Carleton Computer Science admission requirements: the 80-85% cut-off, courses, streams and co-op

Carleton needs an Ontario Secondary School Diploma with six Grade 12 courses at the 4U or 4M level. For Computer Science, two are set: MHF4U (Advanced Functions) and MCV4U (Calculus and Vectors). Both must be 4U, with no grade below 60%.

Carleton recommends English 4U for every degree. No science or high school computer science course is required, and co-op credits don't count toward your six courses. Plan your courses with our course planner.

Carleton publishes a minimum cut-off range of 80-85% for the BCS. It applies to both your overall average and your average in the two math prerequisites.

Carleton sets the overall average each year, program by program, and says every program has limited enrolment. Cybersecurity and Data Science share the same range and courses. Carleton doesn't publish a CS acceptance rate. See our Carleton acceptance rate page for what it does publish, and check your average with our Top 6 average calculator.

From British Columbia you need Pre-Calculus 12 and Calculus 12. From Alberta you need Math 30-1 and Math 31. Prerequisites need at least 60%, and Grade 12 English is recommended.

IB (International Baccalaureate) students need the full diploma with at least 28 points, though Carleton says competitive programs need more. The BCS needs Analysis and Approaches at SL or HL, or Applications and Interpretation at HL, with a 4 or better. HL subjects at 5 or better may earn up to 3.0 credits of advanced standing.

The BCS comes as an Honours degree or a Combined Honours with Mathematics. In the Honours degree you choose a stream after first year: Algorithms; Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Computer Game Development; Cybersecurity; Management and Business Systems; Software Engineering; or User Experience and User Interfaces.

A stream is a set of courses in one area, so you graduate with a focus. First-year courses include Introduction to Computer Science I (COMP 1405), which teaches algorithm design and programming in a modern language.

You can also stay in the plain BCS Honours degree without a stream, or take the 20.0-credit BCS Major. Carleton's calendar lists two math-heavy routes as well: Computer Science and Mathematics combined honours, with a concentration in computing theory and numerical methods or in statistics and computing.

Cybersecurity and Data Science are separate Carleton degrees (BCyber and BDS) with the same 80-85% range. Choose the degree if the field is your goal from day one, or the BCS stream if you want room to explore.

The BCS Honours degree is 20.0 credits. Carleton's calendar lists the core: Introduction to Computer Science I and II, Discrete Structures I and II, systems programming, data types and algorithms, software engineering, web applications, operating systems, databases, programming paradigms and algorithm design. You add 2.0 credits of fourth-year computer science.

Math is a smaller share: Elementary Calculus I, Linear Algebra, one more math course and introductory statistics. The rest is 5.0 credits of breadth electives and 4.0 credits of free electives.

Ontario high school students apply through OUAC by January 15, 2027. Within five days, Carleton emails your applicant number and MyCarletonOne username. You track your status and upload any requested documents as PDFs in Carleton360.

Carleton also runs a January intake with a November 15, 2026 deadline, but only some programs accept winter entry. Most BCS students start in the fall.

Co-op is an option for BCS students. Select it when you apply and Carleton reviews your university grades before your first work term, or apply later through mySuccess. Carleton's calendar sets the BCS bar: at least 5.0 credits, COMP 2404 done by your first work term, and an overall and major CGPA of at least 8.00, kept for your whole degree.

BCS students need four work terms for the co-op designation, and Carleton says co-op can add up to a year to your degree. The fee is about $541 a term, and Carleton says four work terms cost $4,328 in total.

Carleton also offers an Industrial Applications Internship Option with Shopify. You're a full-time BCS student and a paid Shopify employee at the same time, and Carleton says Shopify covers some tuition and educational costs.

For 2026-27, Carleton lists the first year of the BCS at $10,772.94 for Ontario students, with compulsory fees and the U-Pass. Other Canadian students pay $13,235.22 and international students $57,397.12. International tuition is frozen through 2028-29. Carleton hasn't posted 2027-28 domestic fees.

Renewable entrance scholarships for 2027-28 are automatic from an 85% admission average: $1,000 a year at 85% to 89.9%, $2,000 at 90% to 94.9% and $3,000 at 95% or more. You keep them with an annual GPA of 10.0. With 90% or more you can apply for a Prestige Scholarship by March 1. Carleton lists Prestige values of $5,000 to $14,178 a year.

Carleton says more than 12,600 scholarships and bursaries worth over $26.5 million went to undergraduates last year. Bursaries are based on financial need rather than grades.

Work out your average on our Top 6 average calculator, and compare costs on our Carleton financial aid page.

Carleton's BCS has a published range in the low to mid 80s and only two math prerequisites. That makes it a realistic option for many students, but it's still limited enrolment.

An admission average of 85% or more also starts the automatic scholarship ladder. Compare Carleton with other schools on our computer science admission requirements page.