McGill University
Founded 1821 | Montreal, QC
McGill University attracts bright students from around the world. “McGill University is home to an exceptional and multicultural group of students, professors and staff. Together, they have contributed to our university’s reputation for excellence in teaching and research, while making a positive impact on the local and global communities that we serve,” says president Deep Saini. 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 kilometres west of downtown. It’s home to programs in agriculture, environmental sciences and nutrition. McGill offers peer support and mentorship programs for new students as well as a buddy program for international students.
Campus Buzz
Le Parc Gym, a new facility complete with high-quality strength and cardio equipment, opened in 2024 for students staying in New Residence Hall, a dormitory-
style residence in Montreal’s Milton-Parc community.
Standout Programs
• Environmental Biology: This program provides a strong foundation in biology, conservation and ecology. Students get practical, real-world experience with opportunities to participate in field courses and semester-long programs in Africa, Barbados, Panama and the United States.
• Retail Management: Students have access to the latest technologies at the Retail Innovation Lab, and learn all aspects of managing a retail operation, including consumer behaviour, pricing analytics, experiential marketing and global value chain management.
• Software Engineering: Prepare for work in a variety of in-demand fields, including web applications, video game development, robotics automation and flight navigation software design; a co-op program offers four increasingly challenging work terms.
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$5,315 ($11,426 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 86.8-94.5% | Science: 92-97.5% | Commerce: 93-97% | Engineering: 87-98.6%
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 24,160 | Part-time: 2,960
Graduates: Full-time: 10,048 | Part-time: 1,728
International Students: First-year: 27% | Graduate: 41.7%
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 3,476 (3,000 reserved for first-year students)
Residence Costs: Double room: $4,360 to $9,930 | Single room: $4,784 to $12,960 | Double room with meals: $17,232 to $19,128 | Single room with meals: $17,032 to $20,368 | Apartment-style: $5,224 to $12,960
Cool Courses
• Climate Crisis and Climate Actions: Students draw on research from a variety of disciplines and cultural perspectives to learn about individual and collective strategies to combat climate change.
• World of Chemistry: Food: Focuses on the chemical aspects of food, including food additives, as well as issues related to food-borne illness, cancer and diet.