University of Calgary

Overview

The University of Calgary is a public research university in Alberta's largest city. It was founded in 1966 and traces its origins to the early 1900s. The Main Campus in the city's northwest is home to 11 of its 14 faculties. The Foothills Campus, next to the Foothills Medical Centre, houses the Cumming School of Medicine and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; the Spy Hill Campus hosts hands-on clinical and diagnostic learning for veterinary medicine; and the Downtown Campus offers select graduate and executive programs.

Undergraduate options include engineering, business at the Haskayne School of Business, and health sciences, among many others. Some programs include internships or work terms; check the program page.

How to apply

The route depends on where you finish high school, and UCalgary explains it on its how to apply page:

• High school in Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan or Yukon: start on ApplyAlberta, create or enter your UCalgary eID and complete the application. BC and Saskatchewan students include their provincial student number (such as the BC Personal Education Number) so their transcript is matched to the application. Open October 1 to March 1.
• Elsewhere in Canada, or a Canadian studying abroad: use UCalgary's own application. Open October 1 to March 1.
• International students outside Canada: open August 15 to April 1.

The fee listed is $125 for Canadian education or $145 for any international education, including Canadians studying abroad. You can change your fall program choices until the deadline, and you do not need an offer before applying for entrance awards. Confirm the exact 2027 dates on the university's dates and deadlines page.

Grades and documents

Admission to most programs is based on the competitive average of the required Grade 12 courses (or the equivalent in your curriculum), and the average needed changes from year to year with demand. Some programs, such as those in the arts, also look at portfolios or auditions. After you apply, your Student Centre lists the documents you owe and when they are due.

You must meet UCalgary's English language requirement. If you are applying from the US or an IB or AP school, our guide to IB and AP at Canadian universities explains the general approach, and Canadian GPA scales explained helps you read percentage and 4-point averages side by side.

Costs and funding

Tuition varies by faculty and by domestic or international status. UCalgary publishes an official undergraduate cost estimator, and its academic calendar lists the tuition rates. Entrance awards have their own deadlines. International students need a study permit; start at the Government of Canada page on studying in Canada.

Getting ready with StudyBrix

• Engineering applicants: check your Grade 12 plan against Grade 12 courses for engineering and review physics readiness.
• Business students can preview Canadian business law terms.
• Everyone: build a weekly routine with the university study skills deck.

See also our guide to universities in Canada.