Colleges and Universities in Vancouver for International Students

Vancouver has close to 20 higher education institutions in the city, and the number is increasing fast. Vancouver is one of the most popular student cities in Canada. It is one of the key destination cities for students from India. Universities and colleges in Vancouver are famous for delivering high-quality programmes, especially in engineering and technology.

List of colleges and universities in Vancouver

1. The University of British Columbia
   1. Corpus Christi College
   2. St Mark's College
   3. Regent College
2. Simon Fraser University
3. Capilano University
4. Kwantlen Polytechnic University
5. University Canada West (UCW)
6. Langara College
7. Columbia College
8. Vancouver Community College (VCC)
9. Emily Carr University of Art and Design
10. Vancouver Film School
11. Ashton College
12. Vancouver Animation School
13. Vancouver Career College
14. Visual College of Art and design

Why study in Vancouver as an international student?

• World-class institutions: Vancouver is home to top-ranking universities such as the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.
• Diverse community: As per their last Census, 4.8% of the population in Vancouver was foreign-born. This multicultural environment makes it a welcoming city for international students.
• Mild weather: Vancouver has the mildest climate in all of Canada. The highest temperature ranges from 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, and it rarely falls below 0 in winter.
• Natural beauty: Vancouver lies between the Pacific Ocean and the mountain ranges, making it a beautiful location to pursue your studies. It strives to be the greenest city in Canada. They have mountains, rainforests, ski stations and seas in Vancouver.

Universities in Vancouver

The University of British Columbia (UBC)

• It is one of the oldest universities in British Columbia, set in a picturesque location.
• UBC’s co-op programmes help its students gain work experience through their partnership with employers in Canada
• International students form 34% of the total student population at this university. The total student population is around 59,000.
• UBC has a regional base in India
• UBC has International Student Advisors, Academic Advisors and Enrolment Services Advisors to support international students.

Rankings:

• Ranked 41 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025
• Ranked 2^nd in Canada
• #38 in the world as per QS World University Rankings 2025
• Ranked 17^th in the world for Psychology courses
• Ranked 28^th for Social Sciences
• Ranked 29^th for Business and Economics

Times Higher Education lists the University of British Columbia’s complete ranking information.

Courses offered:

UBC offers more than 350 undergraduate and postgraduate programs across the different faculties:

• Faculty of Applied Science
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Forestry
• School of Journalism
• School of Music
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Vancouver School of Economics etc.

Admission requirements:

• Proof of English language proficiency: an overall of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0.
• TOEFL, TOELF iBt Home Edition and Duolingo English Test are also accepted.
• Completion of grade 12 in the required subject.
• Your grades will be considered, and the requirements vary for different courses. However, a score of 70% or above is expected from Indian students.

Tuition fee:

• Undergraduate programmes: CAD 49,000 to CAD 64,000 (30.3 lakhs to 39.6 lakhs)
• Postgraduate programmes: This varies widely across different courses; for example, around CAD 50,000 (INR 30.7 lakhs) for a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering and CAD 98,000 (60 lakhs) for an MBA.

Simon Fraser University

• SFU A public research university in Canada with campuses in Vancouver, Surrey, and Burnaby
• All three campuses combined, SFU has 8 faculties and more than 30,000 students from 145 different countries.
• SFU is a member of international higher education associations such as the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Universities Canada.
• SFU offers a co-op education programme which has successfully found placements for over 8,500 students with global corporations.
• SFU offers flexible master’s programmes.

Rankings:

• Ranked 301 – 350 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025
• Ranked #319 in the world according to the QS World University Rankings 2025
• Ranked #=109 in the world according to the QS Sustainability Rankings 2025
• Ranked #101-125^th for Education Studies and 126 – 150^th for Computer Science courses according to the Times Higher Education Subject Rankings 2025.

Courses offered:

Simon Fraser University in Vancouver offers 200+ undergraduate programmes and close to a 100 graduate and post-doctoral studies through the following faculties:

• Faculty of Applied Sciences
• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Environment
• Beedie School of Business
• Faculty of Health Sciences
• Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology
• Faculty of Science

Explore 300 courses offered by Simon Fraser University.

