Yr)Living$11.4K/Yr (CA$16,002/Yr)Admission MS Computing ScienceDuolingo125TOEFL90PTE65$4.6K/Yr
CA$6,449
Course duration: 2 years
95+ More Programs
7.5/10(13 Users)Ranked 301 by THE in 2026Ranked 308 by QS in 2026
#13University of Victoria logo

University of Victoria, Victoria

British Columbia, Canada63%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $14.5K/Yr (CA$20,460/Yr)Living$6.9K/Yr (CA$9,653/Yr)Admission MBATOEFL90PTE65$16.9K/Yr
CA$23,781
Course duration: 2 years
114+ More Programs
9.3/10(10 Users)Ranked 301 by THE in 2026Ranked 358 by QS in 2026
#14Brescia University College logo

Brescia University College, London

Ontario, Canada47%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $20.7K/Yr (CA$29,219/Yr)Living$8.9K/Yr (CA$12,535/Yr)Admission M.S Food and NutritionTOEFL83$14.4K/Yr
CA$20,250
Course duration: 2 years
15+ More Programs
Ranked 351 by THE in 2026Ranked 650 by QS in 2026
#15Dalhousie University logo

Dalhousie University, Halifax

Nova Scotia, Canada78%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $15.7K/Yr (CA$22,077/Yr)Living$11.7K/Yr (CA$16,448/Yr)Admission MS Applied Computer ScienceTOEFL92PTE65$7.9K/Yr
CA$11,081
Course duration: 16 months
124+ More Programs
6.3/10(20 Users)Ranked 351 by THE in 2026Ranked 283 by QS in 2026
#16University of Saskatchewan logo

University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon

Saskatchewan, Canada72.3%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $18.3K/Yr (CA$25,774/Yr)Living$14.2K/Yr (CA$20,065/Yr)Admission MPHDuolingo120IELTS6.5PTE63$13.5K/Yr
CA$19,018
Course duration: 2 years
117+ More Programs
7.0/10(12 Users)Ranked 351 by THE in 2026Ranked 378 by QS in 2026
#17Laval University logo

Laval University, Quebec City

Quebec, Canada59%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $15.9K/Yr (CA$22,351/Yr)Admission MBA Pharmaceutical ManagementTOEFL79$15.7K/Yr
CA$22,066
Course duration: 2 years
325+ More Programs
Ranked 401 by THE in 2026Ranked 469 by QS in 2026
#18University of Guelph logo

University of Guelph, Guelph

Ontario, Canada66%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $24.2K/Yr (CA$34,016/Yr)Living$2.2K/Yr (CA$3,070/Yr)Admission MPHDuolingo120IELTS6.5PTE60$23.9K/Yr
CA$33,600
Course duration: 30 months
84+ More Programs
4.0/10(25 Users)Ranked 401 by THE in 2026Ranked 504 by QS in 2026
#19York University logo

York University, Toronto

Ontario, Canada48%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $27.6K/Yr (CA$38,896/Yr)Living$12K/Yr (CA$16,865/Yr)Admission MBATOEFL100$88K/Yr
CA$123,928
Course duration: 8 months
105+ More Programs
6.2/10(41 Users)Ranked 401 by THE in 2026Ranked 333 by QS in 2026
#20Carleton University logo

Carleton University, Ottawa

Ontario, Canada22%Acceptance Rate
Tuition:  $24K/Yr (CA$33,842/Yr)Living$9.2K/Yr (CA$12,907/Yr)Admission MCSTOEFL86PTE60$18.9K/Yr
CA$26,641
Course duration: 2 years
101+ More Programs
6.3/10(25 Users)Ranked 501 by THE in 2026Ranked 781 by QS in 2026