Immigration
The cheapest DLI programs for international students eyeing Canada’s three most in-demand careers
For this list, we will be comparing the most popular DLI in each Canadian province according to the QS World University Rankings 2023. (Pexels photo)
According to Randstad, an employment agency and consulting firm with over 60 years of industry experience, the three most in-demand jobs across Canada are developers, human resource managers and mechanical engineers.
Appropriately, it can be expected that international students coming to Canada may lean toward pursuing educational programs that will prepare them for careers in these sought-after fields.
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In the hopes of aiding international students with that goal, the following will present the three Canadian Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) offering the cheapest tuition rates for programs that will help international students obtain careers in Canada’s most in-demand employment sectors.
Please note that the content below considers only tuition fees from each institution, rather than all fees (recreational, student services, dental/health etc.). In addition, unless otherwise noted, all tuition estimates below are from 2022/2023 (in CAD).
For this list, we will be comparing the most popular DLI in each Canadian province according to the QS World University Rankings 2023.
The 10 DLIs assessed include:
- McGill (Montreal, Quebec)
- University of British Columbia – UBC (Vancouver, British Columbia)
- University of Toronto – UofT (Toronto, Ontario)
- University of Alberta – UAlberta (Edmonton, Alberta)
- University of Manitoba – UManitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
- University of Saskatchewan – USask (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
- Dalhousie (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
- University of New Brunswick – UNB (Fredericton, New Brunswick)
- Memorial University of Newfoundland – Memorial (St. John’s, Newfoundland)
- University of Prince Edward Island – UPEI (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island)
It was important to compare DLIs here because these are educational institutions in Canada that have been approved by the government to accept international students. Studying at these institutions also allows international student graduates to obtain a Post-Graduation Work Permit(PGWP), which enables them to acquire key Canadian work experience they will need to eventually become permanent residents in Canada.
Job 1: Developers
On Randstad’s list of the 15 top jobs trending in Canada in 2023, the first position was taken by developers. As described by Randstad, “developers design and code programs based on user needs: from smartphone apps to business accounting programs to operating systems.”
Typically, people in this role have an educational background in computer science. All 10 of the assessed DLIs offer computer science programs, the cheapest of which are offered by UPEI, UNB and Memorial.
Note: Memorial provides only general estimates, rather than program-specific values, regarding tuition (including for international students)
At UPEI, a full year of tuition for undergraduate international students is estimated at $6,750 for programs in the Faculty of Science. According to the most recently available data from UNB, undergraduate international students in the computer science program will pay $19,360 in tuition every year. Finally, Memorial, in Newfoundland, provides a $20,000 estimated international student tuition.
Among the assessed DLIs, the two most expensive programs in this field are offered at UManitoba (approx. $77,196 per year for students in Science) and UofT, where annual international student tuition is $60,510 for undergraduates studying computer science (2023/24).
Note: UManitoba presents all tuition figures on a per-credit basis, which has been multiplied by the expected full-course load (120 credit hours) to estimate the total annual tuition
The following table presents all 10 assessed DLIs, ordered from cheapest to most expensive computer science-related program tuition.
| Province | Institution Name | Tuition Cost | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | UPEI (Charlottetown) | $6,750 | source |
| New Brunswick | UNB (Fredericton) | $19,360 | source |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Memorial (St. John’s) | $20,000 | source |
| Saskatchewan | USask (Saskatoon) | $26,359 | source |
| Alberta | UAlberta (Edmonton) | $31,895.40 | source |
| Nova Scotia | Dalhousie (Halifax) | $35,000 | source |
| British Columbia | UBC (Vancouver) | $46,295.70 | source |
| Quebec | McGill (Montreal) | $55,389.30 | source |
| Ontario | UofT (Toronto) | $60,510 | source |
| Manitoba | UManitoba (Winnipeg) | $77,196 | source |
Job 2: Human Resources (HR) Managers
HR managers were ranked as the second most in-demand job across Canada according to Randstad. People in these roles, generally speaking, “oversee the company’s human resource functions, including recruitment and workforce management.”
Once again, all assessed DLIs offer an HR-related program, although some institutions offer full four-year undergraduate programs and others offer certificate programs that can be completed in less than a year.
Still, the cheapest HR programs for international students can be found at:
- Dalhousie: $3,135 (see note below)
- UPEI: $6,750 (annual tuition)
- Memorial: $20,000
Note: Dalhousie’s HR management certificate program includes three courses that each last 12 weeks
On the other hand, the two most expensive HR programs offered by these DLIs can be found at McGill and UManitoba. At McGill, annual undergraduate international student tuition is $63,693.60 for students pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce. Meanwhile, UManitoba approximates tuition costs of around $85,999.20 per year for students studying Management at the Asper School of Business.
The following table presents all 10 assessed DLIs, ordered from cheapest to most expensive HR-related program tuition.
| Province | Institution Name | Tuition Cost | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Scotia | Dalhousie (Halifax) | $3,135 | source |
| Prince Edward Island | UPEI (Charlottetown) | $6,750 | source |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Memorial (St. John’s) | $20,000 | source |
| New Brunswick | UNB (Fredericton) | $20,158 | source |
| Saskatchewan | USask (Saskatoon) | $30,060 | source |
| Alberta | UAlberta (Edmonton) | $37,842 | source |
| British Columbia | UBC (Vancouver) | $58,153.50 | source |
| Ontario | UofT (Toronto) | $60,510 | source |
| Quebec | McGill (Montreal) | $63,693.60 | source |
| Manitoba | UManitoba (Winnipeg) | $85,999.20 | source |
Job 3: Mechanical Engineers
Canada’s third-most in-demand job of 2023 belongs to the mechanical engineering industry. Mechanical engineers help with “developing and designing machines that solve human problems … [finding ways to] control and automate manufacturing systems and [solve various] environmental problems.”
The cheapest mechanical engineering programs for international students can be found at UPEI, UNB and Memorial. Their annual international student tuition estimates are listed as follows:
- UPEI: $6,750
- Memorial: $20,000
- UNB: $21,337 (for undergraduate international students in the Faculty of Engineering)
Once again, UofT and UManitoba offer the most expensive tuition rates for international students seeking to study mechanical engineering. At UofT, annual international student tuition is $65,410 for students pursuing undergraduate degrees in the school’s Bachelor of Applied Science programs (2023/2024). Meanwhile, UManitoba approximates tuition costs of around $77,196 per year for students studying in a science program.
The following table presents all 10 assessed DLIs, ordered from cheapest to most expensive tuition for mechanical engineering programs.
| Province | Institution Name | Tuition Cost | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward Island | UPEI (Charlottetown) | $6,750 | source |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Memorial (St. John’s) | $20,000 | source |
| New Brunswick | UNB (Fredericton) | $21,337 | source |
| Saskatchewan | USask (Saskatoon) | $35,071 | source |
| Nova Scotia | Dalhousie (Halifax) | $40,800 | source |
| Alberta | UAlberta (Edmonton) | $42,707.40 | source |
| Quebec | McGill (Montreal) | $55,389.30 | source |
| British Columbia | UBC (Vancouver) | $57,735.91 | source |
| Ontario | UofT (Toronto) | $65,410 | source |
| Manitoba | UManitoba (Winnipeg) | $77,196 | source |
