costs & funding
Canada is genuinely cheaper than the US, UK or Australia for comparable programmes — but the money you must prove has risen, and the figure most people quote is out of date.
Canada publishes official national averages through Statistics Canada, which is unusual and useful — most destinations leave you with consultancy estimates.
International undergraduate, national average: CAD 41,746/year
International graduate, national average: CAD 24,028/year
Averages hide enormous variation by province, institution and field. The realistic ranges:
The cheapest route by far is a college diploma, and geography matters enormously: Atlantic Canada runs roughly CAD 20,000 a year cheaper than Toronto or Vancouver. Memorial University in Newfoundland sits near the bottom of the undergraduate range.
This is the number that decides your application, and it changed on 1 September 2025.
Living funds, single applicant outside Quebec: CAD 22,895/year, plus first-year tuition, plus travel.
Quebec sets its own higher figure: around CAD 24,617
Worked example: with CAD 35,000 tuition you would show roughly CAD 59,000+
CAD 20,635 is out of date. It is still quoted constantly by consultancies and older guides. If a source gives you that figure, it has not been updated since 2025.
The Student Direct Stream ended, and with it the requirement to buy a Guaranteed Investment Certificate. A lot of advice has not caught up.
The GIC is now optional, not required
Acceptable evidence: bank statements covering roughly the last 4 months, a GIC, an education-loan approval letter, proof of paid tuition or housing, or a sponsor's funds
In practice a GIC remains strong evidence and is still widely recommended, because it demonstrates funds are liquid and genuinely available. Just know you are choosing it, not obeying a rule — and that anyone telling you it is mandatory is working from outdated information.
Health cover is provincial and varies genuinely. Some provinces extend public coverage to international students — British Columbia does, after a waiting period. Others require a private or university plan, as Ontario does through UHIP. Confirm by province and institution before budgeting, because the difference is real money.
Reference rate used here: 1 CAD ≈ NPR 98–100
The CAD 22,895 proof-of-funds figure is roughly NPR 22.5–22.9 lakh
Average undergraduate tuition is roughly NPR 41–42 lakh per year
Off-campus work: 24 hours per week while your course is in session, and unlimited during scheduled breaks.
Canada's work allowance is among the most generous of any destination — but it funds living costs, not tuition, and an application that appears to depend on it reads badly.
Nepali bank education loans are commonly used, and the approval letter is acceptable evidence. Specific rates: not published