Top Universities & Colleges in Alberta, Canada – Rankings, Courses, Fees

Alberta is a popular destination for higher studies among Indian students looking to study in Canada. The region has some of the very prominent Canadian universities like the Uni of Alberta, Uni of Calgary, and the Uni Lethbridge. There are over 21 Universities in the region for degree and certification programs.

Study in Alberta Highlights

Alberta is surely a great destination for higher education, being home to 21 universities, with the majority of them based in Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge. The cost of studies range from INR 4.73L to INR 60.3L; Alberta offers affordable education for different levels of studies. Here is a lowdown on higher studies in Alberta:

Why Study in Alberta

Apart from the fact that it's beautiful, the province has no shortage of options that offer quality education to students. The region also receives more than CAD 800 million in research funding from the government and external sources, as per Study Alberta, opening up a high number of career opportunities for students. Finding part-time work is also not a tough ask, and students with the required industry skills have no shortage of job opportunities. 

Top Universities in Alberta

We have below the list of top universities in Alberta  for international students and their world ranking declared by the QS World Ranking and THE:

Top Courses in Alberta

Alberta’s top universities offer courses in degree, certificate, and diploma levels for international students. The below table includes the top courses in the Alberta with their number of universities:

Admission requirements in Alberta

Below are the admission requirements for Universities in Alberta:

Undergraduate requirements:

• Transcripts of your high school: Transcripts include your information and performance in high school.

• SOP: An SOP is essential for the application process for most of the Alberta universities. It helps the applicant to convey their talents, Academic excellence accomplishments and personal background of applicants.

• Portfolio ( Audition depending on your chosen course):  This depends on the course the applicant is choosing, as this is not present in every program. However, having a creative and unique portfolio will help you get into the Alberta universities. ( click here to: Make your portfolio look better)

• English requirements: The following table explains the minimum score for each English exam the university is accepting: 

Postgraduate requirements:

• LOR: Some programs ask for a LOR, with particular exceptions. However, a lot of universities in Alberta strictly don’t accept Duplicate letters.

• Transcripts and degrees: the applicant must provide the university with transcripts of their academics with degree certificates. Similarly, applying for Ph.D. or doctoral program may require a master’s degree and transcripts from all graduate institutions of the applicant. 

• English Language Proficiency exams: The following table explains the English exams the university is accepting: 

Entrance exam: Graduate school entrance exams are most common, but however, the programs might require different exams from the applicants. The most common exam except from applicants is GRE (  Graduate Record examination ). GMAT for certain courses.

Entrance Exams Accepted

Listed below are some common entrance exam scores considered by institutions in Alberta for higher studies.

However coming to graduate level programs, specifically in business courses, GRE and GMAT exams are accepted in 3 universities. Check out the Alberta Universities entrance exams for international students: 

Cost of studying in Alberta

The cost of studying in Alberta varies among universities, with 1st-year tuition fees. For some institutions, the fee is around INR 10L (16 universities), INR 20L (21 universities), and INR 30L( 21 universities). A slightly higher bracket of 40L in observed in 21 universities. Below are the Costs of studying in Alberta for international students:

Cost of Living in Alberta

The cost of Living in Alberta for a single person is around 77k - 92k. These figures are translate in INR providing insights into the the cost of living in Alberta.

Top Job Sectors and Economy in Alberta

Wholesale and Retail with 14.84%, Healthcare and Social Assistance with 13.38% are some of the best employing job sectors in Alberta. Construction, Professional Services, and Education are some of the other notable sectors where students in Alberta find jobs.