McGill University

Founded 1821 | Montreal, QC

McGill University attracts bright students from around the world. “We see strength in diversity, and we are proud to welcome talented students from more than 150 countries across the globe,” says outgoing principal Suzanne Fortier. McGill has cultivated more Rhodes Scholars and Nobel Prize laureates than any other school in Canada. Its faculty and graduates have won 12 Nobel Prizes for pioneering work in areas such as economics, radioactivity and fission. As a research-intensive school, McGill is affiliated with more than 100 research centres and networks.

The main campus’s location between Mount Royal Park and downtown Montreal offers students lots of opportunities for off-campus activities (visiting art galleries, festivals and hundreds of restaurants, cafés and bars), and rent is generally cheaper than in most Canadian cities. The smaller Macdonald campus enjoys a scenic location on the island of Montreal, about 35 km west of downtown. It’s home to programs in agriculture, environmental sciences and nutrition. In addition to existing peer support and mentorship programs, including a buddy program for international students, McGill launched the First Friend program in 2020 to help first-year students attend virtual classes in the wake of the pandemic. The program pairs students based on time zone, level and faculty.

Standout Programs

• Software Engineering: Prepare for work in fields including video game development, robotics automation and flight navigation software design; a new co-op program offers four increasingly challenging work terms.

• Education: The faculty’s Office of First Nations and Inuit Education partners with four Indigenous education authorities to deliver teacher education and professional development programs to Indigenous students in 24 communities across Quebec.

• Commerce: Students in the retail management concentration have access to the Retail Innovation Lab, gaining experience in consumer behaviour, pricing analytics and global value chain management.

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)

$4,939 ($10,719 out-of-province students)

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 86.8% · Science: 92-94.9% · Commerce: 93% · Engineering: 89-96.5%

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 24,135 · Part-time: 3,444

Graduates: Full-time: 9,596 · Part-time: 2,025

International Students: First-year: 28.2% · Graduate: 41.2%

Male-Female Ratio: 40 to 60

Housing Facts

Residence Spaces: 2,553 (2,206 reserved for first-year students)

Residence Costs: Double room: $4,900 to $9,130 · Single room: $4,636 to $11,710 · Double room with meals: $16,103 to $18,223 · Single room with meals: $15,919 to $19,079 · Apartment-style: $5,044 to $11,130

Cool Courses

• World of Chemistry: Food: Focus on the chemical aspects of food, including food additives, as well as issues related to food-borne illness, cancer and diet.

• The Art of Listening: Receive guided listening of music from the baroque to the present; find the cultural significance in each piece of music.

Student Life on Campus

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