What college and university really cost in Ontario
Tuition is the smaller part. Living away from home usually costs more than the program itself. Here are the real figures from the schools' own pages, for 2026 to 2027.
Updated October 30, 2026 · 2 min read · Canada
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The figures below were read from each Ontario university's and college's own fee pages for the 2026 to 2027 year. They are for a student from Ontario, for the first year. Every school's own figures are on its page on this site, with the source under each one.
University tuition: about $6,200 for most programs
For an arts, social science or general science program, first-year tuition is between $5,916 and $6,250 at every Ontario university. Some programs charge more: engineering is usually $10,000 to $14,000 a year, business about $10,000 and computer science about $8,500. The highest we found is Queen's Commerce at $16,613.
Add the school's compulsory fees, which run from about $700 to $3,672 a year (about $1,500 at a typical school), and books, which the schools estimate at $1,000 to $1,500 for most programs.
Residence is the biggest cost
A residence room with a meal plan in first year costs about $16,200 at a typical Ontario university, and between $14,000 and $18,000 at most. The lowest we found are Hearst at $3,830 and Nipissing at $8,340; the most expensive University of Toronto residences reach $29,700.
So a first year away from home is roughly $25,000 all in, and the same year living at home is roughly $9,000 plus travel. That gap is why a school close to home can be worth more than it looks.
College costs less
Tuition for an Ontario college diploma is about $2,800 a year at a typical program, and about $4,600 with the college's fees added. Some two-year diplomas charge more, up to about $7,900 a year for paramedic and film programs, and some three-year advanced diplomas in health fields charge more again, up to $12,934 a year for Georgian's Denturism. Diplomas take two or three years, so the whole credential often costs less than one year of university away from home.
OSAP: grants first, then loans
The Ontario Student Assistance Program, known as OSAP, gives grants, which are money you do not have to pay back, and student loans, which are repaid once school is done.
The government's OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) aid estimator works out how much your family could get. Applications for the 2026 to 2027 year are already open. Almost every Ontario university also gives an automatic entrance scholarship based on the admission average, with no separate application; the comparer on this site shows each school's amount for a given average.
Before you compare offers
Compare the whole year, not the tuition: tuition, fees, books, and where your child will live. Two programs with the same tuition can be $10,000 apart once residence or rent is counted.
Where to go next
Sources
- Ontario: OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program)
- Ontario: learn about OSAP (grants and loans)
- Queen's University: undergraduate tuition fees
- Queen's University: residence fees
- Western University: residence fees and payment
- Nipissing University: residence rates
- Université de Hearst: residences
- Université de Hearst: tuition for Canadian undergraduates
- University of Toronto: housing for first-year students
- Carleton University: fall 2026 and winter 2027 undergraduate fees for Ontario students
- Georgian College: fee schedule
- University of Waterloo: fee schedule for Ontario undergraduates, fall 2026
General information, not financial or career advice.