University Canada West Vs University of British Columbia

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).

Overview Comparison
University Canada WestThe University of British Columbia
ProgramsUG Programs -3
PG Programs -2
UG Programs -79
PG Programs -101
Doctorate Programs -3
Acceptance Rate80.0 %54.0 %
Exam ScoreIELTS-6.5
PTE-61
TOEFL-88
GMAT-550
IELTS-6.5
PTE-65
TOEFL-90
Cost to StudyAverage 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)
  • The university offers multiple placement assistance to its students to ensure they get the best opportunities in all majors. In addition, the university's placement rate is around 85%.
  • University Canada West  provides resume building, mock interviews, recruiters meetings and other facilities to all its students. 
  • Many international companies, Apple, Nestle, SAP, Siemens, etc., hire students of university canada west for various positions.
  • The average salary of University Canada West graduates is around 50,000 CAD.

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. 
Other subjects may be requried at the basic level depending upon the choice of program

Campuses and B-SchoolsNASauder School of Business
The University of British Columbia, Okanagan
CollegeDunia Reviews7.0/10 Read 11 reviews7.1/10 Read 106 reviews

Top Courses Comparison

Top Courses Comparison

exam scoresDuolingo - 115/160IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 61/90TOEFL - 88/120GMAT - 550/800GRE - 330/340IELTS - 7.0/9PTE - 65/90TOEFL - 100/120
cost to studyTotal Cost (Tuition + Living) -71809Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -
documents required#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose
application datesNov 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)
General Facts Comparison
General FactsUniversity Canada WestThe University of British Columbia
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established2004
1908
Student:Faculty Ratio12:1:1
11:1
Male:Female67% Male, 33% Female46% 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
  • University Canada West campus’s address is Vancouver and West Pender. Students can enjoy a high-tech and large UCW campus. The university has all the basic facilities on campus like highly advanced classrooms, practical labs, halls, study rooms, student lounge area, cafeteria, etc.
  • Students can use the library building with free internet connection. The library has over thousands of volumes, books, journals, reference books, and e-books related to commerce, arts, communication, management, etc. 
  • University Canada West campus has various learning centres and medical facilities that take care of students' medical needs.

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
  • Theo - auditor for the Real Estate Council of British Columbia (RECBC)
  • Dr. Amanfi - chief technical officer of Empower ID.
  • Lindani - facility production assistant at Sony Pictures Imageworks.
  • Jacky - one of the largest privately owned logistics companies in Canada.

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
Comparison Notes

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.