Simon Fraser University

Overview

Simon Fraser University opened on September 9, 1965, on top of Burnaby Mountain, east of Vancouver, and is a public research university. Besides the Burnaby campus, it has a campus in Surrey, open since 2002 and home to the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering, and a campus in downtown Vancouver that grew from a storefront for night classes in the early 1980s. Check which campus your program uses before choosing housing.

SFU's year has three terms, beginning in September (fall), January (spring) and May (summer), each with 13 weeks of classes. That gives you more room to speed up, slow down or fit in co-op work terms.

How to apply

SFU applications go through EducationPlannerBC, the portal used for post-secondary applications in British Columbia, where you select SFU and can name a first and second choice. SFU's apply page lists a fee of $86 for domestic and $130 for international applicants. For fall 2027, high school applications are open from October 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027. After you apply, SFU emails your student number and password, and you complete document tasks on the To Do List in your goSFU Student Centre.

Some programs add a supplementary application, portfolio or audition. These appear on the program's admission page.

How grades are considered and co-op

BC students need at least five approved academic Grade 12 courses, including English Studies 12 or an equivalent, plus the prerequisites for their program, and SFU evaluates all approved academic Grade 11 and 12 courses. Early admission decisions use the Grade 11 and 12 marks you report. Students from other provinces, the US and IB schools are assessed on equivalent courses. Admission averages vary by program and year.

SFU's co-op program alternates academic terms with four-month work terms, and a co-op designation needs three completed work terms. Co-op is required in Engineering Science, Mechatronic Systems Engineering and Sustainable Energy Engineering and optional in all other undergraduate programs; it usually extends the time to graduation.

Living on and around Burnaby Mountain

The Burnaby campus sits on a mountaintop, so getting there by transit means a bus up the hill, and the weather can differ from the city below. Check where residences are before you choose a campus. If your program is at Surrey or Vancouver, living near a SkyTrain line makes more sense than living on the mountain. Factor this in when you compare SFU with other Lower Mainland options.

Costs and funding

Tuition depends on your program and on whether you are a domestic or international student. SFU publishes a typical estimate for one academic year (two terms) and a cost calculator on its official fees and scholarships page. For study permits, start at the Government of Canada page on studying in Canada.

Getting ready with StudyBrix

• Engineering and computing students can review algebra and functions and calculus readiness.
• Arts and social science students: practise essay structure with the academic English bridge.
• Learn the language of applications and offers with the Canadian applications glossary.

Our guide to universities in Canada compares BC universities with other provinces.