Admission requirements:

Undergraduate courses:

• Students who are exceptionally good in academics can apply directly. Otherwise, they can apply for pathway programmes.
• Candidates must meet the university’s Quantitative and Analytical Skills requirement.
• A minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5 with no individual score less than 6.0. Other language tests are also accepted. However, please check with the university before registering for the test.
• A minimum of 60% score in Maths for grades 11 or 12.
• There are faculty and program-specific requirements, too. Please review the requirements before proceeding with the application.

Postgraduate courses:

• A Bachelor’s degree
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.33
• Reference letters
• Proof of English language proficiency

Tuition fee:

Undergraduate courses: Around CAD 53,016 (approx. INR 32.8 lakhs) per year

As per the university website, the tuition fee for courses offered by the Faculty of Business Administration, the School of Computing Science, and the School of Engineering Science are higher than normal course tuition fees.

Postgraduate fees: Around CAD 7000 (approx. 4.3 lakhs) per year.

The fees for speciality programmes will be higher.

Capilano University

• Public university situated in a picturesque location
• Close to 4,000 international students from more than 86 countries study here
• Small class sizes
• Offers work-integrated learning
• Student support services include Academic Support Services, counselling services and Accessibility Services
• Career Development Centre (CDC) works to prepare students for jobs

According to the B.C. Student Outcomes Bachelor’s Degree Survey (2022–2023), 92% of CapU bachelor’s degree graduates reported being satisfied with their education.

Courses offered:

Capilano University offers close to 100 courses across undergraduate and postbaccalaureate degrees. The faculty at Capilano include:

• Faculty of Arts and Sciences
• Faculty of Business and Professional Studies
• Faculty of Education, Health and Human Development
• Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts
• Faculty of Global and Community Studies

The programme credentials available at Capilano include:

• Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
• Post-Baccalaureate Diplomas
• Honours
• Bachelors
• Graduate Certificates and
• Graduate Diplomas

Admission requirements:

• This varies based on programmes, but the basic requirements are:
• Completion of grade 12
• A minimum GPA of 2.0 (60%)
• IELTS score of 6.5, with no individual score below 6.0

Tuition fee:

Undergraduate tuition fee: Approximately INR 12.9 lakhs per academic year

Tuition fee for other programme credentials: post-baccalaureate programme fees are approximately CAD 9000 to 24,000 per year

Scholarships:

International students, too, can apply for different scholarships and awards to help them manage their expenses.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

• Kwantlen is Canada’s only polytechnic university
• It offers exchange and study-abroad programmes
• To make this happen, Kwantlen Polytechnic University has a Global Development Office which focuses on building relationships with organisations and institutions around the world.
• They have small class numbers, which ensures personalised attention.
• Kwantlen offers scholarships, awards and other financial aid.

Courses offered:

Kwantlen offers degree, diploma, certificate, and citation programmes. It has 7 faculties, offering more than 120 programmes.

• Faculty of Academic and Career Preparation
• Faculty of Arts
• Faculty of Health
• Faculty of Science and Horticulture
• Faculty of Trades and Technology
• School of Business
• Wilson School of Design

More than 100 courses offered by Kwantlen Polytechnic University are listed on our website.

Admission requirements:

Kwantlen programmes are categorised as open intake and limited intake. The admission requirements and times differ for these.

• Complete a higher secondary programme
• Meet English language requirements

If you choose IELTS, you should score an overall of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0.

Tuition fee:

The tuition fee is calculated based on a per-credit rate. For international students, the per-credit tuition and fees are CAD 777.26, except for English Qualifying and English Language Studies, which are CAD 430.18 per credit.

Students can make use of the different scholarships offered by Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

University Canada West

• Private university
• More than 11,000 students from across 110 countries study here
• It offers online courses too
• It is a business-oriented and teaching-intensive university

Courses offered:

University Canada West offers 3 undergraduate degree programmes:

• Bachelor of Commerce (available online as well)
• Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication (available online as well)
• Associate of Arts

View more courses offered by the University Canada West.

