University Canada West is a for-profit, private university situated in Vancouver's downtown area, with two city campus sites: Vancouver House and West Pender. It is a small university, with around 14,485 students, among whom the student body has an extensive international population from more than 110 nations. Admissions are fairly selective, with around 80% acceptance rate. Business Communication, Commerce, and MBA programs are among the most popular majors with a focus on career-oriented education. Graduation rate is approximated at 65–70%, and UCW MBA alumni receive a median salary of about INR 32,93,000 (from CAD 55,000 per annum).
University of British Columbia is one of the top public research universities located in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a second campus in Okanagan. It is a large university with over 60,000 students, including an active international student body. Admission is competitive, with an overall acceptance rate of approximately 52.4%, which varies by program. UBC provides an extensive range of majors such as Engineering, Life Sciences, Business, Law, Arts, and Environmental Studies. The graduation rate within six years stands at 82.4%, and UBC alumni receive a median entry-level salary of around INR 41,91,000 (from CAD 70,000 per annum).
University Canada West | The University of British Columbia | |
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Programs | UG Programs -3 PG Programs -2 | UG Programs -79 PG Programs -101 Doctorate Programs -3 |
Acceptance Rate | 80.0 % | 54.0 % |
Exam Score | IELTS-6.5 PTE-61 TOEFL-88 | GMAT-550 IELTS-6.5 PTE-65 TOEFL-90 |
Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 73034 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 71809 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 2600 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 46295 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 9500 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 29650 Per Year |
placement (average package) |
| Top recruiters at UBC were Deloitte, P&G, Labatt, Netsle, Telus, GE Healthcare, etc. Base salaries offered were around $160,000 for Executive MBA,$91,000 for Master in Finance, $80,000 for MBA,$68,000 for Other Degrees,$67,000 for Master Of Science,$68,000 for Master Of Arts |
application requirements | Submit official transcripts of all previous education completed. Submit English language proficiency test scores. Submit program specific requirements. | Core subject requirements like Maths, Science, Language. |
Campuses and B-Schools | NA | Sauder School of Business The University of British Columbia, Okanagan |
CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.0/10 Read 11 reviews | 7.1/10 Read 106 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
exam scores | Duolingo - 115/160IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 61/90TOEFL - 88/120 | GMAT - 550/800GRE - 330/340IELTS - 7.0/9PTE - 65/90TOEFL - 100/120 |
cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -71809 | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) - |
documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
application dates | Nov 18, 2025 (Application Deadline For Winter 2026 Intake) Jan 9, 2026 (New Student Orientation For Winter 2026 Intake) | Mar 11, 2025 (Round 3 Application Deadline For 2025 Intake) Mar 25, 2025 (Supporting Documents Submission Deadline For 2025 Intake) Apr 25, 2025 (Admission Decision for Round 3 2025 Intake) Jun 30, 2025 (Official Documents Submission Deadline For 2025 Intake) Sep 3, 2025 (Early Bird Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) Oct 15, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) Dec 6, 2025 (Admission Decision for Round 1 2026 Intake) Jan 15, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) Mar 7, 2026 (Admission Decision for Round 2 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
General Facts | University Canada West | The University of British Columbia |
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Type of University | University | University |
Established | 2004 | 1908 |
Student:Faculty Ratio | 12:1:1 | 11:1 |
Male:Female | 67% Male, 33% Female | 46% Male, 54% Female |
Location Facts | University Canada West has two easily accessible campuses in downtown Vancouver. The stunning new Vancouver House Campus, located at 1461 Granville St. and West Pender Campus, located at 626 West Pender St. in the historic London Building. The new campus at Vancouver House is in one of the highest-profile developments in Vancouver’s recent history. The campus includes more than 90,000 square feet of space in two of the podium buildings in the iconic Vancouver House development, a globally recognized project designed by architect Bjarke Ingels of BIG. Vancouver House is in the Beach District, Vancouver’s newest neighbourhood, and is near Granville Island, Sunset Beach, English Bay and Vancouver’s 28-kilometre seawall, the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path. | Two campuses: Vancouver and Okanagan; Vancouver is the main campus located at the western tip of Point Grey Peninsula. |
