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MBA in Canada Cost Breakdown (2026) — Tuition, Living, ROI and Full Budget Guide

Gabble Team··5 min read

Canada's MBA landscape offers strong value for international students — combining internationally ranked programmes, moderate tuition (compared to the USA), post-graduation work rights via the PGWP, and a clear PR pathway. In 2026, top Canadian MBA tuition ranges from CAD $35,000 to CAD $80,000 for the full programme.


Canadian MBA Cost — At a Glance

MBA TierTuition (Full Programme)Total CoA
Rotman, Ivey, Schulich (top tier)CAD 80,000 – CAD 120,000CAD 120,000 – CAD 180,000
Sauder, Desautels, Smith (strong tier)CAD 60,000 – CAD 90,000CAD 90,000 – CAD 140,000
Sobey, Hill/Ivey Part-Time (mid-tier)CAD 40,000 – CAD 65,000CAD 60,000 – CAD 100,000

Most Canadian MBAs are 2-year programmes — though accelerated 1-year options exist at several schools.


Top Canadian MBA Programme Costs (2026)

SchoolUniversityDurationTotal Tuition (CAD)
Rotman School of ManagementUniversity of Toronto2 yearsCAD 110,000 – CAD 125,000
Richard Ivey School of BusinessWestern University1 year (post-HBA) / 2 yearsCAD 70,000 – CAD 90,000
Schulich School of BusinessYork University2 yearsCAD 85,000 – CAD 100,000
Sauder School of BusinessUBC2 yearsCAD 75,000 – CAD 90,000
Desautels Faculty of ManagementMcGill University2 yearsCAD 80,000 – CAD 95,000
Smith School of BusinessQueen's University1 year (CBT)CAD 65,000 – CAD 75,000
Haskayne School of BusinessUniversity of Calgary2 yearsCAD 50,000 – CAD 65,000
Alberta School of BusinessUniversity of Alberta2 yearsCAD 45,000 – CAD 60,000
Sobey School of BusinessSaint Mary's University1–2 yearsCAD 35,000 – CAD 50,000
Beedie School of BusinessSimon Fraser University2 yearsCAD 55,000 – CAD 70,000

Living Costs During a Canadian MBA

CityMonthly Living (CAD)2-Year Living (CAD)
Toronto (Rotman, Schulich)CAD 2,500 – CAD 4,000CAD 60,000 – CAD 96,000
Vancouver (Sauder, Beedie)CAD 2,500 – CAD 3,800CAD 60,000 – CAD 91,200
Montreal (Desautels)CAD 1,800 – CAD 2,800CAD 43,200 – CAD 67,200
London, ON (Ivey)CAD 1,600 – CAD 2,400CAD 38,400 – CAD 57,600
Kingston (Smith)CAD 1,400 – CAD 2,000CAD 33,600 – CAD 48,000
Calgary (Haskayne)CAD 1,800 – CAD 2,600CAD 43,200 – CAD 62,400

Total Cost of Attendance — Canadian MBAs

SchoolTuitionLiving (2 years)Total CoA
Rotman (Toronto)CAD 115,000CAD 72,000CAD 187,000
Desautels (McGill)CAD 88,000CAD 55,000CAD 143,000
Sauder (UBC)CAD 83,000CAD 70,000CAD 153,000
Schulich (York)CAD 92,000CAD 68,000CAD 160,000
Smith (Queen's, 1yr)CAD 70,000CAD 30,000CAD 100,000
Haskayne (Calgary)CAD 57,000CAD 53,000CAD 110,000
AlbertaCAD 52,000CAD 50,000CAD 102,000

Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) — The Canada Advantage

All Canadian MBA programmes at DLI-listed universities qualify for the PGWP:

Programme DurationPGWP Length
1-year MBAUp to 1 year
2-year MBAUp to 3 years

A 2-year Canadian MBA earns you 3 years of open Canadian work rights + CRS points toward Express Entry — making the PGWP pathway to permanent residency one of the strongest post-MBA immigration options in the world.


Scholarships for Canadian MBA

ScholarshipValueEligibility
Rotman Entrance ScholarshipsCAD 5,000 – CAD 30,000Merit-based
Schulich Entrance AwardsCAD 5,000 – CAD 25,000Merit and need
Sauder International ScholarshipCAD 10,000 – CAD 25,000International applicants
Desautels Merit ScholarshipCAD 5,000 – CAD 20,000Merit-based
Smith FellowshipCAD 10,000 – CAD 35,000Competitive

Post-MBA Salaries in Canada (2026)

SchoolMedian Starting Salary (CAD)
RotmanCAD 90,000 – CAD 120,000
IveyCAD 85,000 – CAD 110,000
SchulichCAD 80,000 – CAD 105,000
SauderCAD 80,000 – CAD 105,000
DesautelsCAD 75,000 – CAD 100,000
SmithCAD 75,000 – CAD 95,000

Top industries: consulting, banking, tech, CPG, and real estate.


IELTS and TOEFL Requirements for Canadian MBA

SchoolIELTS MinTOEFL Min
Rotman7.0100
Schulich7.0100
Sauder7.0100
Desautels7.0100
Ivey7.0100
Smith7.0100

Most Canadian MBA programmes require IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 100 as a minimum — competitive non-native speaker applicants typically score 7.5+ / 105+.


Prepare for IELTS with Gabble — reach Canada's MBA English language requirements with AI-powered band-level feedback. Or prepare for TOEFL for the TOEFL 100+ target.