Universities with the lowest tuition and costs ranked in Canada

As students graduate this spring, many are thinking about college or university and a new ranking may help with their choices.

A new ranking from casino website Casivoo looked at 45 universities (based on available data) across Canada for their cost-effectiveness.

There are many reports out there to help students select a university — one of the most well-known in Canada is the Maclean’s ranking. For 2024, Maclean’s put the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and the University of Waterloo in the top three spots.

The Times Higher Education ranking has the University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and McGill University as the top schools for 2024.

But the Casivoo ranking looked a universities based on costs. It ranked each university out of 100, according to which has the lowest tuition fees, highest graduation rate, lowest cost of living and the number and value of scholarships.

Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, is in first place, with a cost-effectiveness score of 76. The minimum tuition fees are Canada’s lowest at $2,760, $1,905, and $3,222 for Canadian undergraduate, postgraduate, and international students, respectively, according to the study.

St. John’s also has a lower cost of living for things such as rent and public transportation. However, Memorial University offers standard financial aid and a slightly below-average graduation rate of 65.5 per cent.

Brandon University in Manitoba follows closely in second, scoring 75.46 out of 100. Brandon offers some of the cheapest tuition fees in the country. Groceries, utility bills, rent, and transport costs are among the most affordable nationwide.

York University, Toronto, is third, scoring 66 out of 100. Postgraduates enjoy Canada’s most affordable tuition fees, with undergrad tuition in the top ten cheapest. YorkU also offers competitive financial aid, scoring ninth for the number of available scholarships.

Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, is fourth, scoring 64.83. Tuition fees, especially for postgraduates, are some of the most reasonable. The number of scholarships offered is higher than other institutions, ranking 13th.

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, is fifth, scoring 62.65. Undergraduate tuition fees are some of the lowest, with postgrads paying below average.

Winnipeg’s rent, utility bills, transport, and leisure costs also received high scores. However, its scholarships are slightly lacking against other universities.

Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, ranks sixth with a score of 62.62. Its undergraduates enjoy some of the lowest minimum tuition fees. Its graduation rates are second-strongest in the nation, with nearly nine in ten (88.2 per cent) students receiving a degree within seven years.

The University of Moncton ranks eighth. Photo: UMoncton Shippagan

The University of Saskatchewan is seventh, scoring 61.49. Local and foreign postgraduate fees are among the top five most reasonable. Public transit and rent costs in Saskatoon are below average.

Universite de Moncton, Quebec, is eighth, scoring 60.98. It has the cheapest undergraduate fees for foreign students in the country and ranks among the top ten foreign and local postgrads.

University of Regina, Saskatchewan, takes ninth place, scoring 60.61. It scores particularly high for postgraduate fees, as well as basic expenses such as leisure, transit and rent.

Concordia University, Montreal, ranks tenth, scoring 60 out of 100. Minimum tuition fees for local post and undergraduate students rank as the second most affordable.

The full study can be found here.

Lead photo of Memorial University of Newfoundland: Nndd