Library | With locations at both the West Pender and Vancouver House campuses, University Canada West’s Library is where members of the UCW community advance their research and scholarship skills and gain access to reliable, exclusive industry-relevant information. University Canada West’s Library Portal connects users to over 30 million full text scholarly journals, over 60 million periodicals, news and trade publications, close to 25,000 business case studies, 200,000 e-books, and much more, including company profiles, economic country reports and SWOT analyses. | More than 7 million printed books, over 2.1 million ebooks, 5.3 million microforms, and 923000 other multimedia materials. |
Campus Life |
| The campus has Astronomy Club, Beads and Craft Club, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (Great Wall Club), Food Society, Photographic Society, Red Cross International, Ski and Board Club and Vancouver Student Entrepreneurship Association. |
Hostel | #Monthly Rent - $2000 | #Shared Room - $4855 #Connected Single Room - $5712 #Single Room - $6133 #One Bedroom Apartment - $6452 |
Famous Alumni |
| Justin Trudeau (PM of Canada), Rick Hansen (Paralympic athlete), Kim Campbell (Former PM of Canada), Evangeline Lilly (Actress), William Gibson (Fiction writer), and Albert Bandura (Psychologist). |
Weather |
University Canada West vs University of British Columbia
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Canadian top-tier public research university, ranked #38 globally in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with strong performance in subjects such as Engineering, Life Sciences, Environmental Studies, Law, and Business. University Canada West (UCW), a private business school, is not in the global top 500 but has a QS 5-Star rating in teaching and employability. UCW is known for its career-directed business courses, such as its MBA, Bachelor of Commerce, and Business Communication.
UBC excels in research-intensive fields and ranks within the world's top 50 consistently in Computer Science, Medicine, and Arts & Humanities. UCW, being not so research-intensive, has garnered recognition in business studies, with top placements at the 2023 BC MBA Games and 2024 National MBA Games.
General Information
UBC, formed in 1908, is a big public university with more than 60,000 students on its Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. It provides a wide range of academic offerings at undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. UCW, a for-profit, private university formed in 2004, has two campuses in downtown Vancouver with a student body of approximately 14,485, including students from 110+ nations. UCW focuses on small class sizes, curriculum aligned with industry, and flexible learning options such as online courses.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
UCW has a moderately high acceptance rate of 80%, so it is open to many international students. Admissions are based on academic preparedness and work experience, particularly for its MBA program, which demands a GPA of 3.0, 3 years of work experience, and IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. UBC is very selective, with an acceptance rate of approximately 52.4%, with some variation between programs. Competition-based programs such as Engineering, Commerce, and Law call for solid academic background and standardized test performance. UBC also provides co-op programs, research work placements, and honors streams.
Research Impact & Facilities
UBC is a Carnegie R1-level research university with world-class facilities such as the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, Sauder School of Business, Koerner Library, and cutting-edge engineering and medicine labs. It is one of the top schools in the world for research production and innovation.
UCW, though not research-focused, has developed applied research activities, especially in business and technology, through its Office of Research & Scholarship and Centre for Advanced Studies. UCW was ranked #1 Canadian private institution in Scopus-indexed publications in 2024, demonstrating its increasing scholarly presence.
Cost & Financial Aid
UCW takes CAD 42,380–89,000 for undergraduate studies and CAD 43,275–46,095 for its MBA7. It has scholarships, advance payment discounts, and government loans available for deserving students. UBC charges differently: CAD 5,506/year for home students and CAD 45,000+/year for abroad students, based on the program. UBC offers generous financial aid, such as merit scholarships, need grants, and work-study programs.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
UCW has a 96% MBA graduate employment rate and 92% undergraduate employment rate, with employers including Amazon, Google, SAP, and Apple. The average salary for an MBA graduate is between CAD 55,000 and CAD 150,000, based on industry and experience.
UBC alumni are recognized internationally in academia, government, technology, and healthcare, with robust networks in Silicon Valley, global diplomacy, and entrepreneurship. UBC's co-op and research programs make its graduates exceptionally career-ready, with their graduates consistently being some of Canada's highest earners.