University of Northern British Columbia Fees Guide
UNBC tuition for international students is ~$22,000–29,000/yr. English scores, proof-of-funds bands and living costs, explained plainly for Nepali students.
UNBC fees for international students: the short answer
International undergraduate and graduate tuition at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is published as ~$22,000–29,000/yr, according to the university's international pages at unbc.ca/international. The range exists because tuition depends on your programme and how many credits you take, so the figure you personally pay sits somewhere inside that band — not at the bottom of it by default.
UNBC is in Prince George, in the interior of British Columbia. It is a small city, not Vancouver, and that matters for your budget in a way the tuition figure alone will not show you.
What the tuition band actually covers
| Item | What the data says |
|---|---|
| Institution | University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) |
| City | Prince George, British Columbia |
| Type | University |
| International tuition | ~$22,000–29,000/yr |
| Official fee source | https://www.unbc.ca/international |
Two cautions before you put this number into a family budget.
First, it is a per-year figure, not a whole-programme figure. A three-year or four-year bachelor's degree is charged year by year, and a master's is charged for the length of that programme. Do not take the lower end of the band and treat it as the total cost of your degree — that is the single most common error we see in family budget sheets brought to counselling sessions.
Second, tuition is not the same as total fees. Universities in Canada normally add mandatory student fees, health cover and other charges on top of tuition, and those amounts are not in the figures supplied here. When you receive your offer letter, read the fee schedule line by line and ask UNBC directly what the full annual invoice looks like for your specific programme. Do not budget from a number you found on a forum.
English requirements at UNBC
UNBC's published English requirement is the same for Nepali applicants as for any other international applicant.
| Test | Required score |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5 overall, with 6.0 in each band |
| TOEFL | 90 |
| PTE | 65 |
| Duolingo English Test | 125 |
Source: unbc.ca/international
The catch is in the bracket. IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each band means one weak section sinks the application even if your overall score is fine. A 6.5 overall built on a 5.5 in writing does not meet this requirement. Students from Nepal most often lose the band on writing and speaking, not reading. If you are close, sit the test again rather than applying and hoping the admissions office will waive it.
Also keep the visa side in mind separately. Your study permit application is assessed on its own terms, and the test your university accepts is not automatically the test or score that satisfies the permit process. Check both before you book a test date. The Canada destination hub walks through how the admission step and the permit step fit together.
Living costs in Prince George
Our cost-of-living data does not list Prince George by name. The closest supplied band is Other (small city): $2,100 per month, with the note "Smaller centres trend cheaper". Treat that as an indicative small-city figure, not a UNBC-published number, and confirm actual rents with the UNBC housing office before you commit.
Here is how the supplied monthly figures compare across Canada, so you can see where a small BC city sits relative to the places most Nepali students first consider:
| City | Monthly living cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | $3,500 | Most expensive rent in Canada |
| Toronto | $3,500 | Highest demand; 1-BR ~$2,300+ |
| Burnaby | $3,200 | SFU/BCIT — slightly below Vancouver |
| 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 |
Note that Vancouver sits at $3,500 per month while the small-city band sits at $2,100 per month. Studying in BC does not mean paying Vancouver rent — but it also does not mean Prince George is free. Keep tuition and living costs as two separate lines in your budget and add them yourself; do not rely on a single blended "all-in" number quoted by an agent.
Proof of funds for the study permit
Canada requires you to show settlement funds when you apply for a study permit. The funds figures by number of people are:
| People included | Funds 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 |
Three things Nepali families get wrong here.
One: the published minimum is what gets you to the desk, not what gets you approved. Officers look at whether the money is genuinely yours and genuinely available, not only whether the balance matches the table. A single large deposit that appeared in the account three weeks before filing invites questions.
Two: tuition is assessed separately from these funds figures. Do not assume the funds figure absorbs your UNBC tuition of ~$22,000–29,000/yr. Show them as distinct items, with evidence for each.
Three: document the source of funds. Land sale, business income, a relative's sponsorship — whatever it is, it needs a paper trail with dates, tax records and a clear explanation. Refusals in Nepal frequently turn on unexplained funds rather than insufficient funds.
These figures change from time to time. Confirm the current requirement on the official government page before you file, and confirm your UNBC fees at unbc.ca/international.
Scholarships: what we can and cannot tell you
Our data for this page does not list any UNBC scholarship amounts, eligibility rules or deadlines for Nepali students. So we are not going to name one. Ask the UNBC international office directly what entrance awards exist for your programme and entry term, and get the answer in writing before you count it in your budget. Any agent who promises you a specific scholarship figure before you have an offer is guessing.
Build your own numbers first
Before you pay any application fee, put the three lines side by side: UNBC tuition at ~$22,000–29,000/yr, a small-city living cost of $2,100 per month, and the funds figure for your family size from the table above. If those three lines together are beyond what your family can evidence, a different city or a different programme length is the honest answer.
The free Master Reckoner tool matches courses, costs, entry requirements and English scores so you can compare UNBC against other options without guessing. More country and university guides are in the blog.
Common questions
How much is UNBC tuition for international students per year?
UNBC publishes international tuition as ~$22,000–29,000/yr. Where you land inside that band depends on your programme and your credit load. Confirm the exact figure for your programme on the university's international pages before you make any financial commitment.
Do I need IELTS 6.5 for UNBC, or is my overall score enough?
UNBC requires IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each band. An overall 6.5 with one band below 6.0 does not meet the requirement. TOEFL 90, PTE 65 and Duolingo 125 are the listed alternatives.
How much money do I need to show for a Canadian study permit?
The funds figure for a single applicant is CAD 23,448, rising with the number of people included — CAD 29,192 for two and CAD 35,888 for three, with CAD 6,318 for each additional person. Meeting the minimum is not the same as satisfying the officer. Clear, well-documented sources of funds matter as much as the balance.
Is Prince George cheaper than Vancouver for a student?
Our data lists Vancouver at $3,500 per month and the small-city band at $2,100 per month, with the note that smaller centres trend cheaper. Prince George is not listed individually, so treat $2,100 as indicative rather than official. Ask the UNBC housing office for current rent figures before you sign anything.
Official sources
- University of Northern British Columbia — international students: https://www.unbc.ca/international
Fees, English requirements and funds thresholds change. Verify every figure on the official page above and on the Government of Canada's study permit pages before you apply or transfer money.