Canada has one of the best healthcare systems in the world. So, it is not surprising to see that it also leads to the provision of qualitative healthcare education. International students from different parts of the world flock to the country to study.
The cost of learning nursing and qualifying as a Registered Nurse (RN) doesn’t come cheap. Yet, the country has a good concentration of cheap nursing schools in Canada for international students. Your lifelong dream of helping “nurse” patients back to their feet is now set to become a reality.
Why Studying Nursing in Canada is a Good Idea
The fact that you can find schools offering affordable tuition and fees is not enough reason to leave other countries and decide on Canada. The country is a choice destination for these reasons:
The Practicality of the Programs
Most nursing universities in Canada do not just offer a theoretical approach to the program. Students also get to learn hands-on techniques, thanks to the variety of research units to make the programs attractive.
Placement Opportunities
Through ongoing collaborations with some institutions, including clinics, Canadian nursing schools help their graduates find clinical placements. With the high employment rate some of these schools have, international graduates can be confident of staying back to practice their careers with good pay in Canada.
Worldwide-Recognized Programs
Not only are most of these schools recognized within the country, but they also gain global recognition for their updated practices. The programs and courses are also famed to be among the best all over the world.
The List of Cheapest Nursing Schools in Canada
We present to you, the list of the most affordable schools that offer nursing programs and courses to international students.
1. University of Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island is located in Charlottetown. It is a public university in the province of Prince Edward Island in Canada. Shortened to UPEI, the university offers nursing programs to international students.
The Faculty of Nursing at the UPEI has since 1992, created an interactive learning ecosystem that has gone on to bolster the preparation of nursing graduates to become critically reflective educators, practitioners and professionals in the field of providing primary healthcare.
Tuition and Fees
Applicants to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program pay a tuition of $7,704 per year, in addition to full-time student tuition. Applicants to this four-year program are expected to meet certain requirements, including:
- Completing the course requirements by taking degree-level courses and passing with a minimum mark of 60%.
- Eligible first-year applicants are ranked based on their average in Math, Biology, Chemistry, and English.
International students applying to the 2-year Master of Nursing will pay a base tuition of $7,704 in addition to full-time student tuition.
2. University of Regina
University of Regina is located in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. International students are offered the opportunity to undergo Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in Nursing at the school.
The University of Regina offers its nursing programs in two ways:
- Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program (CNPP)
- Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing (SCBScN)
The Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is a CASN-accredited undergraduate program that prepares students to become Registered Nurses (RNs).
On the other hand, the Collaborative Nurse Practitioner Program is an online graduate-level program offered “through a joint partnership between the University of Regina and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.”
Tuition and Fees
The tuition at the University of Regina starts at $2,721.80 for one standard class of 3-credit hours. If you are taking up to five (5) standard classes of 15 credit hours, the tuition payable as an international student is $12,442.40.
3. University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick offers up to three (3) nursing programs at the following campuses: Saint John, Fredericton and Moncton. Both Saint John and Fredericton campuses offer the Bachelor of Nursing degree in Nursing, while the Bachelor of Nursing degree in Nursing (Accelerated Program) is obtainable at the Moncton campus of the University of New Brunswick.
Tuition and Fees
The Faculty of Science, Applied Science and Engineering at the Saint John campus of the university offers a four-year Bachelor of Nursing program to international students. The total fee for international students attending both terms (Fall and Winter) is $22,154. If you are applying for just one term, the tuition starts at $11,211.75 for Winter and $11,261.75 for Fall.
At the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick, the tuition for nursing is $22,223.50 for international students attending both terms.
4. St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier University is found in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is another cheap nursing school in Canada, where international students pay about $10,319 as annual tuition for an undergraduate nursing program of study.
The nursing program is administered by the Rankin School of Nursing; a department of St. Francis Xavier University that has been existing since 1926. Among many other responsibilities, the School provides a quality nursing educational experience.
5. University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba is a nursing school located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. International students like it because of the variety of nursing programs offered. The College of Nursing, under the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, offers undergraduate and graduate programs for international studies.
Programs of Study
The undergraduate programs include a Bachelor of Nursing and a Bachelor of Midwifery. Applicants to graduate programs have the following options to choose from: Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner, Master of Nursing and PhD in Nursing.
Tuition for Nursing Programs
The University of Manitoba has an estimated cost of $21,300 as the tuition for international students. Applicants are expected to meet the general entrance requirements and the program-centric eligibility criteria.
6. University of Toronto
The Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto offers international applicants the opportunity to study full-time or part-time.
If you cannot afford the fee of $46,310 for a full-time program in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing; it may be a good idea to go for the part-time program.
Tuition and Fees
On a part-time basis, international applicants for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing will pay a tuition of $6,174.67 per credit hour in the first year and the sum of $7,718.33 per credit course in the second year.
7. Western University
Come over to London, Ontario, Canada and study at Western University. The school has graduate and undergraduate programs for international students looking for placement in nursing programs.
The Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing has in the decades, helped nursing enthusiasts turn their passion to a service that helps both Canadians and foreigners get quality healthcare.
Programs Offered
International students are offered two (2) ways to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN). These are:
- Compressed Time Frame (CTF) Program and;
- Western-Fanshawe Collaborative Program
For graduate studies in nursing, applicants have to choose between thesis-based programs (Doctor of Philosophy & Master of Science in Nursing) and course-based programs, such as:
- Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Diploma (PHCNP)
- Master of Nursing – Leadership in Professional Nursing Practice (MN-LPNP) and;
- Master of Nursing – Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner (MN-PHCNP).
Fee Schedules
Both graduate and undergraduate nursing students at Western University are not only given affordable tuition but also a flexible payment plan.
Undergraduate nursing students pay at least $54,197 in the first year and $48,395 in the fourth year. This fee doesn’t include Compressed Nursing.
Full-time international students in graduate nursing programs should expect about $12,470 for a program-specific nursing program per term or $3,554 for a regular nursing program per term.
8. Conestoga College
Conestoga is a college located in Kitchener, Ontario. It offers the Practical Nursing program at its Kitchener-Doon campus. It is a full-time program running for two (2) years. On completion, graduates will receive the Ontario College Diploma.
Program Coverage
This is a career-focused program that teaches students the experience, knowledge and skills they need to provide quality healthcare.
It is highly competitive, so you want to start your application on time, as the College is strict with this.
Tuition and Fees
International students applying for the Practical Nursing program at Conestoga College pay at least $7,375 as tuition for an academic year. Additional fees apply.
Concluding Thoughts
International applicants to nursing schools in Canada must keep in mind that some of those institutions limit applications to indigenous/Canadian applicants. Also, some of the schools require you to have a prior background in nursing or health-related academic programs.
You want to check with each of those universities and colleges to get an idea of the variations in the fees: whether they’re only available as full-time fees or can be paid on a part-time or per-course basis.
Finally, the average tuition for nursing programs varies by university. While some are as low as $10,000, others can go as high as $40,000 per academic year. Applying for scholarships and meeting the qualifications for awards can go a long way to help you fund your nursing program in Canada.