NCUK University Partner
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a top teaching and research university, consistently ranked among Canada’s top five institutions. It offers more than 450 student clubs and groups and lets students customise their own degree.
Tuition is competitive and the university sits in one of Canada’s more affordable urban centres. International students who apply for residence by 30 April are guaranteed a place, and tuition does not increase for the duration of a programme. Graduates may also apply for a three-year Post-Graduation Work Permit.
The campus sits in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta (one of Canada’s wealthiest provinces) beside the North Saskatchewan River valley, described as North America’s largest urban parkland, with access to the Canadian Rockies.
4th
in Canada (QS World University Rankings 2027)
96th
in the world (QS World University Rankings 2027)
91st
in the world (Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023)
6th
in the world for sustainability impact (THE Impact Rankings 2024)
International Admission Scholarship
Up to $5,000 CAD for top students, based on high school admission average. No application needed.
Regional Excellence Scholarship
Up to $5,000 CAD for top students from certain recruiting regions, based on admission average. No application needed.
Gold Standard Scholarship
Up to $6,000 CAD for students in the top 5% of their faculty, based on admission average. No application needed.
International Leader Scholarship
Up to $10,000 CAD for well-rounded leaders with strong academic records.
May Quon Undergraduate Scholarship
Up to $100,000 CAD over four years for first-year, self-declared-need students with a superior admission average who are Chinese or Hong Kong citizens on a student visa.
President's International Distinction Scholarship
Up to $120,000 CAD over four years for students with a superior admission average and demonstrated leadership entering their first undergraduate year.
Student life and clubs
Seasonal events include the Anti-Freeze Winter Festival, alongside year-round events such as comedy nights and pet therapy. With 450+ clubs and groups, students have plenty of opportunities for academic and personal development.
Careers
A Co-op programme and internships give students paid work experience, and the Career Centre offers job search help, career planning and workshops. The Entrepreneurship Centre (eHUB) supports interdisciplinary learning for aspiring founders, and the university points to Alberta’s energy and tech sectors as drivers of some of Canada’s highest average salaries.
City life in Edmonton
Edmonton offers arts, parks and festivals year-round, plus West Edmonton Mall, described on the page as North America’s largest mall.
Student support
Support includes academic advisors, mental health resources, academic assistance, language support, cultural adjustment workshops and international student clubs.
Accommodation and facilities
Residence halls offer shared study spaces, communal kitchens and social areas across a range of budgets.
Facilities include labs, media areas, lecture halls, sports facilities and a large library system, alongside research centres such as the Canadian Ice Core Archive, the National Institute for Nanotechnology and the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology.
Sports, societies and sustainability
The Golden Bears and Pandas compete through the Athletic Union, alongside societies such as the International Students’ Association and the Engineering Students’ Society.
Sustainability work is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on energy conservation, waste reduction and sustainable transport through programmes such as the Green Spaces Certification Program and Eco Move Out.
Veritas Pathways students on the International Foundation Year may progress to University of Alberta, subject to meeting its academic, English language, attendance and non-academic entry requirements.