Canada’s Best Primarily Undergraduate Universities for 2026

#1: Mount Allison University

Tuition: $11,775 
Minimum Entering Grades:

Arts: 72% | Science: 74.18% | Commerce: 70%

Mount Allison delivers a quality liberal arts and science education in picturesque Sackville, N.B. “Mount Allison offers a high-quality academic experience...

#2: University of Northern British Columbia

Tuition: $7,032
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 65.2% | Science: 68% | Commerce: 58% | Engineering: 78.6%

Where else but at the University of Northern British Columbia can you study in a teaching and learning centre with a 360-degree panoramic view that stretches all the way to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains...

#3: Acadia University

Tuition:$10,417 ($11,781 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 70% | Science: 70% | Business: 70% | Engineering: 70%

More than a third of the students at Acadia University, located in the Annapolis Valley, live on campus, which translates to less time commuting...

#4: St. Francis Xavier University

Tuition: $10,668 ($11,951 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 70.6% | Science: 71% | Commerce: 72.4% | Engineering: 74.2%

Tucked away in the small town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, St. Francis Xavier caters mainly to undergraduates in arts, science, business and education...

#5: Saint Mary’s University

Tuition: $10,119 ($11,402 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 70.2% | Science: 71.2% | Commerce: 70% | Engineering: 70.25%

Saint Mary’s University keeps classes small, with an average of 40 students in an introductory course. Saint Mary’s also has a strong international community...

#6*: Lakehead University

Tuition: $7,380
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 70% | Science: 70% | Commerce: 70% | Engineering: 70%

Lakehead University offers a broad range of degree and diploma programs—including programs designed for Indigenous students—across nine faculties...

#6*: Trent University

Tuition: $8,071 ($9,109 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 70-80% | Science: 70-80% | Commerce: 70-85% | Engineering: 80%

Born during the tumultuous ’60s, Trent University is a liberal arts and science school in the very best sense...

#8: University of Lethbridge

Tuition: $8,219
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 65% | Science: 65% | Commerce: 65%

The University of Lethbridge’s University Hall is surrounded by green hills that make it look like a ship on an emerald ocean—fitting for a school that is always charting new territory...

#9: Bishop’s University

Tuition:$4,912 ($11,207 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 80%; R score 24 | Science: 80%; R score 24 | Commerce: 80%; R score 24 |

Founded when many of the area’s residents were anglophones, Bishop’s University offers an English-language, liberal education...

#10: Ontario Tech University

Tuition: $8,482 ($9,095 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 70-73% | Science: 70-85% | Commerce: 73-75% | Engineering: 75-85%

Signs of innovation are everywhere at Ontario Tech University. The north Oshawa campus reflects the university’s emphasis on technology...

#11: University of Prince Edward Island

Tuition: $8,454
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 71% | Science: 70% | Commerce: 70% | Engineering: 76%

The only university on Prince Edward Island, UPEI has nine faculties, including veterinary medicine...

#12*: St. Thomas University

Tuition: $9,730
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 70%

St. Thomas University is an exclusively undergraduate liberal arts institution with an innovative curriculum that emphasizes cross-disciplinary learning and strong teaching...

#12* University of Winnipeg

Tuition: $6,448
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 59% | Science: 55.6% | Commerce: 54.3%

The University of Winnipeg prides itself on its small class sizes and range of degree programs, which include everything from human rights to dance to neuroscience...

#14: Université de Moncton

Tuition: $8,983
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 72.96% | Science: 82% | Commerce: 68.1% | Engineering: 70.46%

The Université de Moncton might be small, but it punches above its weight. Graduates include the chief justice of the province, a former lieutenant governor...

#15: Brandon University

Tuition: $6,182
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 67.8% | Science: 64% | Commerce or Business: 59.6%

A small school in a prairie city of about 50,000, Brandon University has a full complement of programs ranging from fine arts to business to pre-professional programs...

#16: Laurentian University

Tuition: $7,293 ($7,915 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 72% | Science: 72% | Commerce: 72% | Engineering: 75%

Laurentian University serves its region and beyond with strengths in rural and northern health, education, engineering sustainable mining and environmental remediation...

#17: Mount Saint Vincent University

Tuition: $9,792 ($10,850 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 67% | Science: 65.85% | Commerce: 74.4%

At a time when women could not vote, Mount Saint Vincent was the only institution in Canada dedicated to higher education for women. The Mount has been admitting men since the 1960s...

#18: Nipissing University

Tuition: $7,757 ($8,431 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 70% | Science: 70% | Commerce: 70%

Nipissing University is located in North Bay, on a wooded escarpment overlooking the shores of Lake Nipissing. The campus boasts hiking and snowshoeing trails...

#19: Cape Breton University

Tuition: $9,029 ($10,330 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 65% | Science: 65% | Commerce: 65% | Engineering: 65%

Students from more than 80 countries study at Nova Scotia’s Cape Breton University. The school is dedicated to supporting local communities...

#20: Algoma University

Tuition: $6,888
Minimum Entering Grades:
Arts: 65% | Science: 70% | Commerce: 70%

Algoma University is an undergraduate-only institution, offering degrees in more than 30 programs, including environmental science, business...