University admission in Canada

Official entry requirements

As classified by the country with UNESCO (ISCED 2011), reference year 2020. Universities may set higher requirements.

School-leaving qualification (upper secondary)

• Upper secondary education or equivalent - General3 years, from age 15

  Minimum entry: Completed lower secondary (ISCED 244, 254)

  Awards: General secondary school programmes General high school programmes General Equivalency Diploma (GED) programmesfor attainment only, would not be included as a ‘program’ Adult Basic Education (ABE) programmes

Bachelor's or equivalent (first degree)

• Bachelor's degree education or equivalent3 years, from age 18

  Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344, 354)

  Awards: Undergraduate or Bachelor’s degree programmes Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Law Collaborative/joint/associate degree

Short-cycle tertiary (diplomas)

• Postsecondary general, career or technical education or equivalent - Career or technical or equivalent2 years, from age 18

  Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344, 354)

  Awards: Postsecondary skills programmes (typically completed in two or more years) that usually lead to a specific career path and into the labour market that are neither apprenticeship, pre-university, undergraduate nor graduate programmes: -College diploma -Dip

• Postsecondary general, career or technical education or equivalent -Above career or technical certificate or diploma or equivalent1 years, from age 21

  Minimum entry: Completed upper secondary (ISCED 344, 354)

  Awards: -Postsecondary skills programmes that usually lead to a specific career path and into the labour market and require a certificate or a diploma from a career or technical training programmes: -Advanced certificate or diploma -Advanced citation -Applied c