Douglas College

Douglas College’s namesake is Sir James Douglas, who was born in 1803 and became British Columbia’s first governor. Douglas offers 12 bachelor’s degrees as well as certificate, diploma and post-degree programs, and has nearly 25,000 students each year. Upwards of 4,200 international students from more than 92 countries attend the college. Douglas’s main campuses are in New Westminster and Coquitlam, with training centres serving Surrey, Burnaby and Maple Ridge. As part of the school’s efforts to reduce energy consumption, it began updating the Coquitlam campus in 2021 by installing new walls and windows. 

Students can complete two years of their degree at Douglas, taking advantage of the college’s smaller class sizes, and then transfer to a university. Douglas also offers a degree program that allows for simultaneous study at Simon Fraser University. The school tailors each program to offer practical opportunities in co-ops, job shadowing, internships, community projects and applied research with its partner organizations. In response to the nursing shortage in B.C., Douglas is expanding its bachelor of nursing programs so more students can train each year.

A new 20-storey building at the New Westminster campus will have both academic spaces and student housing—a first for the school. The building is expected to open in the fall of 2027.

Quick facts

School size:
Mid-size

Tuition:
Degree $3,500-$5,100
Diploma $3,600
Certificate $3,600
Post-Grad $4,200 (2024 figures)

Residence offerings:
No

Popular programs

Associate Degree in Science
Associate Degree in Psychology
Associate Degree in Arts 
General Studies Diploma
Criminology Diploma

Cool options

Therapeutic Recreation: In this two-year diploma program, students learn to assess, plan, implement and evaluate leisure services to assist people with physical barriers in participating in leisure activities. These could include fitness classes or gardening.
Hearing Instrument Practitioner: Students train to test hearing, dispense and program hearing aids and counsel patients on managing ongoing hearing loss. 
Geological Resources: Graduates of this program work in mining and mineral exploration as geological technicians, or continue on to complete a university degree.