University in Canada
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
University profile
Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a public research university in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, with three campuses: Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver. It opened in 1965 on Burnaby Mountain and is named after the explorer Simon Fraser. SFU describes itself as one of Canada's fastest-growing research-intensive universities, with research priorities in artificial intelligence, quantum science and climate innovation.
Academic work is organised in nine faculties and schools: the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Beedie School of Business, Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, SFU Stephens Family School of Medicine, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Environment, Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Science. Graduate programmes are coordinated through the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The university offers 368 undergraduate programmes and applicants may choose a first and second choice of faculty and programme.
The Burnaby campus, designed by Arthur Erickson, sits on top of Burnaby Mountain with more than three dozen academic buildings, beside the UniverCity residential community. Surrey campus, in the Surrey Central district beside the transit station, was designed by Bing Thom and hosts the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering. Vancouver campus is clustered in downtown Vancouver around Harbour Centre and includes the Segal Graduate School of Business, the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, the Charles Chang Innovation Centre, the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts and VentureLabs.
SFU enrols more than 33,000 students, including more than 6,600 international students from over 130 countries, and counts more than 200,000 alumni. Co-operative education, study abroad and options for study in French are part of the student offer. Undergraduates can live at Burnaby campus residence in the East/West Towers, North Towers, McTaggart-Cowan Hall, Shell House, townhouses or family housing; first-year students have priority access to the towers, and a dining commons serves residents.
International students need a study permit. Direct entry to SFU is one route; the other is the pathway programme run by Fraser International College, the on-campus partner institution, and applicants may apply to both at once. Rankings the university cites include first among Canadian comprehensive universities (Maclean's 2026), second in Canada for sustainable cities and communities and third in Canada for international outlook (Times Higher Education 2026), and first in Canada for university-based entrepreneurial projects (World University Rankings for Innovation 2026).
Open to Canadian and international high school applicants admitted to any undergraduate degree for the fall term who show academic and extracurricular excellence. A minimum average of 90% or 31 IB points (excluding bonus points) in the courses required for the primary programme is needed. Value ranges from $20,000 up to $60,000 for domestic students and up to $140,000 for international students; a living allowance may be added for exceptional students with demonstrated financial need. Recipients receive priority residence access and front-of-the-line course enrolment. Applications open 1 October 2026 and close 15 December 2026. USES page
Ten scholarships are awarded each year to domestic students admitted for the fall term who face significant financial barriers to post-secondary education, including Indigenous, Black and students of colour, students with disabilities and LGBTQIA2S+ students. Each is worth up to $170,000 over eight full-time academic terms. An application is required; questions to [email protected]. Uggla Family Scholarship page
SFU offers entrance scholarships, awards and bursaries for fall applicants from high school, a separate set for transfer students, and funding for School of Medicine applicants. Some entrance scholarships need an application and others are awarded automatically to new students who meet the criteria. International students can also access scholarships, bursaries and need-based awards during their studies, and Financial Aid and Awards Advisors answer questions on funding and payment plans. Entrance funding overview
SFU Undergraduate Scholars Entrance Scholarships (USES) →
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View scholarships for Simon Fraser University →Undergraduate applications are made through EducationPlannerBC. The non-refundable application fee is $86 for domestic students and $130 for international students. Fall 2027 intake: high school applications open 1 October 2026 and close 31 January 2027; other post-secondary transfer applications open 1 March 2027 and close 15 April 2027. Summer 2027 applications run 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027; Spring 2027 applications ran 1 July to 15 September 2026. Offers for fall are made from January to June to high school applicants and from March to June to transfer applicants.
