Confused Which University to Choose in Canada? Nepali Guide
Confused about which Canadian university to choose? Compare tuition, English scores, city costs and proof of funds before you shortlist.
The short answer
Stop choosing by ranking and start choosing by four numbers: the English score you already hold, the tuition the institution publishes, the monthly cost of the city, and the proof-of-funds figure for your family size. A Nepali student who picks a university that fits all four gets a cleaner application than one who chases a famous name and then cannot show the money.
Below are the figures we hold for Canadian institutions and cities, laid out so you can match them against your own file. Verify each one on the institution's own page before you pay any fee — the links are at the bottom.
Step 1: Start with the English score you already have
This is the fastest way to cut a list of fifty institutions down to ten. Your test result is already fixed; tuition and cities are negotiable, your band score today is not.
Two catches that Nepali applicants hit every intake:
- The bracketed number is the one that fails people. "IELTS 6.5 (6.0)" means the overall score and a minimum in each band. An overall 6.5 with a 5.5 in writing does not meet it. Check your weakest band, not your overall.
- Duolingo is not accepted everywhere. University of Waterloo lists IELTS 7.0 (6.0) and TOEFL 90, and states Duolingo is not accepted. Other institutions do list a Duolingo score. Never assume.
| Institution | City | English requirement |
|---|---|---|
| University of Toronto | Toronto | IELTS 6.5 (6.0) · TOEFL 100 · PTE 65 |
| University of British Columbia | Vancouver | IELTS 6.5 (6.0) · TOEFL 90 · PTE 65 |
| McGill University | Montreal | IELTS 6.5 (6.0) · TOEFL 90 |
| University of Waterloo | Waterloo | IELTS 7.0 (6.0) · TOEFL 90 · Duolingo not accepted |
| University of Alberta | Edmonton | IELTS 6.5 (5.5) · TOEFL 90 |
| York University | Toronto | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL 86 |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | Toronto | IELTS 6.5 (6.0) · TOEFL 83 |
| Simon Fraser University | Burnaby | IELTS 6.5 (6.0) · TOEFL 88 · PTE 65 |
| University of Manitoba | Winnipeg | IELTS 6.5 (6.0) · TOEFL 86 · Duo 120 |
| University of Saskatchewan | Saskatoon | IELTS 6.5 (6.0) · TOEFL 86 · PTE 63 · Duo 120 |
| Algonquin College | Ottawa | IELTS 6.0 (5.5) · TOEFL 80 · Duo 105 |
| Conestoga College | Kitchener | IELTS 6.0 (5.5); 6.5 select · TOEFL 80 · Duo 110 |
| Seneca Polytechnic | Toronto | IELTS 6.0 (5.5); 6.5 many · TOEFL 80 |
| Humber Polytechnic | Toronto | IELTS 6.0 (5.5) dip / 6.5 degree · TOEFL 80 |
| Sault College | Sault Ste. Marie | IELTS 5.5 (no <5.0) · TOEFL 45 · Duo 95 |
| Sheridan College | Oakville / Brampton / Mississauga | IELTS 6.5 (6.0) · TOEFL 88 · Duo 115 |
| Cambrian College | Sudbury | IELTS 7.0 (6.5) · TOEFL 92 · Duo 120 |
Note how a college is not automatically the "low English" option. Cambrian College lists IELTS 7.0 (6.5) — higher than several universities on this list.
Step 2: Put the published tuition side by side
The gap between the top of this table and the bottom is enormous, and it is the single biggest driver of how much money your family must show. Read every figure with its unit — some are per year, some per term or semester.
| Institution | Type | Published tuition |
|---|---|---|
| University of Waterloo | University | ~$73k/yr (CS/Eng) |
| University of Toronto | University | ~$60k–70k/yr (Eng $70,060) |
| McGill University | University | ~$66k/yr (B.Eng); varies by program |
| University of Guelph | University | ~$44,729–96,794/yr (by program) |
| University of British Columbia | University | ~$51k/yr (CS) |
| University of Ottawa | University | ~$38k–58k/yr |
| Simon Fraser University | University | ~$37k+/yr (CS billed higher) |
| Brock University | University | ~$35,000–40,000/yr |
| University of Alberta | University | ~$30k–40k/yr |
| York University | University | ~$30k–37k/yr |
| Toronto Metropolitan University | University | ~$30k–37k/yr |
| University of Calgary | University | ~$28k–40k/yr |
| University of Manitoba | University | ~$22,000–30,000/yr |
| University of Northern British Columbia | University | ~$22,000–29,000/yr |
| University of Saskatchewan | University | ~$20,000–25,000/yr |
| Vancouver Island University | University | ~$18,000–22,000/yr |
| BCIT | Institute | ~$19,000+/yr (to ~$51k) |
| SAIT | Institute | ~$13,400–20,000/yr |
| Sheridan College | College | ~$18,000–30,000/yr |
| Durham College | College | ~$19,008–22,730/yr |
| Fanshawe College | College | ~$17,000–20,000/yr |
| Seneca Polytechnic | College | ~$16,000–18,000/yr |
| Algonquin College | College | ~$16,000–18,000/yr |
| Humber Polytechnic | College | ~$16,000–18,500/yr |
| Centennial College | College | ~$16,406–36,180/yr |
| Conestoga College | College | ~$15,000–17,000/yr |
| St. Clair College | College | ~$14,747–25,492/yr |
| George Brown College | College | ~$15k–38k/yr |
| Selkirk College | College | ~$21,435–23,495/yr |
| Fleming College | College | ~$9,173–11,371/sem |
| Bow Valley College | College | ~$3,800–9,000+/term |
| Fraser International College | Pathway | ~$27,852–53,646/yr |
| Royal Roads University | University | ~$40,323–42,340 (cited program) |
Some institutions in our list publish no general figure — Capilano University, University of New Brunswick, Lakehead University, Nipissing University, University of Regina, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Georgian College, St. Lawrence College, Herzing College, Columbia College Canada, Crandall University and Cambria College all need to be checked on their own pages. If a consultancy quotes you a fee for these and cannot show you the official page, treat that number as unverified.
