Simon Fraser University, Canada - Ranking, Reviews, Courses, Tuition Fees

Overview

About Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University (SFU) was established in 1965 and has grown to be acknowledged as a world leader in research, knowledge development, and sustainability. The university consistently ranks among Canada’s top research universities. SFU strives to equip its students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences that will help them face life in a challenging world.

SFU operates out of three vibrant campuses located in the three largest cities in British Columbia—Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver. The Burnaby campus is the oldest of the campuses, established in 1965, and is home to most of the university’s state-of-the-art academic and research infrastructure. The Vancouver campus, instituted in 1989, caters to the demands of working professionals. The Surrey campus was opened in 2002 and offers students cutting edge programs.

SFU is committed to mobilizing knowledge to drive innovations that impact its communities and society at large. On average, SFU researchers publish 2,900 journal articles per year, over 40 percent of which appear in journals that feature in the world's top 10 percent.

SFU provides students with opportunities to deepen learning beyond the classroom through undergraduate research. Working alongside experts, undergraduates gain practical experience while participating in discoveries and innovations that help address critical societal challenges.

SFU's Co-operative Education program enables students to incorporate professional work terms into their studies. By applying for opportunities in diverse workplace settings, students can develop skills and explore career interests while advancing their academic goals.

SFU is a globally engaged university that has academic partnerships with more than 120 universities, including many among the top 100 in the world. Through exchange programs at these universities along with SFU-led field schools, students can gain international experience while earning credit toward their degrees.

University Ranking

Academic Ranking of World Universities

2025 401 100

2024 301

2023 301

QS World University Rankings

2026 308 11

2025 319 1

2024 318

Times Higher Education World University Rankings

2026 301

2025 301 50

2024 251

Graduate outcomes

Research and career readiness go hand in hand at SFU, where students are encouraged to build a wide range of transferable skills and explore future pathways throughout their studies.

SFU’s career and volunteer services provide undergraduate students with career guidance to help them develop their career aspirations and strategies before completing their degree. The department offers interview training and job-seeking services, organizes networking events, and encourages students to make informed decisions about their future.

The university offers an impressive co-operative learning program, among the first in western Canada. It is available to all undergraduate students, empowering them to explore diverse career paths and gain valuable work experience with respected employers and organizations from across Canada and around the world. Participants benefit from gaining professional skills and the opportunity to earn income and fund their education while preparing themselves for post-graduation employment.

Students can work in areas ranging from software development and data analysis to marketing, animation, urban planning, and policy and research, exploring experiences across diverse industries in Canada and in countries such as China, India, Germany, Vietnam, Japan, and France.

Recent results from the Province of British Columbia's Student Outcomes Survey (2023-2025) reflect strong outcomes for SFU graduates. Among bachelor's degree graduates, 88 percent reported satisfaction with their experience and 90 percent rated the quality of instruction as good or very good. Employment outcomes were also strong, with 89 percent of employed respondents working full-time and 70 percent working in a field related to their academic program.

SFU’s network of over 200,000 alumni around the world maintains the university’s global presence and reputation for excellence. Current students may connect with the network for advice, professional insights, and career connections.

What's new

Research and innovation are core values around which SFU’s academic reputation has evolved.

The university has recently been recognised for its continued investment in these values, being named Canada's top university for innovation for the sixth time and is currently 14th globally according to the 2026 World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) rankings.

These ranking results highlight the strength of SFU’s impact within Canada and on the world stage and indicate the progressive approach to education for which the university is globally known.

SFU ranks among the top 1.9 percent of all universities and number 13 in Canada in the Centre for World University Rankings 2025. The university also performed well in the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, placing within the top 301-350 universities in the world. Its education, computer science, psychology, archaeology, anthropology, and communication & media studies programs rank among the best in Canada and the top 150 in the world.

The Times Higher Education 2026 World University Rankings ranked SFU as third in Canada for International Outlook. SFU also placed second in Canada for both Climate Action and Sustainable Cities and Communities and third in Canada for Affordable and Clean Energy in the Times Higher Education 2026 University Impact Rankings.

