OCAD University

OCAD University, which is known for its studio-based and experiential art education and research, offers three bachelor’s streams in 18 majors, more than 20 art-related minors in subjects such as wearable technology, and six master’s degrees. The downtown Toronto campus borders on trendy Queen Street West and busy Chinatown. The refurbished Rosalie Sharp Pavilion is home to the Experiential Learning Centre, which provides hands-on learning opportunities for students, as well as the RBC Centre for Emerging Artists and Designers, which offers specialized creative career development—including advice, experiential learning placements, entrepreneurship, professional mentorship, gallery exhibitions and employment opportunities—for students and recent grads. OCAD U has additional space for graduate studies, research labs and studios on Richmond Street West, including the Onsite Gallery. Each spring, graduating students show their work over several days in a public exhibition, GradEx. Their audience includes recruiters looking for new talent for galleries and firms. The university has also implemented individual career supports for grads for one year after graduating. “At OCAD University, students learn and apply the necessary 21st-century skills of creativity, collaboration and problem-solving, not just in their areas of practice but across multiple disciplines,” says president Ana Serrano. “Our graduates are career-ready professionals who are fuelling innovation in all areas of the economy.” Students can choose to join one of the 57 registered student clubs.

Campus buzz: In a new peer-led mental-health program, student lead workshops, drop-in spaces and a mobile response team that supports students with non-urgent mental-health concerns.

Quick facts

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$7,351 to $8,293

Median Entering Grades
Not tracked. Minimum 70%, plus ­portfolio

Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 4,373 | Part-time: 377
Graduates: Full-time: 231 | Part-time: 77
International Students: First-year: 20% | Graduate: 53%

Housing Facts
Residence: Not offered

Standout programs

Digital Futures: Students develop games, wearable technology, mobile apps, virtual reality, interactive installations and augmented reality to solve problems and deal with contemporary issues. 
Experiential Animation: Students explore animation as a contemporary art form, using augmented/virtual reality, 2D, 3D, stop-motion and digital compositing animation. 
Criticism and Curatorial Practice: Students learn about professional practices in museums, galleries and other creative institutions and study with artists, curators, writers and designers.