Tuition in Canada 2026/2027 by Program: What Each Degree Costs and What to Save
A year of dentistry school now costs nearly five times as much as a year of an education degree. Here is what every major program costs in 2026/2027, and what you would need to save from birth to cover it.
- Data checked October 31, 2026
- By Krish Paul
- 6 min read
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The tuition figures are Statistics Canada averages for Canadian students, released in September 2026. The savings plan is our own model, with every assumption spelled out.
The short answer
Average undergraduate tuition and compulsory fees in Canada are $9,292 a year for 2026/2027, up 3.3% from $8,994. Tuition alone ranges from about $5,800 a year in education to about $28,700 in dentistry, with medicine at about $17,000 and law at about $15,700. If your child is a baby today, saving about $1,976 a year in an RESP from birth would cover four years of engineering tuition under our assumptions. Dentistry would take about $6,373 a year.
What each program costs in 2026/2027
Most arts, science and health programs cost between $6,000 and $8,000 a year. Costs climb in business and engineering, then jump in the professional programs: veterinary medicine, optometry, pharmacy, law, medicine and dentistry.
Three things stand out:
- Dentistry is in a class of its own. At about $28,700 a year, it costs $11,700 more than medicine, the next most expensive program.
- The common programs are close together. Humanities, social sciences, nursing, fine arts and life sciences all sit between $6,600 and $6,800.
- Engineering is the first program to reach $10,000. Business is about $9,000 and math and computer science about $8,100.
These are national averages, and fees vary by province and school. Some programs, such as medicine and dentistry, usually require earlier university study before you can apply.
How fast tuition is rising
According to Statistics Canada figures reported by Academica Group, average undergraduate tuition and compulsory fees for Canadian students rose from $8,994 in 2025/2026 to $9,292 in 2026/2027, an increase of 3.3%. Graduate fees rose 3.1%, from $8,997 to $9,273.
International students face bigger increases. Their tuition and compulsory fees rose 4% nationally, ranging from no change in Newfoundland and Labrador to an 8.6% rise in Saskatchewan.
If tuition kept rising at 3.3% a year, prices would be about 1.79 times higher in 18 years. A program that costs $10,000 a year today would cost about $17,900 a year when a child born this year starts university.
The RESP plan for each program
We worked out how much a family would need to put into an RESP every year, from the year a child is born through age 17, to pay four years of tuition starting at 18. This is a planning model, not a forecast.
| Program | Tuition per year | 4 years at today’s prices | Yearly saving from birth | About per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education | $5,800 | $23,200 | $1,146 | $95 |
| Humanities | $6,600 | $26,400 | $1,304 | $109 |
| Social sciences | $6,600 | $26,400 | $1,304 | $109 |
| Nursing | $6,700 | $26,800 | $1,324 | $110 |
| Fine arts | $6,800 | $27,200 | $1,343 | $112 |
| Life sciences | $6,800 | $27,200 | $1,343 | $112 |
| Health and fitness | $7,000 | $28,000 | $1,383 | $115 |
| Natural resources | $7,100 | $28,400 | $1,403 | $117 |
| Architecture | $7,800 | $31,200 | $1,541 | $128 |
| Math and computer science | $8,100 | $32,400 | $1,600 | $133 |
| Business | $9,000 | $36,000 | $1,778 | $148 |
| Engineering | $10,000 | $40,000 | $1,976 | $165 |
| Veterinary medicine | $11,400 | $45,600 | $2,284 | $190 |
| Optometry | $12,000 | $48,000 | $2,418 | $201 |
| Pharmacy | $14,200 | $56,800 | $2,935 | $245 |
| Law | $15,700 | $62,800 | $3,291 | $274 |
| Medicine | $17,000 | $68,000 | $3,599 | $300 |
| Dentistry | $28,700 | $114,800 | $6,373 | $531 |
Tuition: Statistics Canada averages for Canadian students, 2026/2027, rounded to the nearest $100. Savings columns are Gizly’s hypothetical model; assumptions are listed below the table.
Hypothetical model. Assumptions: tuition rises 3.3% a year from 2026/2027 levels; the RESP earns 5% a year; one contribution at the start of each year from age 0 to 17; Basic CESG of 20% on the first $2,500 a year, up to $7,200 per child; tuition paid at the start of each year from age 18 to 21 while the rest stays invested. Monthly figures are the yearly amount divided by 12. Living costs are not included.
What the numbers mean
For most programs, the yearly amount is under $2,500. At that level every dollar you contribute earns the 20% grant. Engineering needs about $1,976 a year, or about $165 a month, and the government adds about $395 a year on top.
