Centennial College was Ontario's first public college when it opened in 1966, and it has since become one of the most recognizable names among Indian, Nigerian, and Bangladeshi applicants researching Canadian study options. Spread across five campuses in Scarborough, East York, and North York — including a dedicated Downsview Aerospace Hub for aviation programs — Centennial once held the highest number of international student study permits of any post-secondary institution in Canada. For applicants comparing a Canadian college against a traditional university, Centennial offers a genuinely accessible, low-cost entry point into the Canadian education and immigration system, with a program mix ranging from applied diplomas to full Bachelor's degrees. This guide covers acceptance, fees, admission requirements, English test scores, and — critically — how Canada's 2024 Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) rules apply differently depending on what you enroll in.
Acceptance Rate
Centennial does not publish an official percentage-based acceptance rate. Like other Ontario colleges, admission runs through the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) on a rolling, capacity-based basis: applications are reviewed continuously and offers extended until a program's seats fill, at which point that intake closes regardless of the published deadline. Third-party aggregators sometimes cite an estimate in the 60-70% range, but treat this as a rough indicator rather than an official figure — Centennial itself does not report a single acceptance rate.
What this means practically is that Centennial is considerably more accessible than a percentage-competitive university, but the real bottleneck is timing: its most in-demand Business, Engineering Technology, and Media programs routinely fill weeks or months ahead of any formal deadline, especially for the September intake.
Tuition and Fees
| Item | Amount (CAD) |
|---|---|
| International tuition — Diploma/Advanced Diploma | ~$16,164/year (varies by program) |
| International tuition — Bachelor's degree | ~$17,500/year (varies by program) |
| International tuition — Graduate Certificate | ~$17,500–24,246/year (varies significantly by program) |
| Estimated living expenses | ~$15,500/year |
| Application fee | $100 |
| Tuition deposit (non-refundable, due after offer) | Required, amount varies by program |
International tuition at Centennial varies more widely across programs than at many colleges — some Graduate Certificate programs (particularly in Advertising and Business) run notably higher than the general diploma-level average, so always check your specific program's fee page rather than assuming a flat rate. Even at the higher end, Centennial remains a fraction of the cost of a comparable Canadian university program.
Admission Requirements
Centennial does not set a single college-wide GPA cutoff. Each program specifies its own secondary (or post-secondary, for Graduate Certificates) prerequisite grades, and admission is assessed against that program-specific bar.
Required documents:
- Application submitted via the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS)
- Official secondary school transcripts (and post-secondary transcripts for Graduate Certificate and degree-completion applicants)
- Proof of English language proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or Duolingo) unless exempt
- CAD $100 application fee
- Non-refundable tuition deposit once an offer is accepted, to secure your seat
GRE/GMAT: Not required for any Centennial program — diploma, Graduate Certificate, or Bachelor's degree alike, consistent with standard practice at Canadian colleges.
Intakes: Centennial runs Fall, Winter, and Summer intakes for a subset of programs, all on a rolling basis. Fall (September) offers by far the widest program selection.
How to Get In
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Apply as early as possible in your target intake window. Because admission is rolling and capacity-based, submitting a complete application — transcripts, English score, and documents all ready — early in the cycle is the single highest-leverage action most applicants can take.
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Lock in your English test score well ahead of time, so it isn't the missing document holding up an otherwise-complete file when a popular program is close to filling.
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Check your target program's specific prerequisite grades and English requirement, since Centennial sets these per-program and some Engineering Technology and Aerospace programs at the Downsview Hub set higher thresholds than the general minimums.
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Decide between a diploma/Graduate Certificate and a Bachelor's degree with PGWP eligibility in mind, not just cost or admission ease — this is now the single most consequential decision for applicants planning to work in Canada after graduating (see below).
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Budget for the tuition deposit as soon as you accept an offer; it's non-refundable and required to hold your seat, on top of the $100 application fee.
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If your English score falls short, ask about Centennial's English Language Learning pathway — a conditional-admission bridge program that leads into your intended diploma, degree, or Graduate Certificate program.
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo Requirements
Centennial sets two tiers of English requirement depending on program level:
| Test | Diploma/Certificate | Degree/Graduate Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.0 overall, no band below 5.5 | 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 80, no skill below 20 | 88, no skill below 22 |
| PTE Academic | 53 | 58 |
| Duolingo English Test | 110 | 120 |
Some Engineering Technology and Aerospace programs at the Downsview Hub set higher thresholds than these general minimums, so confirm the exact figure on your specific program's page before booking a test. Applicants who completed a prior credential taught and fully examined in English at an approved institution may be exempt from submitting a separate score. Test scores are treated as valid for two years.
