Vancouver Island University
Vancouver Island University offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, education and sciences, as well as trades and graduate programs, professional development and training, and academic preparation. New for the fall of 2025, VIU offers a fully online option for the first two years of business administration, providing flexibility for those who work or have other commitments. The remainder of the degree takes place at the Nanaimo campus, with the option to obtain a certificate in business management or a business administration diploma. Additionally, students of business admin or science can join a learning community, enrolling in a set of courses as part of a student group who have the same homework, exams and teachers to make first year more coherent. For those interested in coastal and marine research, there’s the Deep Bay Marine Field Station with state-of-the-art labs and a seawater tank near an estuarine ecosystem. The Health and Science Centre houses research and teaching labs for chemistry, environmental research, nursing and other health programs.The main campus is located on a mountain slope overlooking the Salish Sea on Vancouver Island’s east coast. There are also regional campuses in the Cowichan Valley and Powell River, and a learning centre in Parksville. “At VIU, faculty and staff support students to tackle real-world problems through a hands-on approach to learning,” says president Deborah Saucier. “This leads to students building deeper connections with their learning.” VIU works to improve access to post-secondary education through initiatives such as a tuition-waiver program for former youth in care, upgrading courses, student success coaching and a bridging program for Indigenous students.
Campus buzz: Construction is under way on a new 266-bed residence that will increase on-campus housing by nearly 50 per cent, and use the university’s geo-exchange energy system for heating and cooling.
Quick facts
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$5,826
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 60% | Science: 66% | Commerce: 60% | Engineering: 66%
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 4,707 | Part-time: 2,392
Graduates: Full-time: 742 | Part-time: 400
International Students: First-year: 15.3% | Graduate: 68.7%
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 528 (first-year priority)
Cost of double room: $4,800 to $5,230 |
Cost of single room: $8,430 to 8,760
Cost of apartment-style: $4,800 to $8,760
Standout programs
Graphic Design: For visual communicators who are interested in a creative career, this hands-on program is taught in studios using industry-leading technologies.
Child and Youth Care: Through classroom learning and two 300-hour practicums, students learn how to improve the lives of children, youth and families.
Creative Writing: Students learn–often through a workshop format—about working as a professional writer with teachers who are also published, award-winning authors, poets and journalists.
VIU offers a range of degree, diploma and certificate programs and is profiled in both the Ultimate Guide to Canadian Universities and the Ultimate Guide to Canadian Colleges. To learn more about the school’s diploma programs, visit the VIU’s college profile.
