University in Canada
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
University profile
McGill University is a public research university in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1821. International students from more than 150 countries make up nearly 30% of the student body, the highest proportion of any Canadian research university. Instruction is in English, and Montreal is a bilingual English and French city.
Fall 2025 enrolment was 40,531 students, of whom 28,167 were undergraduates and 10,196 graduate students, with 649 postdoctoral scholars and 1,519 residents and fellows. By place of origin 50% of students are from Quebec, 23% from the rest of Canada and 27% international. The university offers more than 300 undergraduate programs.
Teaching is organised in eleven faculties and schools: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Arts, Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, Education, Engineering, Law, the Desautels Faculty of Management, Medicine and Health Sciences, the School of Continuing Studies, the Schulich School of Music and Science. Further schools and units include the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, Ingram School of Nursing, Max Bell School of Public Policy, Bieler School of Environment, Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture, School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, School of Computer Science, School of Human Nutrition, School of Information Studies, School of Religious Studies, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, School of Social Work and School of Urban Planning.
The main campus is downtown Montreal, and the Macdonald Campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue houses the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The McGill libraries hold over 6 million items in print and electronic form. McGill is affiliated with teaching hospitals through the McGill University Health Centre and other hospitals, and its Faculty of Medicine, established in 1829, was Canada's first.
Student Housing runs residences for a population of nearly 3,000: traditional and modern dormitory-style halls, quiet residences, Solin Hall, the RVC Residence, apartments and shared housing, with Laird Hall and the Ecoresidence on the Macdonald Campus. Residence Life staff support first-year students, and a mandatory all-you-care-to-eat meal plan applies in certain halls. International Student Services advises on study permits, immigration and health insurance.
First-time undergraduate students entering a full-time degree program are considered for two kinds of centrally administered entrance scholarships. All applicants meeting minimum academic requirements are automatically considered for a one-year, non-renewable $3,000 entrance scholarship; no separate application is needed, but all grades up to the application deadline must be included with the admission application. Major Entrance Scholarships are valued at $3,000, $5,000, $10,000 or $12,000 per year, renewable for up to four years (total $12,000 to $48,000), awarded on academic achievement first and outstanding leadership second; the $12,000 level is limited to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Applications open October 1 in the Applicant Portal and need a separate application after the admission application (deadlines January 21, February 7 or March 7 depending on background). Applicants who do not receive a major award are automatically considered for a one-year award. From Fall 2026, CEGEP students admitted to Law (BCL/JD), Dentistry (Dent-P) or Medicine (Med-P) are no longer eligible. Transfer, mature, diploma, exchange, special, part-time and visiting students are not eligible. In the latest cycle McGill offered over $6.2 million to over 2,000 students. Faculties also give their own entrance scholarships. Entrance scholarships
Newly accepted, first-year, first-degree undergraduates from low- to modest-income families, and first-year direct entrants to Medicine and Law with a prior degree, may apply. Applicants must enrol full-time and show financial need, including the intention to apply for government aid where eligible. International students are eligible. Awards depend on demonstrated need and on the tuition rate for residency; a limited number are renewable for up to four years. The application is completed in Minerva after the acceptance letter is issued, within 30 days of formal acceptance (the program ran from November 15, 2025 to June 30, 2026), with a CSS Financial Aid Profile for Canadians living abroad, U.S. and international students. In the latest cycle $6.3 million in bursaries went to 550 students; average offers were about $3,000 for Quebec residents, $9,000 for out-of-province Canadians and $19,000 for U.S. and international students. Recipients may seek on-campus Work Study employment. Need-based aid
McGill takes part in the U.S. Federal Direct Loan program for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. International students can use tuition payment deferrals, the Work Study program, emergency loans and the Frugal Scholar money management program, and may work off campus with a valid study permit. Quebec Perspective Scholarships of up to $2,500 per term are available to Quebec students in selected programs. Graduate funding is described on the graduate funding page. International student funding and Future undergraduates.
