Canadian undergraduates in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy and law continue to pay the highest average tuition fees

As in previous years, undergraduate students in dentistry ($18,934) paid the highest average tuition fees in 2015/2016. They were followed by students in medicine ($13,416), pharmacy ($11,723) and law ($10,983). These four programs recorded some of the highest percentage tuition fee increases: dentistry (+4.5%), pharmacy (+4.0%), law (+4.0%) and medicine (+3.3%).

All undergraduate programs posted increases, ranging from 2.2% in education and nursing to 5.0% in engineering.

International student tuition fees

Nationally, average tuition fees for international undergraduate students rose 6.5% to $21,932 in 2015/2016, following a 5.3% increase in 2014/2015.

Newfoundland and Labrador was the lone province with no increase, as its tuition fee freeze included international students. In the other provinces, tuition fee increases for international undergraduate students ranged from 0.7% in Alberta to 10.6% in Manitoba.

Average tuition fees for international full-time students in graduate programs rose 3.2% to $14,350, with increases ranging from 0.1% in Alberta to 12.0% in Manitoba.

In a latest release by Statistics Canada the agency highlighted that Canadian full-time students in undergraduate programs paid 3.2% more on average in tuition fees for the 2015/2016 academic year this fall than they did the previous year. The increase is slightly lower than the 3.3% rise observed in 2014/2015.

In comparison, inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index was 1.3% between July 2014 and July 2015 and 2.1% between July 2013 and July 2014.

On average, undergraduate students paid $6,191 in tuition fees in 2015/2016 compared with $5,998 a year earlier.

Newfoundland and Labrador and Alberta froze tuition fees for the 2015/2016 academic year. Tuition fees were also frozen in New Brunswick except for a few programs, resulting in a 0.9% increase.

Undergraduate tuition fees rose in the remaining provinces, with increases ranging from 1.9% in Manitoba to 5.2% in Nova Scotia.

Undergraduates in Newfoundland and Labrador ($2,660) and Quebec ($2,799) continued to pay the lowest average tuition fees.

In comparison, undergraduate students in Ontario ($7,868) paid the highest average tuition fees in Canada, followed by students in Saskatchewan ($6,885) and Nova Scotia ($6,817).

Students enrolled in a graduate program paid an average of $6,432 in tuition fees in 2015/2016, up 2.2%. This followed a 2.8% gain a year earlier.

Tuition fees for graduate students rose in every province except Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Alberta, where tuition fees for Canadian students were frozen this year. Increases ranged from 1.9% in Manitoba to 3.9% in Nova Scotia. As was the case with undergraduate students, the lowest average tuition fees for graduate students were in Newfoundland and Labrador ($2,474) and Quebec ($2,886).

Graduate students paid the highest tuition fees in Ontario ($8,971), followed by students in Nova Scotia ($8,502) and British Columbia ($7,801).