Best Canadian universities for finance, economics, and accounting programs

As an international student, a degree in economics, finance, or accounting from a Canadian university can help you uncover new career paths, fast-track your professional career in finance, or lay the foundation for higher education in your chosen field.

While you’ll need an undergraduate or Bachelor’s degree to qualify for master’s programs in economics, finance, or accounting, you can be admitted to undergraduate programs in these fields as soon as you finish high school. Many Canadian universities accept international students who’ve completed their high school or undergraduate education in other countries, but the fees and eligibility criteria for international students are usually different from those for domestic students.

If you’re in the process of identifying universities you hope to attend, this resource showcases some of the best Canadian post-secondary schools for finance, economics, and accounting programs. This article will also provide an overview of graduate and undergraduate programs offered in these fields, tuition fees for international students, and general admission requirements for these programs.

In this article:

Eligibility criteria for admission into finance, economics, and accounting programs
Top Canadian universities for finance, economics, and accounting

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Eligibility criteria for admission into finance, economics, and accounting programs

Undergraduate programs in finance, economics, and accounting

For admission into undergraduate programs in Canada, and in order to obtain a bachelor’s degree in finance, economics or accounting, you’ll typically require a high-school equivalent diploma from your home country with a good score or grade point average (GPA). In some cases, you may also need to have studied high school level mathematics or calculus to qualify for admission into bachelor’s programs in economics, finance, or accounting.

Admission into university undergraduate programs is competitive, so the better your high school marks, the better your chances of admission will be. For international students whose first language isn’t English, or who haven’t studied English in high school, proof of English language proficiency—IELTS or TOEFL scores—will usually be required.

If your application is shortlisted, many schools will also conduct interviews to select students who best meet the program admission criteria. Some Canadian universities also give preference to shortlisted students who have good extra-curricular track records, such as participation in sports or volunteer programs.

Graduate programs in finance, economics, and accounting

To qualify for admission into graduate programs in Canada, and in order to obtain a master’s degree in finance, economics, and accounting, you must have a four-year (or four-year equivalent) undergraduate degree with specialization in a related subject. Most universities evaluate prospective students based on undergraduate marks (or at least your marks in the last two years of your undergrad program), so you’ll need at least a minimum 3.0 GPA, or 70 to 75 per cent average, to get into a good university.

For admission into graduate-level economics programs, Canadian universities may require you to have taken calculus, microeconomics, macroeconomics, and statistics courses in your undergraduate program. You may also need to take the GRE and achieve a minimum score to qualify.

Many graduate finance programs require applicants to have a few years of relevant work experience. You’ll also need to submit a GRE or GMAT score, or a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) level II exam score.

Entry into graduate-level accounting programs can be slightly complicated for international students; you’ll often need a Canadian undergraduate degree or diploma in accounting in order to qualify. Some universities, like York University, allow international students to complete a Canadian diploma and then enter the second term of the master’s program directly. Other universities require students to have taken courses in accounting, auditing, Canadian taxation, and finance to qualify.

For most graduate programs, you’ll also be evaluated on the basis of your academic marks, admission essay, academic or professional references, and, if shortlisted, your admission interview. For all graduate programs delivered in English, students are required to be proficient in English. If your undergraduate program was delivered in another language, you’ll need to get a good IELTS or TOEFL score.

Top Canadian universities for finance, economics, and accounting

Note
Unless otherwise specified, the fees listed in this section are total program tuition fees for students applying in the admission year 2022-2023. As an international student, you’ll also need to account for non-tuition fees, taxes, and living expenses. Please check your university website for the latest fee estimates.

Canada is home to some of the world’s best universities for finance, economics, and accounting courses. Here are some of the Canadian Learning Institutions that feature in the QS World University Rankings 2022 for these programs.

Please note that graduate programs are typically for one or two years (some are shorter) and the tuition fees outlined below for graduate programs are for the full degree. Undergraduate degrees are typically obtained in four years, and the tuition fees for those programs outlined below are per year of study.