The University of Alberta (U of A), located in Edmonton, is a leading Canadian research university with about 40,000 students. Admissions are competitive, with an acceptance rate around 58%. It is well-regarded for Engineering, Energy Studies, Agriculture, Medicine, and Artificial Intelligence. The graduation rate is about 76%, and graduates report average starting salaries of CAD 55,000–60,000 (INR 34–37 lakhs) annually.
The University of British Columbia (UBC), with campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna, is consistently ranked among the world’s top universities. It enrolls more than 68,000 students. UBC has a selective admission rate of about 54% and is especially strong in Life Sciences, Business, Engineering, Computer Science, and Environmental Studies. The graduation rate is around 82%, with alumni earning average starting salaries of CAD 60,000–65,000 (INR 37–40 lakhs) annually.
| University of Alberta | The University of British Columbia | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 5.7 Out of 10 | 6.7 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 94 QS World University 2026 # 119 Times Higher Education 2026 # 81 Center for World University Rankings 2025 | # 40 QS World University 2026 # 45 Times Higher Education 2026 # 38 QS World University 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 88 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2025 # 86 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 126 for Law by Times Higher Education 2025 | # 31 for Engineering by QS World University 2025 # 23 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025 # 38 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -67 PG Programs -63 Doctorate Programs -8 | UG Programs -79 PG Programs -101 Doctorate Programs -3 |
| Acceptance Rate | 58.0 % | 54.0 % |
| Exam Score | Duolingo-120 GMAT-550 IELTS-6.5 PTE-61 TOEFL-90 | IELTS-6.5 PTE-65 TOEFL-90 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 22125 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 29772 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 19344 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 46295 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 9500 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 21936 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Graduate employability Ranks QS: #99 It is ranked #110 in QS World University Rankings 2023.
| 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 |
| Campuses and B-Schools | School of Business, University of Alberta | Sauder School of Business The University of British Columbia, Okanagan |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.4/10 Read 21 reviews | 7.1/10 Read 106 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 101 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 # 149 for Business by QS World University 2025 | # 29 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 # 49 for Business by QS World University 2025 |
| application | - | # 99 Admissions |
| exam scores | Duolingo - 120/160GMAT - 550/800IELTS - 7.0/9PTE - 68/90TOEFL - 100/120 | IELTS - 7.0/9PTE - 70/90TOEFL - 100/120 |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -110375 | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) - |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Mar 1, 2026 (Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) | Mar 24, 2025 (Supporting Documents Deadline Foe 2026 Intake) Jan 9, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) Mar 10, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline for 2026 Intake) Jun 30, 2026 (Official Documents Submission Deadline For 2025 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | University of Alberta | The University of British Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1908 | 1908 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 9:1:1 | :1 |
| Male:Female | 45% Male, 0% Female | 0% Male, 0% Female |
| Location Facts | Six campuses, with main (north campus) located on the edge of North Saskatechwan river. | Two campuses: Vancouver and Okanagan; Vancouver is the main campus located at the western tip of Point Grey Peninsula. |
| Library | Eight million volumes | More than 7 million printed books, over 2.1 million ebooks, 5.3 million microforms, and 923000 other multimedia materials. |
| Campus Life | Aboriginal Peoples Network, BearsDen (online student community), Fraternities and Sororities, Graduate Students' Association, Peer Support Centre, Sport Clubs, Student Music Ensembles, Students' Union, and Volunteer Opportunities | 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 | #Housing - $14844 | #Rent (Housing / Accommodation) - $16536 #Food - $5400 |
| Famous Alumni | One Nobel laureate, four justice of supreme court, and 68 Rhodes scholars | 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). |
| City Life | The capital of Alberta, Edmonton has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada | Vancouver itself serves 7.5% of Canada’s economy. Due to its prosperity, the freshers get good opportunities across Vancouver. The GDP is around 137 billion CAD. Some of the highly popular industries located in Vancouver are tourism, technology, housing and construction. |
| Weather |
University of Alberta vs University of British Columbia
Topic Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
The University of British Columbia (UBC) ranks consistently higher than the University of Alberta (UAlberta) in the world. In QS World University Rankings 2026, UBC is ranked approximately 40 worldwide, whereas UAlberta ranks approximately 94. UBC has top programs in Forestry, Environmental Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Business, and Life Sciences, frequently among the best programs worldwide. UAlberta is particularly renowned in Energy, Petroleum Engineering, Earth Sciences, Health Sciences, and AI research, with an excellent international reputation in applied research.
General Information
UBC, established in 1908 with Vancouver and Kelowna (Okanagan) campuses, is one of Canada's highest ranked and largest universities, with ~72,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. UAlberta, established in 1908 in Edmonton, Alberta, has ~44,000 students and is a top-ranked Canadian research university and key regional player in the province of Alberta with global partnerships in energy and health sciences.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
Both universities' admissions are competitive. UBC's overall acceptance rate is 54%, but highly selective in Engineering, Computer Science, and Commerce (Sauder School of Business). UAlberta's acceptance rate is 58%, being selective for schools such as Engineering, Medicine, and Business. Both universities' international admissions are competitive, with UBC being able to attract a higher proportion of international applicants.
Research Impact & Facilities
Both are U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities members and Carnegie-classified research-intensive. UBC is world-leader-ranked in climate science, sustainability, computer science, and health research and has many international labs. UAlberta is a world leader in energy, AI (where there is the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute), agriculture, and medical sciences with solid government and industry linkages.
Cost & Financial Aid
Both schools are public, with lower costs for Canadian citizens and higher costs for international students. UBC is more costly because it is located in Vancouver, whereas UAlberta is less expensive in Edmonton. Both offer research funding, need-based aid, and scholarships to graduate students.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
UBC alumni are widely known abroad in business, politics, research, and international organizations, owing to Vancouver being a global city with industry connections. UAlberta alumni are prominent in engineering, energy, healthcare, research, and government, with high placement in Alberta's energy industry and Canadian industry.
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