McGill Entrance Scholarships (One-Year and Major) →
McGill Entrance Bursary Program →
Browse the scholarships listed for McGill University and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for McGill University →Applications are submitted online through the McGill Applicant Portal, open from October 1. The application fee is $140.16 CAD (non-refundable). A second application for the same term and level costs nothing once the first is submitted and paid; each further application costs $140.16 CAD. After submitting, applicants use the portal to check their document checklist, upload documents and follow their status. Admission requirements depend on educational background and program; prerequisites and recent admission grade ranges are set per program, change from year to year, and meeting them does not guarantee admission. The review can take into account the complete academic record, including failed or repeated courses, and an application can be refused if required results are missing.
The normal basis for admission is completion of the credentials leading to university admission in the country of study; applied, vocational or technical high school studies are not normally considered. Curricula with dedicated requirements are GCE Advanced Levels, Advanced Subsidiary and CAPE, French Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate Diploma, China Senior High School Graduation Diploma, Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education and India Senior School Certificate.
A-Levels: minimum three A-Levels in three different subjects, or two A-Levels and two AS subjects in three different subjects (Maths and Further Maths count as one subject). Typical admitted grade ranges include BBC to BCC for B.Sc. Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, A*AA to AAB for Management and for Science groups, and A*AA to AAB for Chemical Engineering, with A*A*A* to A*AA for Bioengineering. Caribbean applicants are considered on CSEC and CAPE results. Up to 30 credits of advanced standing may be granted.
IB Diploma: grades of 5 or better on each Higher and Standard Level subject is the minimum expected for most programs; many are more competitive. Math AA HL, Math AA SL or Math AI HL are accepted as mathematics prerequisites, while SL Math AI is not. Agricultural and Environmental Sciences typically admits at 28-30 out of 42. Up to 30 credits of advanced standing may be granted. Ranges are guidelines only.
The language of instruction is English. No proof is needed for applicants who lived and attended high school or university for at least four consecutive years in a country where English is the acknowledged primary language (the list includes Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Canada, the UK and the USA), who hold an English CEGEP DEC, IB Group 1 English with 5 or better, A-Level English grade C or better, or GCSE/IGCSE/O-Level English grade B (or 5) or better, among other routes. Others must submit an accepted test, sent directly by the examining body: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each component; TOEFL 90 for most programs (100 for Education TESL and Management, 79-80 for Music), with minimum components of 21; Duolingo English Test 125 (130 for B.Ed. (TESL) and B.Com.); Pearson Test of English Academic 65 overall with 60 per component; CAEL 70 overall with 60 per component; Cambridge C1 Advanced grade B or better or C2 Proficiency grade C or better. Institutional test versions and the IELTS One Skill Retake are not accepted. The TOEFL institutional code is 0935-00.
Some programs need extra documents: B.A. Population and Global Health (list of non-academic activities and three essays), Education (language tests for TESL, TESL Greek and French immersion programs, interview for mature applicants), Global Engineering (personal statement of up to two pages and possible video interview), Music (audition), Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy (CASPer), Religious Studies and Social Work.
Mature applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 23 or older (21 for Management and Music) with no studies in the last five years that form a basis for admission, and must complete specific prerequisite courses within the previous three years, submit two reference letters, a letter of intent and a resume; Management is not currently admitting mature applicants. Transfer and second-degree applicants are assessed on all university work, usually on space availability, and must complete at least 60 credits at McGill for a degree. Special students need an undergraduate degree and a plan of study.
For September 2027, decisions are released from mid-November to mid-May for high schools outside Canada and the U.S., mid-November to end of April for U.S. high schools, mid-January to mid-May for Canadian high schools outside Ontario and Quebec, mid-February to end of May for Ontario and end of February to mid-May for Quebec CEGEPs.
The McGill libraries hold over 6 million items. The campus farm at Macdonald supplied more than 16,300 kilograms of produce to downtown dining halls in 2025. McGill holds a Platinum rating in the STARS sustainability system.
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