Acsenda School of Management lists an application fee of $155 — application fees are separate from tuition and are usually non-refundable.
Step 3: Price the city, not just the campus
A cheaper city can matter as much as cheaper tuition, because living cost runs every month whether you are studying or not.
| City | Monthly living cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | $3,500 | Highest demand; 1-BR ~$2,300+ |
| Vancouver | $3,500 | Most expensive rent in Canada |
| Burnaby | $3,200 | SFU/BCIT — slightly below Vancouver |
| Ottawa | $2,900 | Capital; uOttawa/Algonquin |
| Waterloo | $2,700 | Tech town; student-heavy |
| Calgary | $2,700 | No provincial sales tax |
| Halifax | $2,500 | Atlantic |
| Montreal | $2,400 | Cheapest big city; Quebec rules differ |
| Edmonton | $2,400 | Affordable Alberta |
| Winnipeg | $2,200 | Lowest cost; UManitoba |
| Saskatoon | $2,200 | USask; affordable Prairies |
| Regina | $2,200 | Affordable |
| Fredericton | $2,200 | UNB; low cost |
| Other (small city) | $2,100 | Smaller centres trend cheaper |
If your family's ceiling is tight, a $2,200 city with a $16,000–18,000/yr college programme is a completely different file from a $3,500 city with a ~$73k/yr degree. Both are legitimate. Only one of them will be affordable for most households in Kathmandu or Pokhara.
Step 4: Check the proof-of-funds figure before you fall in love with a campus
This is where most confused shortlists get resolved. The figures below apply by number of people in the application.
| People | Figure (CAD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 23,448 |
| 2 | 29,192 |
| 3 | 35,888 |
| 4 | 43,572 |
| 5 | 49,419 |
| 6 | 55,736 |
| 7 | 62,054 |
| Each additional person | 6,318 |
The catch worth knowing: a published minimum is a floor, not a target. Meeting the exact figure on paper and nothing more, with money that appeared in the account a week before filing, is what draws questions. Funds that have sat in the account, with a clear source you can document — land sale deed, business income, a relative's affidavit with their own bank record — read very differently from a sudden deposit.
The mistakes that cause refusals
- Applying to a course that does not follow from your previous study. A BBA graduate switching to a one-year diploma in a completely unrelated trade has to explain why. If you cannot explain it in three sentences, reconsider the choice.
- Ignoring the bracketed band. Covered above. It ends more applications than any other single line.
- Choosing Toronto or Vancouver by default. $3,500 a month in Toronto and $2,200 a month in Winnipeg are both in the table above. Compare them honestly against your family's monthly capacity.
- Trusting a fee quoted by an agent over the institution's own page. Several institutions in our list publish no general fee table at all.
- Applying to Quebec institutions without checking the separate provincial process. McGill is in Montreal, and Quebec rules differ.
Use the free Master Reckoner to match courses, costs, entry requirements and English scores in one place, and read the wider Canada destination hub before you shortlist. More country guides are on the blog.
Common questions
Is a Canadian college worse than a university for a Nepali student?
No — they are different products. Colleges in our list publish tuition such as ~$15,000–17,000/yr at Conestoga or ~$16,000–18,000/yr at Algonquin, against ~$73k/yr at Waterloo for CS/Eng. The right choice depends on your funds, your academic background and what the programme actually teaches. Judge the programme, not the label.
I have IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 in writing. Where can I apply?
Look at institutions whose published requirement your weakest band meets. Algonquin College lists IELTS 6.0 (5.5), Conestoga lists IELTS 6.0 (5.5) with 6.5 for select programmes, and Sault College lists IELTS 5.5 (no band below 5.0). Institutions listing IELTS 6.5 (6.0) are out of reach until you retest.
How much money does my family need to show?
The figures depend on how many people are in the application: 23,448 CAD for one person, 29,192 for two, 35,888 for three, and 6,318 for each additional person beyond seven. These are the funds figures only — tuition and the monthly city costs in the table above are separate items you also need to plan for. Show funds with a documented history and a source you can prove.
Which city is cheapest to live in?
Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina and Fredericton are all listed at $2,200 a month, and smaller centres generally at $2,100. Toronto and Vancouver are both $2,500 higher per month than that is not a calculation you should take from us — compare $3,500 against $2,200 yourself. Edmonton and Montreal sit at $2,400.
Official sources
- University of Toronto — https://future.utoronto.ca
- University of British Columbia — https://you.ubc.ca
- McGill University — https://www.mcgill.ca/undergraduate-admissions/
- University of Waterloo — https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/
- University of Alberta — https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions/
- York University — https://www.yorku.ca/admissions/
- Toronto Metropolitan University — https://www.torontomu.ca/admissions/
- Simon Fraser University — https://www.sfu.ca/students/admission.html
- University of Calgary — https://www.ucalgary.ca/future-students/
- University of Ottawa — https://www.uottawa.ca/study/
- George Brown College — https://www.georgebrown.ca/international
- Bow Valley College — https://bowvalleycollege.ca/programs-and-courses/international
Confirm every fee and English requirement on the institution's own page before you apply. Published figures change between intakes.