University of Guelph
The University of Guelph offers programming in the physical and biological sciences, social sciences, arts and business. With roots in three founding colleges—including an agricultural college and a veterinary college—Guelph has expertise in food, the environment and communities. Through its Arrell Food Institute and the Food from Thought research program, Guelph works to find sustainable ways to feed the world’s growing population. Guelph is also the founding home of a global project aiming to catalogue all life on the planet using “DNA barcoding,” with a goal to ensure food security and protect endangered species. “Our students come to one of our three campuses to experience excellence in learning,” says interim president Rene Van Acker. “The student experience is a critical priority for us so that when our graduates leave, they feel prepared to enter their careers and become thinkers, innovators and leaders in the world.” Arts students also benefit from innovative programming, and English and theatre studies faculty include award-winning poets, authors and playwrights. Renovations to the MacKinnon Building include the Arts Research Centre, a multi-use performance and research facility that houses the ImprovLab, a theatre and a recital hall. The campus is centred on Johnston Green, which is ringed by mature oaks and beautiful century-old buildings. It has its share of brutalist architecture, which flourished in the ’60s and ’70s, but the welcoming green space of the Guelph Arboretum is a boon for the whole community.
Campus Buzz: Long known as having the best campus food in Canada, students can bring their favourite flavours home with the campus culinary team’s cookbook.
Quick facts
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$7,826 ($8,786 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 77.5-95% | Science: 87-96% | Commerce: 80-94% | Engineering: 90-96%
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 25,314 | Part-time: 3,176
Graduates: Full-time: 2,825 | Part-time: 312
International Students: First-year: 4.9% | Graduate: 29%
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 4,850 (4,600 reserved for first-year students)
Cost of double room with meals: $12,670 to $15,000
Cost of single room with meals: $13,952 to $16,580
Cost of apartment-style: $8,326 to $9,992
Standout programs
Creative Arts, Health and Wellness: Students explore how arts-based wellness practices benefit society and individuals by studying ethics in health care, community activist models and the professional responsibilities of health-care workers.
Mechatronics Engineering: In a field that merges mechanical, electrical and software engineering, students learn to create life-improving technology with enhanced automation.
Earth Observation and Geographic Information Science: Students study environmental systems and gain technical understanding of environmental monitoring and modelling, data science and analytics, and satellite-generated data and imagery.