Admission is based on the grade average in the courses required for the chosen programme, assessed against the applicant's school system (Canadian by province, US, international by country, or IB). Applicants must also meet the English Language, Quantitative and Analytical Skills and programme-specific requirements. Historical acceptance ranges over the past three years: Computing Science and Software Systems high 80s to low 90s; Engineering Science and Mechatronic Systems Engineering mid 80s; Sustainable Energy Engineering mid 80s (Canadian) and high 80s (student-visa applicants); Arts and Social Sciences low 80s (Canadian) and mid 80s (student-visa applicants); Communication, Art and Technology low 80s (Canadian) and mid 80s (student-visa); Education mid 80s; Beedie School of Business minimum grades in the 80s plus a supplemental application. These are guides, not guarantees.
A minimum of 26 IB points is required for consideration for all programmes, and competitive minimums vary by programme. A full IB Diploma, including at least three HL courses, earns 30 units (one year) of transfer credit; predicted bonus points are not used. Partial IB students are assessed on secondary school results, with credit for higher-level courses graded 5 or above.
All applicants must show competence in listening, reading, speaking and writing. Accepted evidence includes the last three years of full-time secondary study in English in Canada or another English-language country, or four years at a recognized international school, with 70% in a senior English course; IB English A with a grade of 3; GCSE O-Level English grade 4 (C); or a transferable three-unit English or W course with C-. Test minimums (taken within the last 24 months): IELTS Academic overall 6.5, no part below 6.0; TOEFL iBT overall 4.5 with no part below 4.0 on the revised scale (88 overall, no part under 20, for tests before 21 January 2026); CAEL 70 with no part below 60; PTE overall 65 with 60 in each communicative skill; Duolingo English Test 125; LanguageCert Academic 70 with no part below 65; Cambridge overall 176 with no part below 169.
Applicants need 60% or C in an approved grade 11 or 12 math course, a 3 in IB mathematics, a D in GCE A/AS level math or C- in GCSE O-level math, or for transfer students a C- in a three-unit math or Q course. A grade of 70% in an approved math course is needed to enrol directly in Q courses.
Applicants apply directly to SFU or to the Fraser International College pathway programme, or both at once. A study permit is required to study at SFU.
Applicants with 24 or more transferable units need a minimum 2.00 GPA (60%) and good academic standing; up to 60 units can transfer. With fewer than 24 units, admission uses high school grades and a post-secondary GPA of at least 2.00. Only the highest grade counts for a repeated course. Beedie School of Business applicants not in good standing need 24 new transferable units, a 2.67 CGPA, a supplemental application, and ECON 103/113, ECON 105/115, MATH 157/151/154/150 and a qualifying English or philosophy/world literature course each at C- or better.
For applicants whose transcripts do not reflect their potential (for example refugee backgrounds, student athletes, strong artistic or extracurricular commitment, learning exceptionalities, or systemic or personal barriers). The minimum admission average (67% secondary, or 2.00 GPA for transfer), English and Quantitative requirements, an academic referee and a character referee are required; the reference letter goes to [email protected].
Master's programmes require a bachelor's degree with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0/4.33 (B) or 3.33/4.33 (B+) over the last 60 units, references and proof of English proficiency; programmes may set higher minimums. Doctoral entry requires a master's degree, or a bachelor's with a GPA of at least 3.5/4.33 (or 3.67/4.33 over the last 60 credits), or 75% of master's coursework completed with a GPA of 3.5. Graduate certificates and diplomas require a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Graduate English minimums: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each section; CAEL 70 with 60 in each section; PTE 65 with 60 in each section; Duolingo 125 overall with 105 in each section. Most three-year Bologna-compliant degrees from research-intensive universities are accepted for master's, diploma and certificate programmes. Graduate enquiries: [email protected], +1 778 782 3042.
For a typical Arts and Social Sciences or Science programme with 10 courses (30 units) over two terms: tuition and fees including a transit pass about $7,673 (Canadian) and $38,944 (international); textbooks and supplies $2,400; single North Towers residence room with meal plan $15,014; medical insurance $365 (Canadian) or $945 (international). Estimated totals are $25,452 and $57,303. Tuition for current students may rise by up to 6% a year.
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