University of Alberta

Founded 1908 | Edmonton, AB

The research-intensive University of Alberta offers more than 200 undergraduate programs and over 500 graduate programs. Located on the edge of the North Saskatchewan River, near Whyte Avenue where Edmontonians shop and socialize, the main campus is a serene green space surrounded by newer steel-and-glass buildings devoted to engineering, science and medicine. U of A has three other campuses in Edmonton, including francophone Campus Saint-Jean. The close-knit Augustana Campus is in nearby Camrose.

“As one of Canada’s and the world’s top universities, we are confident you will find your purpose at the University of Alberta,” says president Bill Flanagan. “Immerse yourself in our vibrant, diverse community of changemakers and community builders, and lead with purpose.”

With an endowment of $1.6 billion, U of A is home to a $20-million Canada Excellence Research Chair and averages roughly $597 million in annual research funding. In 2020, U of A virologist Michael Houghton won a Nobel Prize for his work in the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. Undergraduates receive a strong foundation from professors who have been awarded more 3M National Teaching Fellowships than any other Canadian university. Drawing on U of A programming, the new Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization initiative will help communities to create a future where Indigenous languages are spoken in all aspects of life.

Standout Programs

• Forestry: The program includes the renewable resources field school. Students spend 16 days throughout the program getting hands-on experience in forested areas, learning about ecology, animals, field operations and conservation science.

• Aboriginal Teacher Education Program: This program trains students in how to incorporate Indigenous perspectives in the classroom; includes access to community Elders and a remote learning option.

• Nursing: In this honours program, students receive the same clinical preparation as in the collaborative and after degree nursing programs, but can conduct research and present it at conferences.

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)

$7,672

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 71-88% | Science: 71-87% | Engineering: 82-84%

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 31,052 | Part-time: 2,878

Graduates: Full-time: 6,836 | Part-time: 1,566

International Students: First-year: 15.3%

Graduate: 46.5%

Male-Female Ratio: 45 to 55

Housing Facts

Residence Spaces: 4,765 (2,256 reserved for first-year students)

Residence Costs: Single room: $6,916 to $9,862

Double room with meals: $13,245 to $13,908

Single room with meals: $12,246 to $18,985

Apartment-style: $6,192 to $15,048

Cool Courses

• Game Artificial Intelligence: Students learn how AI can be utilized in digital games.

• Global Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals: The course takes a global perspective with a focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Student Life on Campus

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