Cheapest Universities in Canada for International Students (2026-27)

International tuition in Canada ranges from about $14,000 to over $75,000 a year. Most of that gap comes down to the province, not the school’s reputation. Here are the lowest published fees, the provincial averages, and the costs that cheap tuition leaves out.

Figures checked November 4, 2026. All amounts in Canadian dollars.

Lowest we found

~$14.3K

Saint-Boniface, 30 credits

National average

$42,062

Intl undergrad, 2026-27

Cheapest province

$18,911

Newfoundland and Labrador

Living costs to show

$23,448

Per year, outside Quebec

The 10 lowest international tuition fees

One academic year of full-time undergraduate study, from each school's published fee page. Check the basis column: some figures include fees, some are tuition only, and two are from 2025-26.

University	City	International fee	Basis	Year
Université de Saint-Boniface	Winnipeg, MB	$14,345–$16,455	Tuition and fees, 30 credits; French-language	2026-27
Université de Moncton	Moncton, NB	$15,761	Tuition; about $17,800 with fees, health and dental; French-language	2026-27
University of Prince Edward Island	Charlottetown, PE	$16,670	Tuition and international fee; $18,644 all-in	2025-26
Brandon University	Brandon, MB	$16,856	Arts, $561.85 per credit × 30	2025-26
Cape Breton University	Sydney, NS	$19,875	Tuition and differential, 30 credits; $21,933 all-in	2026-27
University of Winnipeg	Winnipeg, MB	$19,409–$24,120	Tuition only, per-credit rate × 30	2026-27
Memorial University	St. John's, NL	$22,500	Tuition for new international students	2026-27
Mount Saint Vincent University	Halifax, NS	$23,215–$23,667	Tuition and fees, 10 courses	2026-27
University of Manitoba	Winnipeg, MB	$24,000–$28,000	Estimated all-in	2026-27
Thompson Rivers University	Kamloops, BC	$26,250	$875 per credit × 30	2026-27

This list was compiled by LearnViaHub from university fee pages (October 2026). We haven’t checked each figure against the university directly, so confirm it on the school’s site before you budget.

Two of the three cheapest teach in French.Saint-Boniface and Moncton are the lowest-cost options in Canada, but you need to study in French. If you speak French, they are a real bargain. If you don’t, UPEI and Brandon are the cheapest English-language universities on this list.

Average international tuition by province

Statistics Canada's preliminary 2026-27 averages for international undergraduates. The national average is $42,062, up 4.0% from the year before.

Ontario$50,088

British Columbia$40,314

Quebec$36,879

Alberta$36,369

Saskatchewan$33,496

Nova Scotia$31,057

Manitoba$23,160

Prince Edward Island$22,067

New Brunswick$20,029

Newfoundland and Labrador$18,911

Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador all average less than half of Ontario. If cost matters more than a big-city campus, start your search there. Statistics Canada will revise these preliminary figures.

What cheap tuition doesn't cover

IRCC requires every single applicant outside Quebec to show $23,448 a year for living costs, on top of tuition. At a $17,000 school, living costs can be more than half your total bill.

Province	Average one-bedroom rent	Student health insurance
Newfoundland and Labrador	$1,105	Varies by school
Prince Edward Island	$1,199	Varies by school
New Brunswick	$1,218	Varies by school
Quebec	$1,241	Varies by school
Manitoba	$1,254	Varies by school
Saskatchewan	$1,262	Varies by school
Alberta	$1,392	No premium with a 12-month study permit
Nova Scotia	$1,657	Varies by school
Ontario	$1,828	UHIP, $948 a year
British Columbia	$1,932	MSP, $75 a month

Rents are CMHC October 2025 averages for new tenants in buildings with three or more units. Health coverage rules differ by province, so check what your school charges.

The pattern holds. The cheapest provinces for tuition are also the cheapest for rent. A student at Memorial in St. John’s pays about a third of University of Toronto tuition, and the provincial average rent is roughly half of Toronto’s asking rent, so the gap in total cost is bigger than the tuition gap alone suggests.

Before you choose on price

Check the school is on IRCC’s list of PGWP-eligible institutions. Price has nothing to do with eligibility, but a work permit after graduation does.
Ask whether your rate is locked in. McGill and UBC limit or freeze increases for new international students. Many lower-cost schools don’t.
Compare per-credit prices on the same 30-credit basis. A low per-credit rate can hide a heavier course load.
Undergraduate spouses can’t get an open work permit, so a lower-cost school won’t help a two-income plan.

Want the higher-ranked options too? See the best universities for international students, or read the 2027 study permit rules.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest university in Canada for international students?

Among the fee schedules we checked, Université de Saint-Boniface in Winnipeg is the cheapest, at about $14,345 to $16,455 for a 30-credit year including fees. It teaches in French. Université de Moncton, at about $15,761, is the next cheapest, and it also teaches in French. For English-language study, UPEI ($16,670) and Brandon University ($16,856 for Arts) are among the lowest.

Which province is cheapest for international students?

Newfoundland and Labrador, with an average international undergraduate tuition of $18,911 in 2026-27. It also had the lowest one-bedroom rent of any province in CMHC's October 2025 survey, at $1,105 a month. Ontario is the most expensive province for tuition, at an average of $50,088.

Can I get a work permit after studying at a cheap university?

Yes, as long as the school is a PGWP-eligible institution. Tuition has no effect on eligibility. Bachelor's degree graduates have no field-of-study restriction, but they need CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French.

Does low tuition mean a cheaper degree overall?

Not always. Every study permit applicant outside Quebec must show $23,448 a year for living costs on top of tuition, so living costs make up a large share of the total at low-tuition schools. Rent and provincial health insurance vary a lot by city.