Simon Fraser University Fees for International Students
SFU tuition for international students, Burnaby living costs, proof-of-funds amounts and English scores — a plain guide for Nepali applicants.
The short answer
Simon Fraser University publishes international undergraduate tuition at ~$37k+/yr, and Computer Science is billed higher than the general rate (sfu.ca/students/admission.html). That figure is tuition only — it does not include the money you will spend living in Burnaby, and it is not the number the visa office looks at.
Those two sentences answer the search. The rest of this page is the part that actually decides whether your file goes through: what else you pay, what the funds requirement is, and which mistakes we see in Nepali applications to British Columbia.
What the tuition figure does and does not cover
SFU's international tuition sits at ~$37k+/yr. Read three things into that.
It is per year, not for the whole degree. A four-year bachelor's is charged year by year. Do not plan your family's borrowing on one year's number and assume the rest is small.
Computer Science is billed higher. SFU flags this separately, and CS is one of the most common choices among Nepali applicants to BC. If you are applying to CS, take the general rate as a floor and check the exact per-unit charge for your programme on the SFU admission page before you commit.
It is tuition. Student fees, medical cover, books, and your housing are separate lines. When a parent in Kathmandu asks "so total kati?", the honest answer is: tuition at the published rate, plus living costs at Burnaby rates, plus travel. We will not add those into one number here, because SFU charges by programme and by unit load and any single "total" you see online is somebody's guess.
| Item | What SFU / the data says |
|---|---|
| International tuition | ~$37k+/yr |
| Computer Science | Billed higher than the general rate |
| City | Burnaby, British Columbia |
| Official fees and admission page | sfu.ca/students/admission.html |
Always confirm the current-year figure on SFU's own page. Tuition is reset by the university, not by agents, and a rate quoted in a consultancy's brochure from two intakes ago is not the rate you will be invoiced.
Living in Burnaby: the real second bill
SFU's main campus is on Burnaby Mountain. Burnaby is cheaper than Vancouver, but only slightly — it is still Metro Vancouver, and Metro Vancouver has the most expensive rent in Canada.
| City | Estimated monthly living cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Burnaby | $3,200 | SFU/BCIT — slightly below Vancouver |
| Vancouver | $3,500 | Most expensive rent in Canada |
| Toronto | $3,500 | Highest demand; 1-BR ~$2,300+ |
| Ottawa | $2,900 | Capital; uOttawa/Algonquin |
| Calgary | $2,700 | No provincial sales tax |
| Waterloo | $2,700 | Tech town; student-heavy |
| Halifax | $2,500 | Atlantic; AIP region |
| 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 |
Compare Burnaby at $3,200 a month with Winnipeg or Saskatoon at $2,200 a month before you decide that BC is the only option. The same degree-level qualification in a Prairie city carries a visibly different monthly burden. That is a family budget decision, not an academic one, and it is worth making with open eyes.
If more than one person is going — a spouse, a child — the supplied family multipliers are 1 for a single student, 1.55 for two people, 1.85 for three and 2.15 for four. Those are factors applied to the single-person monthly city cost. Use the free Master Reckoner to work the numbers rather than doing it on the back of an envelope, because this is exactly where families under-count.
Proof of funds: the number that is actually checked
Tuition is what the university checks. Settlement funds are what the visa file checks, and they are different things. The published amounts by family size are:
| Family size | Funds required |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Here is the catch, and it is the single most useful sentence on this page: the published minimum is the floor, but for a Burnaby address the monthly living figure of $3,200 is what your file has to look credible against. A single applicant who shows only the bare minimum for family size one, for a campus in the most expensive rental market in the country, is asking an officer to believe a budget that does not match the city. Show what you will actually need, and show where it came from.
Second catch: the source and age of the money matters as much as the amount. Funds that appeared in an account three weeks before submission, with no explanation, are the most common reason a well-qualified Nepali applicant gets refused. Bank statements with a clear history, loan sanction letters from a recognised bank, property valuations and clean income documents for the sponsor do more work than a large balance with no story. A sponsor's relationship to you must be documented, not assumed.
Third: fees paid to SFU and funds held for living are two separate demonstrations. Paying a tuition deposit does not replace showing settlement funds.
Entry requirements for SFU
| Requirement | SFU |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5 overall, 6.0 in each band |
| TOEFL | 88 |
| PTE | 65 |
| Official page | sfu.ca/students/admission.html |
The bracketed 6.0 is the part people miss. An overall 6.5 with a 5.5 in writing does not meet SFU's stated requirement. Nepali applicants most often lose the band in writing or speaking, so if you are re-sitting, re-sit for the weak band and not for the overall score.
Academic entry from a Nepali +2 or A-Levels depends on your subject combination and grades. Check SFU's admission page for the country-specific requirement rather than relying on a general "first division is enough" claim.
Before you apply: a short checklist
- Confirm the current tuition rate for your exact programme on SFU's page, especially if it is Computer Science.
- Budget living costs against Burnaby at $3,200 a month, not against a national average.
- Build your funds documentation early. History beats size.
- Make sure every English band clears 6.0 if you are using IELTS.
- Compare at least one lower-cost city before you finalise. See our Canada destination hub for the wider picture and all guides for city-by-city comparisons.
Official sources
- Simon Fraser University — admission, fees and English requirements: https://www.sfu.ca/students/admission.html
Figures change by intake. Confirm against the official page before you pay anything or submit anything.
Common questions
How much is SFU tuition for international students per year?
SFU publishes international tuition at ~$37k+/yr, and Computer Science is billed higher than the general rate. That is tuition only and is charged each year of the degree, not once for the whole programme. Confirm the exact figure for your programme on sfu.ca/students/admission.html before you transfer funds.
How much money do I need to show for a Canadian student visa from Nepal?
The published funds requirement is $23,448 for one person, $29,192 for two, $35,888 for three and $43,572 for four, with $6,318 for each additional person. For a Burnaby address, showing only the bare minimum against a $3,200 monthly living cost tends to look thin. Document the source and history of the money, not just the balance.
Is Burnaby cheaper than Vancouver for a student?
Slightly. Burnaby is estimated at $3,200 a month against Vancouver at $3,500 a month, which is the most expensive rent in Canada. Both are far above cities such as Winnipeg or Saskatoon at $2,200 a month, so if cost is the deciding factor, widen your shortlist.
What IELTS score does SFU need?
SFU lists IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each band, TOEFL 88, or PTE 65. The per-band 6.0 is a hard requirement, so an overall 6.5 with one band at 5.5 does not qualify. Check your target programme's page in case it sets something higher.