Humber College — rebranded Humber Polytechnic in August 2024, though the legal name and "Humber College" remain in everyday and official use — has one of the longest histories of international education among Canadian colleges, tracing back to development partnerships across Africa and Asia in the 1980s, decades before international enrollment became central to the sector's business model. Operating from North Campus in Etobicoke, the lakefront Lakeshore Campus, and a downtown International Graduate School, Humber offers over 200 programs and enrolls a substantial international student population drawn heavily to its Business, Information Technology, and specialized Graduate Certificate offerings. For applicants weighing a Canadian college against a traditional university, Humber combines relatively accessible admission with genuine brand recognition in tech-adjacent fields like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. This guide covers acceptance, fees, admission requirements, English test scores, and how the 2024 PGWP rules apply depending on what you enroll in.
Acceptance Rate
Humber does not publish a single official acceptance rate. Admission runs through the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) on a rolling, capacity-based basis, the same model used across Ontario's public colleges: applications are reviewed continuously, and a program's intake closes once its seats fill, regardless of any published deadline. Third-party aggregators sometimes cite estimates in the 60-70% range, but this should be read as directional rather than an official published statistic.
In practice, Humber's Business and IT programs — particularly its Graduate Certificates at the International Graduate School — fill quickly during the September intake, so the real determinant of admission is how early and complete your application is, not clearing some fixed competitive threshold.
Tuition and Fees
| Item | Amount (CAD) |
|---|---|
| International tuition — Diploma/Certificate | ~$13,356–15,000/year (varies by program) |
| International tuition — Bachelor's degree | ~$17,685/year (varies by program) |
| International tuition — Graduate Certificate | ~$17,685–21,823/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 |
As with most Ontario colleges, Graduate Certificate tuition varies considerably by field — Humber's Health Sciences-adjacent certificates (e.g. Addictions and Mental Health) run toward the higher end of the range, while Applied Technology diplomas tend to sit lower. Confirm the exact figure for your specific program before budgeting.
Admission Requirements
Humber does not apply a single college-wide GPA cutoff; each program sets its own secondary (or post-secondary, for Graduate Certificates) prerequisite grades.
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 Humber program.
Intakes: Humber runs three main intakes — September, January, and May — with September offering the widest program selection, consistent with standard Ontario college practice.
How to Get In
-
Apply as early as possible in your target intake window. Because admission is rolling and capacity-based, submitting a complete application well ahead of the informal fill date is the single highest-leverage step.
-
Lock in your English test score in advance, so it doesn't become the missing piece holding up an otherwise-complete file during a competitive intake.
-
Check your target program's specific prerequisite grades and English requirement, since Humber sets these per-program, and some Applied Technology and Health Sciences programs set higher English thresholds than the general minimums.
-
Weigh a Bachelor's degree or STEM-classified Graduate Certificate against a Business/HR-focused Graduate Certificate with PGWP eligibility in mind — this is now the most consequential program-choice decision for applicants planning to work in Canada afterward (see below).
-
Budget for the non-refundable tuition deposit as soon as you accept an offer, on top of the $100 application fee.
-
If your English score falls short, ask about Humber's English for Academic Purposes (EAP) pathway — a conditional-admission bridge into your intended program.
IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, and Duolingo Requirements
Humber 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 Applied Technology and Health Sciences programs set higher thresholds than these general minimums, so confirm the exact figure on your specific program's page before booking a test. A prior credential taught and fully examined in English at an approved institution may exempt you from a separate test requirement. Scores are generally treated as valid for two years.
If your score falls short, Humber's English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program provides a structured route into your intended diploma, degree, or Graduate Certificate program once you reach the required level.
PGWP Eligibility — What Changed in 2024
IRCC's eligible-field-of-study restriction for the Post-Graduation Work Permit applies to study permit applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024, and it affects only non-degree credentials — diplomas, certificates, and Graduate Certificates. Bachelor's degree programs are exempt and remain broadly PGWP-eligible regardless of field.
At Humber, that means:
- PGWP-eligible regardless of field: Humber's applied Bachelor's degree programs, typically qualifying graduates for the maximum 3-year PGWP if the degree runs 2+ years.
- PGWP-eligible only if the specific program's CIP code is on IRCC's approved list: every diploma, certificate, and Graduate Certificate. 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.
This matters directly for Humber's program mix: its Artificial Intelligence with Machine Learning Graduate Certificate and other STEM-classified offerings at the International Graduate School are more likely to fall within IRCC's eligible list than its Business, Human Resources Management, or general-management Graduate Certificates, which generally do not. Applicants should check their specific program's current status on IRCC's official eligible-field-of-study list before enrolling — a college's own marketing of a program does not substitute for IRCC's determination.
Humber is a Designated Learning Institution (DLI); confirm the DLI number on your Letter of Acceptance 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
Humber does not publish a single college-wide graduation rate or average starting salary. Outcomes are best understood by program cluster:
- Business and Hospitality graduates place with Greater Toronto Area hospitality, tourism, and business-services employers.
- Health Sciences graduates (including Graduate Certificates like Addictions and Mental Health) feed into Ontario's healthcare and community-services sector — among the fields IRCC currently treats as PGWP-priority.
- Applied Technology and Bachelor's degree graduates benefit from Greater Toronto Area technology-employer density, with Humber's AI/ML and IT programs specifically positioned toward tech-sector hiring.
- Graduate Certificate holders in Business, HR, and Advertising typically place with mid-size Ontario employers and marketing/advertising agencies.
Given the shifting international enrollment landscape since 2024, applicants should treat program-specific outcomes and PGWP status as more decision-relevant than college-wide averages.
FAQ
Does Humber have a percentage acceptance rate I can compare to other schools? No official one is published. Admission is rolling and capacity-based through OCAS. Aggregator estimates cite roughly 60-70%, but Humber does not publish an official rate — popular Business and IT programs still close once full, so early application matters more than at a percentage-based school.
Is Humber College the same as Humber Polytechnic? Yes. Humber rebranded publicly as Humber Polytechnic in August 2024, but its legal name remains Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, and "Humber College" remains standard usage, including in DLI records.
Will my Humber program qualify me for a Post-Graduation Work Permit? It depends entirely on program type. Bachelor's degrees 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. STEM-classified Graduate Certificates like Artificial Intelligence with Machine Learning are more likely to qualify than Business or HR-focused certificates. Always confirm directly with 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.
How much does Humber cost for international students? Roughly CAD $13,000-15,000/year for many diploma programs, and CAD $17,000-22,000+/year for Bachelor's degrees and several Graduate Certificates, well below comparable Canadian university tuition.
Is there a pathway if my English score is below the requirement? Yes — Humber's English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program is a structured conditional-admission bridge into your intended diploma, degree, or Graduate Certificate program.
Prepare for IELTS with Gabble or prepare for TOEFL with Gabble — AI-powered speaking and writing feedback with instant band scores, built to help you clear Humber's English requirement with room to spare.