University of Guelph
Founded 1964 | Guelph, ON
The University of Guelph offers programming in the physical and biological sciences, social sciences, arts and business. With roots in three founding colleges—including an agricultural college and a veterinary college—Guelph has long-time expertise in food, the environment and communities. Through its Arrell Food Institute and the Food from Thought research program, Guelph works to find sustainable ways to feed the world’s growing population. Guelph is also home to a global DNA barcoding project aimed at ensuring food security and protecting endangered species.
“Improving life at home and abroad informs everything that we do at U of G,” says president Charlotte Yates. “Through research, teaching and community engagement, we’re tackling some of the most pressing issues facing our world today.” Arts students also benefit from innovative programming. English and theatre studies faculty include award-winning poets, authors and playwrights. Renovations to the MacKinnon Building include the new Arts Research Centre, which opened last year. ARC is a multi-use performance and research facility, housing the ImprovLab, a theatre and a recital hall. The campus is centred on Johnston Green, which is ringed by mature oaks and beautiful century-old buildings. It has its share of brutalist architecture, which flourished in the ’60s and ’70s, but the welcoming green space of the Guelph Arboretum is a boon for the whole community.
Standout Programs
• Indigenous Environmental Science and Practice: This program combines theory and practice, drawing on Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge. Students benefit from field trips, access to Elders and co-op options.
• Sexualities, Genders and Social Change: In this multidisciplinary program, which integrates a broad range of topics, students can participate in outreach and advocacy with community partners.
• One Health: Students tackle complex health issues such as infectious disease in this interdisciplinary program, which recognizes that the health of humans, animals and ecosystems is interconnected.
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$7,616 ($7,920 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 82-87% | Science: 83-95% | Commerce: 80-87% | Engineering: 87-91%
Student Body
Full-time: 22,587 | Part-time: 3,386
Graduates: Full-time: 2,913 | Part-time: 228
International Students: First-year: 5.3% | Graduate: 20.7%
Male-Female Ratio: 38 to 62
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 4,680 (4,500 reserved for first-year students)
Residence Costs: Double: $7,324 to $7,930 | Single: $8,925 to $9,517
Double with meals: $11,924 to $13,930 | Single with meals: $12,833 to $15,517
Apartment-style: $7,930 to $9,517
Cool Courses
• Geology of Natural Disasters: Students examine the impact of geological disasters such as climate change, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
• Madness and Psychiatry: Students explore the history of psychiatry and its relation to race, gender and class.