The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of Canada's five largest research universities, with particular strengths in engineering, energy, artificial intelligence and health sciences. For international students, its most distinctive feature is financial predictability: undergraduate tuition is guaranteed for the duration of the degree, fixed by your starting cohort, so a family can plan four years of fees without guessing at annual increases.
Fees — 2026-27 starters (international undergraduates, CAD per year)
| Faculty / campus | Tuition + programme fees |
|---|---|
| Faculty of Arts | 39,233 |
| Faculty of Science | 39,792 |
| Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences | 39,233 |
| Alberta School of Business | 46,547 |
| Faculty of Engineering | 49,952 |
| Augustana campus (Arts / Science / Social Sciences) | 35,908 |
The tuition guarantee is the key planning fact: the rate set for your cohort is fixed for the full duration of a bachelor's degree, so the Fall 2027 increase affects new starters, not continuing students. Worked example from published listings: a Bachelor of Science at CAD 39,792 in 2026-27 rises by an estimated 5.5% for Fall 2027 starters to about CAD 41,981 — use the university's fee calculator for your exact programme and cohort rather than this estimate. Graduate fees differ: standard course-based graduate programmes cost about CAD 826.36 per credit in 2026-27, and the full-time MBA costs about CAD 82,400.
Programmes
Alberta offers undergraduate and graduate programmes across Engineering (including Computer, Chemical, Civil, Electrical and Mechanical), Science (including Computing Science and the sciences), Business, Arts, Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences, Nursing, and Medicine and Dentistry at graduate and professional level. Its engineering faculty is among Canada's largest, with strong co-op programmes, and its computing science department is internationally known for artificial intelligence and machine learning research — a genuine strength, not a marketing claim, with a deep faculty bench in reinforcement learning and related fields. Augustana, the smaller liberal-arts campus in Camrose, offers a different experience — small classes, close faculty contact, lower fees — for students who prefer it to the large North Campus in Edmonton.
Admission
Applications are direct to the University of Alberta (not through OUAC, which is Ontario-only). The published undergraduate deadline for Fall intake is 1 March 2027 — confirm your programme's date, as some programmes close earlier and documents follow separate deadlines. English proficiency is typically IELTS 6.5 or above, TOEFL 90 or above, PTE 61 or above, or Duolingo 120 or above, with programme-specific variations. Academic requirements are published by curriculum; FSc, A-level and IB applicants each have conversion tables on the university's admissions pages. Competitive programmes — Engineering, Business, Nursing, Computing Science — admit well above the minimum, so treat minimums as eligibility floors, not as competitive scores.
Edmonton, work and after graduation
Edmonton is Alberta's capital and a winter city — budget for real winter clothing and for a campus life built around indoor facilities for half the year. Living costs are lower than in Vancouver or Toronto, which partly offsets the tuition. As a public DLI, Alberta degrees are PGWP-eligible, and Alberta's Provincial Nominee Program (Alberta Advantage Immigration Program) offers graduate streams that make the province attractive for students planning permanent residence — check the current stream rules, as provincial programmes change frequently. Co-op work terms in engineering and business add paid experience and employer connections that matter more for the PGWP-to-PR pathway than grades alone.
FAQs
How much is University of Alberta tuition? CAD 35,908–49,952 a year for 2026-27 international undergraduate starters, by faculty, with a tuition guarantee for the degree duration.
Will Fall 2027 tuition be higher? Yes — a 5.5% increase for new international undergraduates has been approved for Fall 2027.
What is the Fall application deadline? Published as 1 March 2027 for undergraduate Fall intake — confirm your programme's date on the university's pages.
Is Alberta PGWP-eligible? Yes, as a public university and DLI, subject to IRCC's programme rules.
What English score do I need? Typically IELTS 6.5+, TOEFL 90+, PTE 61+ or Duolingo 120+, varying by programme.
Related guides on Pakunii
Canada Study Permit Guide 2027 · University of Toronto Profile · UBC Complete Profile · IELTS Academic Guide
Sources and verification: Alberta 2026-27 international UG tuition: Arts CAD 39,233, Science CAD 39,792, ALES CAD 39,233, Business CAD 46,547, Engineering CAD 49,952, Augustana CAD 35,908; total cost CAD 56,127–78,439; Fall 2027 increase 5.5% approved; Fall deadline 1 March 2027; graduate per-credit CAD 826.36; MBA CAD 82,400 — per University of Alberta published fee listings, re-checked October 2026.