Trent University's Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), delivered through Trent's School of Business at both the Peterborough and Durham GTA (Oshawa) campuses, pairs a traditional business degree with co-op options available in every specialization and the option to combine business with another discipline through a joint degree. For international students weighing a Canadian business degree against larger, more competitive Ontario business schools, Trent's BBA is a smaller-cohort, more accessible option with a direct route into Canada's post-graduation work permit system.
This article covers exactly what it takes to get into Trent's BBA: acceptance realities, cost, requirements, English-test rules, and outcomes.
Acceptance Rate
Trent University does not publish a Business Administration-specific acceptance rate, and no university-wide acceptance rate is published either, for international or domestic applicants at any level. Trent's BBA does not run a separate, more competitive admissions process on top of Trent's general undergraduate requirements; it uses the same curriculum-specific academic thresholds as the rest of Trent's undergraduate programs (for example, a minimum 70% average in your best six 4U/M courses for OSSD applicants, or a 3.0 GPA/4.0 scale "B" average for American-patterned education).
Because Trent evaluates applicants against these published thresholds rather than through a limited-seat comparative review, a well-prepared applicant who clears their curriculum's minimum and the English proficiency bar is admitted at a meaningfully higher rate than at Canada's most selective business schools (such as Ivey or Rotman Commerce), though Trent has not released an exact figure to confirm this as a stated percentage.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Trent does not publish a BBA-specific tuition rate; Business Administration falls under Trent's general "all other undergraduate programs" category. The 2026-2027 estimated figures (Peterborough campus, marked by Trent as pending final approval) are:
| Cost item | Estimated annual amount (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Tuition (international) | ~$35,631.91 |
| Ancillary fees | ~$3,000 |
| Housing | $7,500 - $9,280 |
| Food | $4,000 - $5,600 |
| Books and supplies | $1,500 - $3,000 |
| Personal expenses | $1,500 - $3,000 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | ~$52,500 - $58,880 |
Durham GTA campus fees are published separately from Peterborough; confirm the current schedule for your intended campus, since the two locations have distinct fee tables. Trent's international office also offers up to $60,000 CAD in scholarships and awards to incoming international students, some automatic and some requiring a separate application.
Admission Requirements
Trent's BBA uses Trent's standard international undergraduate admission requirements, since there is no separate published BBA-specific academic bar:
- Completed application via OUAC 105 or Trent's direct international application
- Official (or in-progress) secondary school transcripts meeting your curriculum's threshold (for example, 70% average for OSSD or India Standard XII best 4 subjects; 3.0 GPA for US-patterned education; IB overall score of 26)
- Proof of English proficiency (unless exempt; see below)
- Final graduation diploma, submitted upon enrollment
Trent does not publish a BBA-specific supplementary essay, interview, or portfolio requirement; admission is handled through the standard document and grade-threshold review described above.
How to Get Into Trent's Business Administration Program
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Clear your curriculum's published grade minimum. There's no separate, higher bar for BBA specifically, so meeting Trent's standard undergraduate threshold for your education system is the main academic requirement.
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Decide on a specialization and co-op stream before you apply, if possible. Trent's School of Business offers co-op in every BBA specialization, so identify early whether you want the co-op stream, since work-integrated learning is a major reason international students choose Trent's BBA over a non-co-op alternative.
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Consider whether Peterborough or Durham GTA fits your goals better. Durham GTA sits much closer to Toronto's business and finance hiring market; Peterborough offers Trent's full campus experience and college system. Both deliver the BBA, so this is a genuine choice rather than a hierarchy.
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Clear the English proficiency requirement well ahead of your application deadline. Trent's thresholds (IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 86 or the new 4.5 redesigned scale) are moderate by Canadian standards, so treat this as a box to check early rather than a late-stage scramble.
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Ask about joint degree options if you want to pair business with another field. Trent explicitly allows combining the BBA with other disciplines; if you're interested in a joint degree, raise this with admissions or your prospective advisor before finalizing your application, since course sequencing can differ from the standalone BBA.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Trent's BBA uses Trent's standard university-wide undergraduate English proficiency thresholds; there is no separate, higher bar for Business Administration specifically:
- IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, no band below 6.0
- TOEFL iBT: 86 (pre-2026 scale) with minimum Writing of 20, or 4.5 overall (redesigned scale, tests from 2026 onward) with minimum Writing of 4.0
- PTE Academic: 59
- Duolingo English Test: 115 (undergraduate only)
Waivers apply for IB diploma holders (English Language A), and for applicants with 3+ years of English-medium secondary school, 2+ years of English-medium community college, or 1+ year of English-medium university study, all without ESL/EAL coursework.
For the full breakdown of Trent's English-test policy, waivers, and how the TOEFL scoring transition works, see Trent University's full admissions guide.
Career Outcomes
Trent reports that 92% of Trent graduates overall are employed within six months of graduation, and Trent's School of Business guarantees paid co-op access as part of the BBA's specialization structure, on top of Trent's broader university-wide commitment that 100% of programs include some form of experiential learning.
PGWP relevance: Trent's BBA is a full-time bachelor's degree program well over 2 years in length, which under Canada's Post-Graduation Work Permit rules qualifies for a PGWP of up to 3 years, the maximum available length. Per IRCC's own rules, "there are no field of study requirements for graduates with a bachelor's degree," so a BBA is broadly PGWP-eligible regardless of field, unlike many college diploma programs that carry field-specific restrictions. Bachelor's degree graduates do need to demonstrate CLB 7 English or French proficiency for PGWP applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024. Always confirm current PGWP rules directly with IRCC before relying on this, since federal immigration policy can change independently of Trent's own program structure.
Trent's official pages do not publish BBA-specific employer names, starting salaries, or program-level placement statistics beyond the university-wide 92% figure, so confirm current outcomes directly with Trent's School of Business or Careerspace office if this level of detail matters to your decision.
FAQ
Does Trent publish a Business Administration acceptance rate? No. Trent does not publish an acceptance rate for the BBA specifically or for the university overall. Admission is based on meeting published, curriculum-specific grade thresholds rather than a comparative selection process.
What GPA or grade average do I need for Trent's BBA? The same as Trent's general undergraduate requirement for your curriculum: for example, a 70% average in your best six 4U/M courses for OSSD, or a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) for US-patterned education. There is no separate, higher BBA-specific threshold published.
Is co-op available for Trent's BBA? Yes. Trent's School of Business offers co-op streams in every BBA specialization.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Trent's BBA? IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0), or TOEFL iBT 86 (pre-2026 scale) / 4.5 overall on the redesigned scale from 2026 onward. PTE 59 and Duolingo 115 are also accepted.
How much does Trent's BBA cost for international students? Tuition is estimated at roughly $35,631.91 CAD/year for 2026-2027 (pending final approval), with total estimated cost of attendance, including housing, food, and personal expenses, in the $52,500-$58,880 CAD range.
Is Trent's BBA eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit? Yes. As a full-time bachelor's degree program over 2 years, Trent's BBA qualifies for a PGWP of up to 3 years, Canada's maximum permit length, with no field-of-study restriction on university degree programs. You will need to meet a CLB 7 English/French language requirement if applying on or after November 1, 2024.