In 2025, the university opened the Gibson Art Gallery at the Burnaby campus to showcase its extensive art collection as well as the First Peoples’ Gathering House, a gathering place where Indigenous students, staff and faculty can come together to practice, learn and share in their cultural traditions. A major milestone for SFU’s Surrey campus is the 2026 opening of the new SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine, focused on community-embedded and culturally safe healthcare and helping train future physicians for British Columbia.

Finances

How much will it cost?

Average tuition fees per year

20,82,752 Undergraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details

4,63,133 Postgraduate Fees are for indicative purposes, check with institution for details

Scholarships & funding

SFU offers a variety of academic programs at various levels of study, with tuition fees contingent on the program and level of study. For example, tuition and student fees for international students are about CAD 38,900 per year for a typical program in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences in the 2026/27 academic year.

SFU provides many financial aid options, including scholarships, bursaries and awards, which can be based on academic merit or financial need. One significant source of funding available to international applicants is the Undergraduate Scholars Entrance Scholarship, which is available to all high school students. This scholarship ranges from CAD 20,000 to CAD 140,000 and is given to students who demonstrate strong potential to enrich the university community through their ongoing academic and community involvement.

There are also scholarships for all students as well as specific ones for certain departments, including applied sciences, arts and social sciences, business administration, and sciences. Additionally, SFU offers work-study and co-op programs that allow students to earn money while gaining valuable work experience.

Eligibility

Entry requirements

There are a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs for prospective students to choose from at SFU, and these cover hundreds of subjects and several modes of study.

Specific entry requirements vary between course subject and study levels, and applicants are encouraged to review the program-specific pages on the SFU website to familiarize themselves with important details before preparing their application.

There are many different pathways to admission, from high school applications to college transfer, plus partnership pathways. The SFU admissions team considers each application based on its individual merits and encourages anyone with the desire to gain a top-class Canadian education to apply.

In addition to meeting academic criteria, applicants must demonstrate a minimum level of English proficiency. This can be demonstrated in two main ways – evidence of completing a secondary education taught in the English language, or via language proficiency exam scores, with a range of exams accepted depending on the score(s) achieved.

Department and Faculty

Teaching quality

SFU is recognized for consistently high standard of teaching across more than 500 undergraduate and postgraduate programs combined, placing it among the best universities in the world for many academic subjects.

Programs are distributed across multiple academic faculties and delivered by experienced and highly qualified instructors, many of whom are involved in ongoing professional work and innovative research projects. Class sizes are small, which results in a more personalized learning experience and greater opportunities for feedback, guidance, and connection.

Students are supported at every stage of their academic journey and have full access to a range of student services, learning resources, academic advising, personal and well-being support, and cutting-edge teaching technologies, helping to drive engagement and give students the best chance for success.

SFU has earned a respected academic reputation, including more than 70 active Royal Society of Canada members currently researching at the university. Between the university’s dedicated faculty and prestigious alumni, SFU has had multiple Rhodes Scholars and Guggenheim Fellows. SFU’s global reputation has attracted over 450 faculty with an international background to become part of its faculty community of more than 1,000 members.

Department structure

SFU is a research-oriented institution, whose comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate programs provide students with relevant and thorough preparation for starting their careers with confidence.

The university offers a unique interdisciplinary academic approach that allows students to combine majors, minors, and certificates to create an educational experience that provides breadth and knowledge, while building a strong foundation in current research, relevant skills, and best practices.

There are over 500 programs for students to choose from, which can lead to a huge variety of career pathways. SFU includes the following ten academic faculties:

Faculty of Applied Science
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Beedie School of Business
Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Environment
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Science
Stephens Family School of Medicine

Additionally, SFU is home to more than 60 research centers and institutes distributed across these ten faculties, and each performs leading work that contributes to the university’s high ranking among Canada’s top universities for research impact.

SFU's network of research centres address some of the most current and significant global and societal challenges, fostering a collaborative environment in which the research informs the teaching and course delivery throughout the rest of the school. Undergraduate researchers have the opportunity to work alongside experts on projects, teams, or independent exploration, contributing to new discoveries.