Cape Breton University

Students from more than 60 countries study at Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton University. The school is dedicated to supporting local communities and emerging regional industries and has a focus on community involvement and entrepreneurship. The university has a strong relationship with the island’s Indigenous communities: CBU was the first university in Canada to offer a Mi’kmaq studies program. The school is strengthening its online course options and offering a select number of courses for credit, certificate or curiosity. “We are continuously working to create a strong sense of belonging and meaningful connections for students who choose to study with us by always putting their needs first,” says president David Dingwall. “The path to academic and personal success is not necessarily linear and it is equally important to nurture the student as a whole so that every student, no matter where they are from, has a unique, meaningful and memorable university experience.” CBU helps supply the oil and gas industry of Atlantic Canada with skilled workers, through programs in petroleum technology and petroleum engineering that attract students from as far away as Kuwait. In September, the new CBU medical school welcomed its first cohort of students. The medical school, through a partnership with Dalhousie University, provides a pathway for rural Nova Scotia residents to study medicine at CBU’s Sydney campus. Meanwhile, the Centre for Discovery and Innovation, set to open in 2028, will house state-of-the-art research and instructional facilities for science-
based programs. Full-time students also have access to the fitness centre at the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex, which includes an eight-lane synthetic track.

Campus Buzz: The new Student Commons offers a place for students to hang out, study, get tech support, attend workshops and meet with advising and career services. Students can also book the space for activities. 

Quick facts

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$8,895 ($10,454 out-of-province students)

Median Entering Grades
Arts: 65% | Science: 65% | Commerce: 65% | Engineering: 65%

Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 5,878 | Part-time: 1,673 
Graduates: Full-time: 268 | Part-time: 154 
International Students: First-year: 12.9% | Graduate: 80.6%

Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 534 (guaranteed for first-year students)
Cost of double room with meals: $8,860 to $11,310
Cost of single room with meals: $11,530 to $14,830
Cost of apartment-style: $7,080

Standout programs

Education: Offered both in person and online, students learn strong pedagogy, inclusive practices and how to teach using experiential learning methods. 
Hospitality and Tourism Management: This three-year program includes two paid internships and integrates hospitality and tourism with business education.
Health Sciences, Public Health: Students study food safety, water and air quality, communicable disease control and occupational health and safety. Graduates can become certified public-health inspectors.

Reputation

Ranked #16 (Primarily Undergraduate) among faculty members and hiring managers in the 2025 reputation survey, powered by Angus Reid Group.