How Much Does It Cost to Study in Canada?

By Studies Multiverse Editorial Team · Updated August 6, 2026

What this page is. What Canada actually costs an international student, restricted to figures the Government of Canada publishes, with the date we read each one. We earn nothing from where you apply and we link no university, agent or recruiter. See our editorial policy.

The figures Canada publishes

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada publishes a proof-of-funds requirement and a biometrics fee. Both were read at the source on 5 August 2026.

Note what the first row says and does not say. It is living expenses for one year, excluding tuition and travel. It is not a budget, it is not an estimate of what a year in Toronto costs, and adding tuition to it is your job, not the government’s.

Quebec is a separate system

Quebec sets its own immigration criteria for students and issues its own certificate of acceptance before the federal study permit. The federal proof-of-funds figure above is stated by IRCC as applying outside Quebec. If your institution is in Quebec, the provincial requirement governs, and you should read the provincial rule rather than assume the federal one.

Tuition: why there is no number here

No Canadian authority publishes an international tuition figure you could plan against. Tuition is set by each institution, under each province’s rules, and published in that institution’s own fee schedule. We link no university, so this page contains no tuition table. What we can give you is what to look for in a fee schedule, which does not change:

• Per term or per year. Canadian fee schedules are frequently quoted per term. Multiply before you compare anything.
• Per credit or flat rate. Some programmes charge per credit, which means your fee changes with your course load.
• Ancillary fees. Student association, athletics, transit pass, health plan. These are separate from tuition and are usually compulsory.
• Compulsory health insurance, which varies by province and is sometimes billed with tuition.
• The annual increase clause, which decides year two.

Use our college cost calculator to add these up and the currency converter to compare offers in your own currency.

What the proof of funds actually has to look like

The requirement is evidence of access, not a receipt for spending. IRCC’s page sets out what it will accept, and the mechanics of held balances, sponsors and guaranteed investment certificates are the same class of test we describe in proof of funds, explained. Two points that catch people out:

• The figure rose on 1 September 2025. An application prepared against an older figure is prepared against the wrong number, and older figures are still repeated widely.
• The figure covers living expenses only. Tuition sits on top, and so does travel.

Reading a Canadian letter of acceptance

The letter of acceptance is the document the study permit is built on, and most of the money questions are answered inside it if you read it properly. Four things to find before you accept:

• The designated learning institution number. A study permit application needs it. If the letter does not carry one, the programme cannot support a permit.
• The programme start and end dates, which set the length of the permit and therefore the number of months of living costs you are planning for.
• The fee stated for the first year or first term, and whether that figure is per term or per year. This is the single most common misreading.
• Conditions. Language conditions and document conditions have to be satisfied before the letter becomes unconditional, and an application built on a conditional letter is a slower application.

Track all of this in the application tracker and work the dates backwards with the timeline generator.

Printable Canada money file

What we could not source

• A Canadian international tuition average. Not published by any authority in a form worth using. Withdrawn from this page rather than restated.
• The study permit processing fee. IRCC’s apply page states that processing fees exist without quoting an amount in the text we read on 5 August 2026. We do not restate a number we could not see at the source; use the government’s own fee tool on the day.
• The Quebec financial requirement. Set provincially and not stated on the federal page. Read the provincial rule if your institution is in Quebec.
• Rent by city. Moves monthly. A figure that changes weekly does not belong on a page you should be able to trust in a year.

FAQ

How much money do I need to show for a Canadian study permit?

CAD 22,895 for a single applicant outside Quebec, for living expenses over one year, excluding tuition and travel, for applications made on or after 1 September 2025. Source: IRCC, read 5 August 2026.

Does the proof of funds include tuition?

No. IRCC states the figure is for living expenses and excludes tuition and travel. Both are additional.

Is the figure different for Quebec?

Quebec runs its own selection for students and sets its own financial criteria. The federal figure is stated for applicants outside Quebec.

Next steps

• Proof of funds by country
• Proof of funds, explained
• Student visa requirements and costs by country
• Study abroad costs by country
• Student visa processing times
• How to choose a study destination
• The application document checklist
• The no-agent roadmap
• How scholarships actually get won
• Student visa changes in 2026

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