If your score lands short, Centennial's English Language Learning program is a genuine conditional-admission pathway that leads directly into your intended program once you clear the required level.
PGWP Eligibility — What Changed in 2024
Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced an eligible-field-of-study restriction for the Post-Graduation Work Permit for study permit applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024. This restriction applies only to non-degree credentials — diplomas, certificates, and Graduate Certificates — not to Bachelor's degree programs, which remain broadly PGWP-eligible regardless of field.
At Centennial, that split plays out as:
- PGWP-eligible regardless of field: Centennial's Bachelor's degree programs — including the Bachelor of Information Technology (Computer and Communications Networks), Honours, and the Bachelor of Public Relations Management, Honours — plus its joint-degree pathways developed with the University of Toronto Scarborough (paramedicine, journalism, environmental science).
- PGWP-eligible only if the specific program's CIP code is on IRCC's approved list: every diploma, certificate, and Graduate Certificate program. As of early 2026, the eligible list centers on six broad sectors — healthcare and social services, education, trades, agriculture, STEM, and transport — across roughly 1,100 eligible programs nationally.
Centennial actively promotes over 80 programs and degree pathways it considers PGWP-aligned, which is a genuinely useful starting point — but "PGWP-aligned per the college's own list" and "confirmed eligible on IRCC's current list" are not automatically the same thing. Always cross-check your specific program's current status directly on IRCC's official eligible-field-of-study list before enrolling, since eligibility is assessed program-by-program and subject to change.
Centennial is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI); your Letter of Acceptance will carry a DLI number that you should verify against IRCC's official DLI list. A Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) has also been required alongside every study permit application since January 22, 2024.
Career and Employment Outcomes
Centennial does not publish a single college-wide graduation rate or average starting salary. Its outcomes are best understood by program cluster:
- Business and Advertising graduates place with Greater Toronto Area marketing agencies, retail, and mid-size business employers, with several Graduate Certificate programs built around internship or experiential-learning components.
- Engineering Technology graduates feed into Greater Toronto Area manufacturing, engineering, and infrastructure employers.
- Aerospace and Aviation graduates benefit from the Downsview Hub's direct hangar and airside facilities and connections to aerospace-sector employers in the region.
- Bachelor's degree graduates (Information Technology, Public Relations Management) combine a four-year credential with guaranteed PGWP eligibility regardless of field, a meaningful advantage over diploma-level alternatives in the current policy environment.
Because Centennial's international enrollment mix has shifted since the 2024 study permit cap and PGWP changes, applicants should treat program-specific outcome and PGWP-eligibility data as more relevant than college-wide averages when comparing options.
FAQ
Does Centennial have a percentage acceptance rate I can compare to other schools? No official one. Admission is rolling and capacity-based through OCAS. Third-party estimates cite roughly 60-70%, but Centennial does not publish an official rate — popular programs still close once full, so applying early matters more than at a percentage-based school.
What's the actual cost difference between a diploma and a degree at Centennial? Diploma/Advanced Diploma tuition runs around CAD $16,000/year versus roughly CAD $17,500/year for a Bachelor's degree — a modest gap given the degree's broader PGWP eligibility and longer runway (typically 4 years vs. 2–3).
Will my program qualify me for a Post-Graduation Work Permit? It depends entirely on program type. Bachelor's degrees and UTSC joint-degree pathways remain PGWP-eligible regardless of field. Diplomas, certificates, and Graduate Certificates only qualify if their specific CIP code appears on IRCC's current eligible field-of-study list (healthcare, education, trades, agriculture, STEM, transport). Centennial's own "PGWP-aligned" list of 80+ programs is a useful starting point, but confirm directly against IRCC's official list before enrolling.
What IELTS score do I need? 6.0 overall (no band below 5.5) for diploma/certificate programs, or 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for degree and Graduate Certificate programs. TOEFL iBT 80 and 88 respectively, with PTE and Duolingo equivalents also accepted.
Why is Centennial so well known among international applicants? Centennial held the highest number of international student study permits of any Canadian post-secondary institution in 2018, with especially large cohorts from India historically enrolling in its Business, Engineering Technology, and Media programs. Ontario's Auditor General flagged this reliance on international tuition as a financial risk in a 2021 report, and Centennial — like other high-volume Ontario colleges — has been directly affected by the 2024 study permit cap and PGWP field-of-study restrictions.
Is there a pathway if my English score is below the requirement? Yes — Centennial's English Language Learning program is a structured conditional-admission bridge into your intended diploma, degree, or Graduate Certificate program once you reach the required proficiency level.
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