Vancouver Island University
The main campus of Vancouver Island University (VIU), in Nanaimo, is located on a mountain slope overlooking the Salish Sea on Vancouver Island’s east coast. VIU offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, education and sciences, as well as trades and graduate programs, professional development and training, and academic preparation. The school’s Indigenous/Xwulmuxw studies program is a collaboration between Vancouver Island University and the First Nations of Vancouver Island and Coastal British Columbia.
For students interested in coastal and marine research, the Deep Bay Marine Field Station offers 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.
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. VIU’s Indigenous Gathering Place has ceremonial spaces, Elder-in-Residence offices and washroom facilities, and is a fully accessible building.
VIU just broke ground on a new residence building and a 200-seat dining hall on the Nanaimo campus, which will increase on-campus student accommodations by nearly 50 per cent. In the spring of 2025, the new Centre for Trauma and Mental Health Research launched, aiming to address the impacts of trauma, brain injury and mental-health challenges.
Quick facts
School size:
Mid-sized
Tuition:
Degree $5,800-$14,500
Diploma $5,800- $8,300
Certificate $5,700-$13,500
Post-Grad $5,700-$14,500
Residence offerings:
Yes
Popular programs
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Science—Nursing
Cool options
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: This one-year, graduate-level program trains health-care professionals to deliver psychedelic-
assisted therapies.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology: This diploma program covers culture, fisheries habitat and fish stock assessment, fisheries regulations and production management.
Recreational Vehicle Service Technician Apprenticeship: Students work with technology and gain hands-on training working on customer RVs.
Vancouver Island University 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 degree programs, visit the Vancouver Island University university profile.