Queen's University's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science offers a Bachelor of Applied Science across a range of engineering disciplines, from a university that is a member of the U15 group of Canada's leading research-intensive institutions. Queen's Engineering maintains strong employer ties across Ontario's industrial and technology sectors, and the program sits in Kingston, a quieter, more affordable lakeside city relative to Toronto, while remaining well connected to Ontario's broader engineering job market. This guide covers what it takes to get into Queen's Engineering, what it costs, English-test rules, and where the program's reputation comes from.
Acceptance Rate
Queen's does not publish one precise official acceptance-rate figure for general first-year Engineering:
- Queen's overall undergraduate acceptance rate is approximately 42%, and Queen's own admissions guidance indicates that general first-year Engineering is considerably less selective than Queen's headline competitive programs.
- Within the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, direct-entry Computer Engineering is notably more selective, estimated at roughly 20-25%, a meaningfully tighter bar than general first-year Engineering.
- Queen's directional estimates are not one confirmed official figure; Queen's does not publish a single precise number for either the university-wide rate or Engineering specifically.
Bottom line: treat the university-wide ~42% figure as the closest honest proxy for general first-year Engineering, while noting that specific direct-entry disciplines within Engineering, particularly Computer Engineering, are considerably more selective than that headline number suggests.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Queen's does not publish one single official Engineering-specific tuition figure, but this site's own research places Engineering international tuition above Queen's general Arts/Science range:
| Cost Item | Amount (CAD/year) |
|---|---|
| Engineering international tuition (estimated range) | CAD 52,000-60,000 |
| General Arts/Science international tuition (for comparison) | CAD 45,000-52,000 |
Living expenses and total cost of attendance are not published as confirmed official figures for this program, so budget conservatively above the tuition range shown, and confirm current figures directly with Queen's before committing. Applicants apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) international stream, which carries its own processing fee rather than a separate Queen's-specific application fee.
Admission Requirements
Based on Queen's published international-applicant requirements for the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science:
- Application via the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) international application stream
- Official transcripts/mark sheets for the applicant's specific secondary curriculum (CBSE/ISC, A-Levels, IB, etc.), assessed against Engineering's program-specific competitive average rather than a single 4.0-scale GPA
- English language proficiency test scores (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo) unless exempt
- Credential evaluation (e.g. WES) may be required for some non-North American qualifications
Note that direct-entry Computer Engineering sets a higher competitive average than general first-year Engineering, so applicants targeting that specific discipline should not assume the general Engineering bar applies to them. Ontario's equal-consideration deadline is January 15; while general Engineering is less time-sensitive than Smith Commerce or Computer Engineering, applying well ahead of the deadline is still recommended.
How to Get Into Queen's Engineering Program
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Understand Queen's first-year common curriculum structure. Most Queen's Engineering students enter a shared first year before choosing a specific discipline, except for direct-entry programs like Computer Engineering, so your application should reflect genuine interest in engineering broadly rather than one narrow discipline unless applying direct-entry.
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Strengthen your math and physics profile specifically. Because Queen's assesses applicants against curriculum-specific competitive averages rather than a single GPA, strong, consistent performance in math and physics coursework carries particular weight for engineering admission.
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If targeting direct-entry Computer Engineering, treat it as a distinctly more competitive application. This specific discipline runs meaningfully more selective (an estimated 20-25%) than general first-year Engineering, so build a file accordingly.
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Clear Queen's general English-proficiency bar comfortably. Unlike Smith Commerce's higher threshold, general Engineering uses Queen's standard university-wide minimum, but engineering coursework is technically dense, so aim above the minimum rather than exactly at it.
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Confirm your credential evaluation needs early. If your secondary qualification isn't from North America, a WES or similar credential evaluation may be required, and starting this process early avoids delays close to the deadline.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
General first-year Engineering at Queen's uses the university's standard, lower tier (unlike Smith Commerce, which sets a higher bar):
- IELTS: minimum 6.5 overall, with no band below 6.0
- TOEFL: minimum 88 overall, with no section below 20
- PTE Academic: minimum score of 60
- Waiver: applicants who completed several years of secondary or post-secondary study taught and examined entirely in English in an approved country are typically exempt; exact criteria should be confirmed directly with Queen's admissions office
For general context on applying to Queen's, see the Queen's University guide. Applicants who clear this general minimum without much extra preparation should still be aware that Queen's own guidance flags Engineering's technical writing and lab-report demands as a common area where otherwise-qualified international students underperform relative to their admissions test score.
Career Outcomes
Queen's does not publish an employment rate, average starting salary, or top-recruiter list specifically for Engineering, or for Queen's undergraduates generally, in current research. What can be said with confidence:
- Queen's Engineering maintains strong employer ties across Ontario's industrial and technology sectors, per Queen's own program description
- Queen's Gaels culture and its unusually strong alumni network (built around the university's tricolour branding and traditions) are frequently cited as contributing to career-supportive alumni connections after graduation
- Notable Queen's alumni with space and engineering-adjacent backgrounds include Andrew Feustel, a NASA astronaut who earned graduate degrees in geophysics from Queen's
Because no official outcomes data is published for Engineering specifically, prospective applicants should treat these qualitative signals as directional rather than a substitute for confirmed employment or salary figures, and should look directly to Queen's Engineering career-services office for current placement data.
FAQ
Does Queen's publish a separate acceptance rate for Engineering? Not as one precise official figure. The closest honest proxy is Queen's overall undergraduate acceptance rate of approximately 42%, though Queen's own guidance notes that direct-entry Computer Engineering specifically is considerably more selective (an estimated 20-25%) than general first-year Engineering.
Do all Queen's Engineering students enter the same first year? Most do, through a shared common first-year curriculum before choosing a specific discipline in second year, with the notable exception of direct-entry programs like Computer Engineering, which admit students to that specific discipline from high school.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Queen's Engineering? General first-year Engineering uses Queen's standard university-wide minimum: IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) or TOEFL iBT 88 overall (no section below 20). This is a lower bar than Smith Commerce's 7.0 IELTS / 100 TOEFL requirement.
How much does Queen's Engineering program cost for international students? This site's research places Engineering international tuition at roughly CAD 52,000-60,000/year, higher than Queen's general Arts/Science range of CAD 45,000-52,000/year. Living expenses and total cost of attendance are not published as a confirmed official figure, so budget conservatively above the tuition range.
Is direct-entry Computer Engineering more competitive than general Engineering at Queen's? Yes. Direct-entry Computer Engineering is estimated at roughly 20-25% acceptance, notably more selective than general first-year Engineering, which most other engineering disciplines feed into through Queen's shared first-year curriculum.
Does Queen's use a US-style GPA scale for Engineering admissions? No. Queen's assesses an applicant's final grades in whichever senior secondary curriculum they completed (CBSE/ISC percentage, A-Levels, IB, etc.) against program-specific competitive averages rather than converting to a single 4.0 GPA scale.