For pharmacy, law, medicine and dentistry, the yearly amount is above $2,500. Contributions above $2,500 a year earn no extra grant, so the RESP’s advantage shrinks for every extra dollar.
The $50,000 RESP ceiling
The CRA limits RESP contributions to $50,000 per child for life. Spread over 18 years, that is about $2,778 a year. The plans for pharmacy ($2,935 a year), law ($3,291), medicine ($3,599) and dentistry ($6,373) would all go over it. A family aiming for those programs would need to put the extra in a TFSA or other savings.
Before you pick a savings target
A tuition table is a starting point, not a plan. Keep these in mind.
- Children change their mindsVery few parents know at birth whether their child will study dentistry or education. Many families save for an average program and adjust later.
- Tuition is only part of the billHousing, food, books and transport often cost more than tuition, especially if a student moves away from home.
- Returns are not guaranteedOur model uses 5% a year. Lower returns would mean saving more, and a cautious mix in the last few years before university is common.
- Free grant money comes firstContributing $2,500 a year earns the maximum $500 Basic CESG each year. Lower-income families can get more through the Additional CESG and the Canada Learning Bond.
How to start saving for tuition
- Get your child a Social Insurance Number. An RESP provider needs it to open the plan and apply for grants.
- Open an RESP early. The Canada Education Savings Grant pays 20% on the first $2,500 you contribute each year, up to $500 a year and $7,200 for life.
- Pick a yearly target from the table. If you are unsure, $2,500 a year is a simple choice because it earns the full yearly grant.
- Catch up if you started late. Unused grant room carries forward, and you can claim up to $1,000 a year. Our RESP catch-up guide shows how much grant is left at each age.
- Use a TFSA for anything above the RESP limits. Our TFSA vs RRSP vs FHSA guide explains how the accounts fit together.
Save or share the tuition chart
Here is every program on one image, sized for Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. Use the buttons below it to save it or send it from your phone.
Frequently asked questions
How much is university tuition in Canada in 2026/2027?
Average tuition and compulsory fees for Canadian undergraduate students are $9,292 for 2026/2027, up 3.3% from $8,994 the year before, according to Statistics Canada figures reported in September 2026. Tuition alone ranges from about $5,800 a year in education to about $28,700 in dentistry.
What is the most expensive degree to study in Canada?
Dentistry. Average tuition for Canadian students is about $28,700 a year in 2026/2027, followed by medicine at about $17,000 and law at about $15,700. Dentistry costs nearly five times as much per year as education, the cheapest field.
What is the cheapest degree to study in Canada?
Education has the lowest average tuition, at about $5,800 a year for Canadian students in 2026/2027. Humanities and social sciences follow at about $6,600 each.
How much should I save in an RESP for my child’s tuition?
Under our assumptions, saving about $1,976 a year from birth would cover four years of engineering tuition, and about $1,146 a year would cover education. Contributing $2,500 a year earns the full $500 yearly Basic CESG, which is a common target. Your amount depends on the program, the province and investment returns.
Does the RESP grant cover tuition increases?
Not on its own. The Basic CESG adds 20% to the first $2,500 you contribute each year, up to $500 a year and $7,200 per child for life. Tuition rose 3.3% on average this year, so the bigger driver is starting early and letting contributions grow.
Is tuition the only cost of university?
No. Students also pay compulsory fees, books, housing, food and transportation. For students who move away from home, housing and food can cost more than tuition itself.
- Sources, checked October 31, 2026: Statistics Canada: Tuition fees for degree programs, 2026/2027 (The Daily, released 2026-09-16); Statistics Canada table 37-10-0003-01: Canadian undergraduate tuition fees by field of study (modified 2026-10-30); Academica Group: StatCan releases tuition fee data for 2026/2027 (September 18, 2026), for the national averages and percentage changes; Canada.ca: Canada Education Savings Grant; CRA: RESP contributions.
- Method: Tuition by program comes from Statistics Canada’s 2026/2027 field-of-study averages for Canadian students, rounded to the nearest $100 as published in a September 2026 summary of that data. The savings model was solved by a Python script and re-checked with a closed-form annuity formula; both gave the same yearly amounts.
Important: This article is general information, not financial advice. Tuition varies by province, school and program, and future costs and investment returns are uncertain. Gizly is not paid by any school or RESP provider mentioned here. See our affiliate disclosure.
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How this page was made: Gizly uses AI tools to help research and draft its guides. Krish Paul, the editor, is responsible for what Gizly publishes. Spot an error? Tell us and we will fix it.
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