Nursing

Nursing is more than a calling—it’s a respected industry filled with highly skilled professionals with extensive medical knowledge. It’s also part of a booming job market: Ontario alone needs at least 25,000 more registered nurses just to keep on pace with the rest of the country. Across Canada, an additional 28,000 registered nurses, 14,000 licensed practical nurses and 2,700 nurse practitioners are needed by 2031, according to Health Canada. Competitive starting salaries add to the appeal: registered nurses earn an average of $80,000, depending on their region of work.

Both colleges and universities offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in nursing. Most have direct-entry programs for students right after high school; many also offer accelerated or advanced-standing programs for applicants with prior post-secondary education. Biology, chemistry, English and advanced functions are among the core requirements for aspiring nursing undergrads, along with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Most applications also require supplementary materials; depending on the school, this might include a written or video-recorded response or a completed Casper assessment, which is a situational judgment test that gauges non-academic strengths like empathy, emotional intelligence, communication, collaboration and cultural sensitivity. 

While many nurses spend their careers in hospitals, a nursing degree can be a pathway to opportunities beyond the front line, like public health or advocacy. Scholarly minded students can pursue a Ph.D. and become university professors or academic researchers. Others can help ease the pain of the national family doctor shortage by getting a master’s degree to become a registered nurse practitioner. Nurse practitioners provide primary care, like diagnosing illnesses, treating broken limbs and prescribing medications, and can earn as much as $120,000 a year (or more).

When choosing a program, students should consider the type of nursing work they hope to engage in—for example, working in long-term care versus a career in pediatrics. Regardless of which specialty nurses gravitate to, first-year students get a strong health and social sciences foundation while developing their clinical skills. They practice on computerized manikins that simulate real-life medical situations, such as childbirth and heart attacks, and work with low-risk patients (or actors pretending to be patients) throughout their studies. 

Students should also consider the number and type of placement opportunities available at their prospective university. For example, McGill has several clinical sites throughout Quebec, including three major hospitals and community palliative care residences. McMaster, meanwhile, is affiliated with two hospital systems, each including several hospitals in Hamilton (with one right on campus) and numerous community health-care facilities in the surrounding region. Students spend a set number of hours per week in various clinic settings at local hospitals and in the community. In the latter stages of most nursing programs, they’re assigned a nurse preceptor who they shadow full-time for around four months. Some students complete their placements near their school; others who have gone away for school return to their hometowns.

No matter which school they choose, aspiring nurses can look forward to a comprehensive and well-rounded learning experience that prepares them for real-world care.

Standout Nursing Programs

Our standout programs are based on research by our team of journalists who speak to industry experts, educational consultants and others to develop a selection of programs worth considering. This is not a ranked list.

Laurentian University

Degree: Bachelor of science in nursing

Located in Sudbury, Ontario, Laurentian University’s nursing program is offered in both English and French. The school reserves a few spots each year for First Nations, Métis or Inuit students as part of a tri-cultural mandate. The four-year program features small class sizes and integrates social, health and nursing sciences into classroom and laboratory simulations. Clinical placements in the Sudbury area start in first year. Fourth-year students have the opportunity for early entry into Laurentian’s master of science in nursing program. 

Queen’s University

Degree: Bachelor of nursing science

Queen’s University’s nursing program is lauded for its experiential learning and student life experience. It’s also known for its students’ high pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam, the test to become a registered nurse in Canada. Beginning in second year, students complete rotating clinical and community placements in a variety of nursing settings. There are opportunities in third year for hands-on experience in maternity, pediatrics, mental health and medical/surgical areas. Students with at least two years of undergrad education can apply to the accelerated standing track program and get their nursing degree in two years. 

University of Alberta

Degree: Bachelor of science in nursing

University of Alberta students can begin their degree at an affiliate school such as Red Deer Polytechnic, Keyano College in Fort McMurray or Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie, and complete the degree in Edmonton or remain on the smaller campus. The school also offers a bilingual bachelor of science in nursing, taught in both English and French, and a two-year after-degree program for those with a prior undergrad degree.

University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus

Degree: Bachelor of science in nursing

The nursing program offered at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna is one of the province’s few direct-entry, four-year bachelor of science in nursing programs. This makes it ideal for students who know right out of high school that nursing is the path for them. Students in the program benefit from a degree from a large, well-known institution and state-of-the art labs and simulation technology, all while studying on a smaller campus with close ties to the health-care community.

McMaster University

Degree: Bachelor of science in nursing

McMaster’s four-year bachelor of science in nursing program features clinical placements that start in second year and increase in length and intensity. This hands-on training fits well with McMaster’s model of student- driven learning: students are encouraged to collaborate with colleagues to come up with solutions during simulation scenarios, a practice that teaches future nurses to think on their feet and problem-solve under pressure.