The Graduate programmes are:

• MBA
• MBA-ACCA Pathway
• MBA Foundation
• Online MBA
• Online MBA Foundation

Admission requirements:

Undergraduate programmes:

• Grade 12 with an overall average of C
• A minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0

Postgraduate programmes:

• A cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.33 scale, in your Bachelor’s degree
• Any one of the following: A suitable score on GRE or GMAT, a Bachelor’s degree in Business, a minimum of 3 years of work experience
• A minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0

If you do not meet the academic or English language requirements, you can join the Preparatory Programmes and qualify for your degree.

Tuition fee:

Undergraduate courses:

• The BA in Business Communication and BCom tuition fee for 2025 is CAD 84,760 (approx. INR 52.5 lakhs)
• The Associate of Arts and the Online courses cost around CAD 42,380 in 2025 (approx. INR 26.2 lakhs).

Postgraduate courses:

• The MBA programme tuition fee is CAD 43,275 for 2025 (approx. INR 26.7 lakhs)
• The Online MBA tuition fee is CAD 19,350 for 2025 (approx. INR 13.2 lakhs)

Langara College

• Langara College is a public college in Vancouver.
• It is primarily an undergraduate institution.
• More than 23,000 students are enrolled at this institution.
• 6000+ international students from 93 different countries study here.

Courses offered:

• Langara offers over 1700 courses in more than 130 different programmes. This includes more than 70 career programmes giving students the practical skills to work and learn in preparation for a new career.
• You can select programmes in Arts, Business, Science & Technology, Humanities & Social Sciences and Health.
• The programmes are offered in Regular Studies and Continuing Studies
• Postgraduate courses include Post-Degree Diplomas in Accounting, Data Analytics, Supply Chain and Logistics etc.

Explore more courses offered by Langara College.

Admission requirements:

• For undergraduate courses, successful completion of Grade 12 is necessary.
• Candidate should be at least 19 years of age.
• An IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0 (There could be other or additional English language requirements based on the programme)

Tuition fee:

Tuition fee is calculated on a per-credit basis, and this can range from CAD 540 to CAD 663.69 (approx. INR 33,455  - 41,000) for international students.

Columbia College

• Columbia College is a not-for-profit college in Vancouver.
• It offers first and second-year university-level programmes. Upon completion, you will get a Columbia College Associate Degree, and you will be eligible to be transferred to other universities around.
• The International Centre for Student Success at Columbia College provides all-around support for students with their studies.

Courses offered:

Associate Degrees:

You can use it as a stand-alone qualification or to gain admission to the third year of college.

• Business Administration
• Economics
• Communication
• Psychology
• Computer Science
• Mathematics etc.

Columbia College also offers University Transfer courses and non-credit English for Academic Purposes. Explore courses offered at Columbia College.

Admission requirements:

• The requirements vary with the course you choose. In general, for university transfer courses, you should score an overall of a minimum of 5.5 – 6.5 in IELTS. This varies based on courses.
• For EAP courses, the overall score should be a minimum of 5.0, with the writing band no less than 4.5.

Tuition fee:

• The undergraduate tuition fee is around INR 10.5 lakhs per year.
• For new international students applying from overseas, a tuition deposit should be paid that covers 24 credits over two semesters, activity fees, and medical insurance.

Vancouver Community College

• It is one of the largest, government-accredited colleges in Canada
• Its relatively low tuition fees are especially appealing to international students
• VCC graduates report being either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their education.

Courses offered:

VCC offers Diplomas, Certificates, Post-Degree Diplomas and Dual Certificates.

It offers a wide variety of 2-year diploma programmes. Here are some programmes at VCC that might interest you:

• Baking and Pastry Art
• Business
• Culinary Arts
• Design
• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Health Sciences
• Hospitality Management
• Music and Dance

Admission requirements:

• Candidates should be at least 17 years old
• For courses like accounting and hospitality management, candidates should score a minimum of IELTS 6.5 with no band less than 6.0. For courses like baking, the English language requirement will be lower.
• The admission requirements will vary by programme. Check the details before applying.
• Though seats are offered on a first-qualified, first-offered basis, some programmes pick students based on Competitive Assessments.

