As students return to universities and degree-granting colleges this fall, they will face relatively modest changes in tuition fees. However, a closer look at the figures reveals a widening gap in tuition costs between Canadian and international students, as well as a large variation across provinces and territories.
All dollar amounts in this release are adjusted to June 2025 constant dollars, allowing for comparisons over time by removing the effects of inflation.
Slight increases in tuition for both Canadian and international students
Tuition fees for Canadian students have continued to rise gradually since the 2022/2023 school year, though they remain below their peak levels recorded in the 2018/2019 school year. In the 2025/2026 academic year, tuition fees of Canadian undergraduate students are expected to post an average annual increase of 1.4%, bringing them up to $7,734. Canadian graduate students will also experience a slight average annual increase in their tuition, with it expected to rise by 0.9% to $7,978.
In contrast, international students have faced consistent increases in tuition fees. By the 2025/2026 academic year, these fees should reach their highest levels in the past decade. Specifically, international students' undergraduate fees are expected to rise by an average of 2.5% to $41,746 per year, while their graduate fees should increase by 1.5% on average to $24,028.
