The University of Alberta's Bachelor of Science in Computing Science, offered through the Faculty of Science, is one of UAlberta's most competitive programmes and counts AlphaGo co-developer and Google DeepMind principal research scientist David Silver among its alumni. UAlberta itself is a founding member of the U15 group of Canada's leading research-intensive universities, based in Edmonton, Alberta's provincial capital and a significantly lower-cost city than Toronto or Vancouver. For international applicants comparing Canadian computer science options, UAlberta offers a genuinely research-strong programme (Computing Science is one of Canada's most respected AI research departments) at a lower cost of living than Canada's largest cities.
This guide covers what UAlberta publishes about Computing Science admissions, real costs, English-test requirements, and outcomes context.
Acceptance Rate: What UAlberta Actually Publishes
UAlberta does not appear to publish one single official aggregate acceptance rate on its currently accessible pages, and it explicitly does not publish a Computing Science-specific figure. What is available:
- UAlberta's undergraduate acceptance rate is reported at roughly 60%, described in UAlberta's own data as "a rough midpoint of a previously reported ~55-65% overall undergraduate range," an approximate figure rather than an official published statistic.
- This 60% figure is a university-wide undergraduate number, not a Computing Science-specific figure. UAlberta's own published guidance is explicit that "Computer Science and Business are considerably more selective than the university-wide acceptance figure," and that competitive programmes expect averages well above the general-admission floor.
- Because the SAT/ACT and US-style GPA system don't apply, UAlberta instead assesses an applicant's final grades in whichever senior secondary curriculum they completed, evaluated against that curriculum's own scale, with Computing Science specifically expecting a stronger academic record than general Arts and Science admission.
Bottom line: treat 60% as a general university-wide baseline only. Computing Science is explicitly flagged by UAlberta's own data as considerably more selective than that figure, so applicants should build an application assuming a meaningfully more competitive process.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
UAlberta's official cost pages could not be independently re-verified in the data available for this guide, so treat the figures below as representative rather than exact, current published numbers.
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition (international, representative) | $24,000 |
| Living expenses | Not independently confirmed |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | Not independently confirmed |
The $24,000/year figure is a rough representative conversion (from approximately CAD 32,000, at roughly 1 CAD = 0.75 USD) of UAlberta's reported program-level tuition range, which spans roughly CAD 30,000-46,000/year depending on faculty, with Arts/Science programmes (which Computing Science technically sits under, in the Faculty of Science) generally at the lower end of that range and Engineering at the higher end. This should be confirmed directly against UAlberta's current published fee schedule for Computing Science specifically before budgeting, since it has not been independently re-verified from a live official source for this guide.
Admission Requirements
Computing Science admission runs through UAlberta's own direct online application system (not a shared national portal like the US Common App or UK UCAS), per UAlberta's published undergraduate requirements:
- Official transcripts/mark sheets for the applicant's specific secondary curriculum
- English language proficiency test scores (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo, availability varies by department) unless exempt
- Program-specific prerequisite subjects, notably strong mathematics preparation for Computing Science
- Supplementary materials, where applicable for select programmes
UAlberta does not use the SAT or ACT for admissions, and does not publish a single minimum-grade cutoff applicable across all programmes; competitive programmes like Computing Science generally expect averages well above the general-admission floor. UAlberta's exact application deadline could not be confirmed from an accessible official page at the time of writing; applicants should confirm the current deadline directly on ualberta.ca well ahead of their intended start date.
How to Get Into UAlberta's Computing Science Programme
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Target an academic average meaningfully above UAlberta's general-admission floor. Since UAlberta's own data flags Computing Science as considerably more selective than the university-wide acceptance figure, treat it as a competitive programme, not a default accessible admission.
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Show strong, specific mathematics preparation. Computing Science's prerequisite subjects lean heavily on mathematics; a strong secondary-school math record (calculus, discrete math where available) meaningfully strengthens an application.
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Confirm your specific curriculum's grade equivalence early. Since UAlberta evaluates international applicants against their home country's own secondary-curriculum grading scale rather than a single GPA system, understanding exactly how your grades map is worth doing well before the application deadline.
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Clear the English-proficiency requirement with genuine margin. UAlberta's moderate published floor (IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 90) sits below some Canadian peers like McGill, but Computing Science's real competitiveness means a comfortable, not borderline, score better supports the rest of your application.
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Apply as early as possible once UAlberta's current cycle deadline is confirmed. Because UAlberta runs its own direct application system rather than a shared portal, and its official deadline pages were not independently confirmable at the time of writing, contacting admissions directly to verify the current deadline is a genuinely useful early step.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
UAlberta's published undergraduate English-proficiency requirement, which applies to Computing Science:
- IELTS Academic: minimum 6.5 overall, with a per-band minimum in the 5.5-6.0 range depending on programme
- TOEFL iBT: minimum 90 (legacy 0-120 scale), with a per-section minimum around 20
- PTE Academic: minimum 60
- Also accepted: Duolingo English Test (specific minimum not published)
- Waiver: not confirmed in detail from an accessible official page; as with most Canadian universities, applicants with sufficient prior education in English (e.g. a Canadian or other English-medium secondary/post-secondary credential) are typically exempt, but confirm exact criteria directly with UAlberta admissions
For general context on studying at UAlberta, including its campuses, popular programmes, and immigration pathways, see University of Alberta: The Complete Guide.
Career Outcomes
UAlberta does not publish graduation rate, employment rate, average starting salary, or top-recruiter data for Computing Science, or for its undergraduate programmes generally, in its currently available data. What can be said with confidence:
- Computing Science's strongest public evidence of outcomes is its notable alumni record, including David Silver, principal research scientist at Google DeepMind and co-developer of AlphaGo, the first AI program to defeat a professional Go player, reflecting the department's genuine strength in AI research specifically
- UAlberta graduates generally are eligible for Canada's federal Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), matching their programme length up to 3 years, plus Alberta's own provincial Alberta Advantage Immigration Program for additional permanent-residence pathways
Because no employment-rate or salary data is published for Computing Science specifically, applicants should treat the notable-alumni evidence as directional context on the department's research strength, not a guarantee of individual graduate outcomes.
FAQ
What is the acceptance rate for UAlberta's Computing Science programme? UAlberta does not publish a Computing Science-specific rate. The university-wide undergraduate figure is roughly 60% (an approximate, not officially confirmed, figure), but UAlberta's own data explicitly states Computing Science is considerably more selective than this blended average.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Computing Science at UAlberta? The published undergraduate minimum is IELTS 6.5 overall or TOEFL iBT 90 overall, with PTE Academic 60 also accepted. Confirm the exact current figure directly with UAlberta, since department-specific requirements can vary.
Does UAlberta use the SAT, ACT, or a US-style GPA? No. UAlberta assesses international applicants against their own secondary curriculum's grading scale and does not require the SAT or ACT.
How much does Computing Science cost at UAlberta? A representative international tuition figure is approximately $24,000/year (converted from a reported CAD 30,000-46,000 program-level range), though this has not been independently re-verified against a live, current official UAlberta source, so confirm the exact current fee directly.
Does UAlberta publish employment or salary outcomes for Computing Science graduates? No. UAlberta does not publish graduation rate, employment rate, salary, or recruiter data for Computing Science in its currently available published data.
What immigration pathways are available after graduating from UAlberta? Graduates are generally eligible for a federal Post-Graduation Work Permit matching their programme length (up to 3 years), and Alberta's provincial Alberta Advantage Immigration Program offers additional permanent-residence pathways specifically for graduates working in the province.