Tuition fee:

The tuition fee varies widely across different programmes. The average tuition fee per year is approximately INR 12.35 lakhs for undergraduate courses, INR 12.15 lakhs for postgraduate courses and INR 12.3 lakhs per year for vocational courses.

Emily Carr University of Art and Design

• Public university in Canada
• It has four faculties: the Faculty of Culture + Community; Ian Gillespie Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media; Audain Faculty of Art and Jake Kerr Faculty of Graduate Studies.
• It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses and programmes for continuing studies.
• More than 2,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students are enrolled at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. This includes international students from more than 50 countries around the world.

Rankings:

• Emily Carr University of Art and Design ranks 36^th in the world for art and design as per the QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2025. It ranks first in Canada for the same.

Courses offered:

Emily Carr offers three bachelor’s degrees:

• Bachelor of Design
• Bachelor of Fine Arts
• Bachelor of Media Arts

Master’s degree courses offered include:

• Master of Fine Arts
• Master of Design

Apart from these, the university also offers certificate courses.

Vancouver Film School

• Private, arts school located in Vancouver
• It has an international admissions office in Mumbai.
• Its courses are delivered by industry professionals.
• Its programmes cover various fields like Film Production, Game Design, Animation, and Writing for Film, Television & Games

Courses offered:

Vancouver Film School offers 15 post-secondary programmes

The courses available at VFS include:

• Acting Essentials
• English for Creative Arts
• Foundation Visual Art and Design
• Acting for Film & Television
• Film Production
• 3D Animation
• Sound Design etc.

Popular courses to study in Vancouver

Business and Administrative Studies are the most popular subjects picked by Indian students enrolling at top universities in Vancouver. The popular courses include:

• MBA
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Master of Business Administration Foundation
• Diploma in Business Management and
• Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication

Computer and Mathematical Sciences are the next popular subject, and the preferred courses include:

• Associate of Science in Computer Science
• Diploma in Computer Studies
• Post Degree Diploma in Data Analytics
• Master of Science in Computer Science and
• Diploma in Computer Information Systems

Applied and Pure Science courses are popular too, and the top ones include:

• Associate of Science – Biology
• Diploma in Kinesiology
• Diploma in Hospital Management and
• Associate of Science in Food and Nutrition

Cost of Studying in Vancouver

The tuition fee varies based on the course you choose, with Business and Medicine programmes typically costing more than average. In addition to tuition fees, you will need to consider accommodation, utilities, transportation, groceries, and other living expenses. Here are some estimated costs to help you prepare:

Expense Category	Cost in CAD
Mobile plan	56.07
Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage	124.61
Transportation monthly pass	110.00
Gasoline (1 Litre)	1.81
Cinemas	16.00
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	25.00
Milk (1 litre)	2.77
Eggs (12)	5.60
Rice (1kg)	5.65
Loaf of bread	4.17
Apples (1kg)	5.94

Source: Numbeo.com

Scholarships for International Students in Vancouver

Most universities in Vancouver offer scholarships to international students. These can cover tuition fees, living expenses and sometimes travel expenses too.

Scholarship for First-Year International Students: The International Major Entrance Scholarship (IMES) is awarded to exceptional international students entering undergraduate programs at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

Scholarship Value: For the 2025–2026 academic year, the scholarship ranges from CAD 10,000 to CAD 20,000 per year, depending on available funding.

The President's Scholarship at Kwantlen Polytechnic University offers up to CAD $30,000 towards tuition fees. It is open to international students of all nationalities and genders. It’s a merit-based scholarship.

The Merit Scholarship at KPU is aimed at students who have demonstrated strong academic performance. This scholarship provides financial assistance to help cover tuition costs. Specific eligibility criteria and award amounts can vary.

Apart from university websites, explore ScholarshipsCanada for thousands of scholarships, several of which can be accessed by international students too.

All the best for your study abroad journey to Vancouver!

Editor's note: This article was originally published in December 2021. We have edited it in May 2025 to include up-to-date information and made it comprehensive.