Fanshawe College's Nursing program stands apart from most of its diploma-heavy catalogue for one key reason: it leads to a genuine Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN), delivered as a collaborative degree program with Western University in London, Ontario, rather than a college diploma. For applicants comparing Fanshawe against Ontario's other large colleges, this collaborative BScN is the clearest example of a degree-level credential sitting inside a primarily college-diploma institution — a structure that matters directly for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) planning, since degree programs are treated differently from diplomas under Canada's current PGWP rules. As with all Ontario college applications since 2024, though, applicants also need to plan around the federal study-permit cap and Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) system before assuming academic admission alone is sufficient.
Acceptance Rate
Fanshawe does not publish an official acceptance rate for Nursing or any other program, consistent with the rest of Ontario's college sector. Admission is evaluated against the program's specific academic prerequisites and, since January 2024, is also gated by Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) availability as part of the federal cap on new study permits — a genuinely separate bottleneck from Fanshawe's own admissions decision. As a collaborative BScN degree program, Nursing is likely to draw a stronger and more competitive applicant pool relative to Fanshawe's general diploma programs, though no specific admit figure is published to confirm this.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Approximate costs for international students, based on Fanshawe's published fee structure (2025-2026):
| Cost Item | Amount (CAD) |
|---|---|
| International tuition — Nursing (BScN, Fanshawe-Western collaborative) | ~$19,500/year |
| IRCC minimum required proof of funds (living costs, single applicant) | $20,635/year |
| Approximate total cost per year | ~$40,135 |
| Application fee | ~$100 |
Over the full four-year BScN, total cost of attendance runs roughly in the $160,000-$165,000 CAD range before scholarships — notably lower than a comparable nursing degree at most Ontario universities, which is a large part of the collaborative program's appeal.
Admission Requirements
- Completed online application (via ontariocolleges.ca or Fanshawe's international application portal)
- Official secondary school and/or post-secondary transcripts, including required prerequisite science courses (biology, chemistry, and math are standard nursing prerequisites), with WES or comparable credential evaluation for some applicants
- Proof of English language proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo), or enrollment in Fanshawe's English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program
- Proof of funds for study permit purposes
- Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) confirmation as part of the current study-permit process — a 2024-onward requirement, distinct from Fanshawe's academic admission offer
Fanshawe does not publish a single minimum GPA/percentage threshold for Nursing; academic requirements are set per program rather than a blanket cutoff. GRE/GMAT are not required.
How to Get Into Fanshawe's Nursing Program
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Nail your prerequisite science and math grades. As a degree-level collaborative program, Nursing's academic bar sits above Fanshawe's general diploma programs, and strong grades specifically in required science prerequisites carry real weight.
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Understand the PAL requirement is separate from — and now sits alongside — your academic admission decision. An acceptance letter is no longer automatically sufficient for a study permit; build PAL timing into your application timeline rather than treating it as post-acceptance paperwork.
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Finalize your English test score early, since Fanshawe's rolling, seat-based admissions model penalizes late documentation, and a document-heavy collaborative degree program like Nursing has more moving pieces than a standard diploma application.
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Target a comfortable margin above the minimum English score. Nursing programs generally involve documentation- and communication-heavy coursework from first year (care-plan documentation, clinical communication), and Fanshawe's own guidance flags Writing as the section applicants most often underperform on relative to their overall band.
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If your English score is short, use the EAP pathway rather than delaying a full year. Fanshawe's English for Academic Purposes program runs 10 levels with part-time online options, offering a structured route into your intended program.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
| Test | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0 | 7.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 80 | 88 |
| PTE Academic | 58 | — |
| Duolingo English Test | 105 | — |
These are Fanshawe's general thresholds across diploma, advanced diploma, degree, and graduate certificate programs; degree-level programs like the Nursing BScN typically sit at the higher end of this range, so confirm the exact figure directly on the Nursing program page. Scores are generally treated as valid for 2 years. For the full breakdown of Fanshawe's English-proficiency policy and PGWP rules, see Fanshawe College's full admissions guide.
Career Outcomes
Fanshawe does not publish a program-level graduate employment rate or average starting salary for Nursing. What's well documented qualitatively:
- Nursing graduates feed directly into Ontario's healthcare system, which faces persistent regional staffing demand.
- Because the BScN is a bachelor's degree, it is exempt from IRCC's November 2024 field-of-study restriction on Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility — the restriction that does apply to most of Fanshawe's diplomas, advanced diplomas, and graduate certificates — and qualifies for the maximum-length PGWP of up to 3 years given the program's four-year duration.
- Healthcare is also one of the sectors IRCC has prioritized in its broader labour-shortage policy, reinforcing the degree's PGWP positioning independent of the degree-level exemption itself.
FAQ
Is Fanshawe's Nursing program a diploma or a degree? It's a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN), a genuine bachelor's degree delivered as a collaborative program between Fanshawe College and Western University — distinct from Fanshawe's more numerous diploma and advanced diploma programs.
Does Fanshawe publish an acceptance rate for Nursing? No. Fanshawe does not publish official acceptance rates for any program; admission is evaluated against program-specific prerequisites and, since January 2024, Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) availability.
How much does the Nursing program cost for international students? International tuition runs approximately CAD $19,500/year, or roughly CAD $160,000-$165,000 over the full four-year program including living costs, before scholarships.
What is a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), and do I need one? Since January 2024, most international study permit applicants to Ontario colleges, including Fanshawe, need a PAL as part of the federal government's national cap on new study permits — a separate step from academic admission, so build extra lead time into your timeline.
Does the Nursing degree qualify for the full 3-year PGWP? Yes — as a four-year bachelor's degree, it's exempt from the field-of-study restriction that applies to Fanshawe's non-degree diplomas and certificates, and qualifies for the maximum PGWP length based on program duration alone.
What IELTS score should I target? Aim for 7.0 rather than the bare 6.5 minimum, since Writing is the section international applicants most commonly underperform on, and confirm the exact requirement on the specific Nursing program page since degree-level programs tend to sit at the higher end of Fanshawe's general range.