Vietnam to Canada 2027: THPT Diploma Entry and Costs

For Fall 2027, you can apply to Canadian universities with Vietnam's upper secondary graduation diploma, the Bằng tốt nghiệp THPT. Eleven universities, including U of T, UBC, Waterloo and McGill, publish current Vietnam rules. Minimums differ by school. uOttawa lists 7.5/10, and Memorial raises its average to 7 from Winter 2027.

Reviewed October 19, 2026. University rules below are current pages, and most don't name an intake year. Where a page gives a year, it's labelled. Fall 2027 figures that aren't out yet are marked pending.

What your Vietnamese record is called

Your final credential is the Bằng tốt nghiệp trung học phổ thông. In English, schools call it the Upper Secondary School Graduation Certificate or Senior High School Certificate. Canadian pages spell it in several ways. U of T prints it without accent marks. uOttawa, York and SFU print the full Vietnamese spelling. UBC and McGill use a different accent pattern. These are the same diploma, so don't worry if the menu on an application form looks different from your paper.

Two other papers matter. Alberta calls the học bạ your high school completion transcript. The Giấy chứng nhận kết quả thi tốt nghiệp THPT is the certificate of your national exam results. Laurier accepts it while you wait for the diploma. Keep all three, and ask your school how each one is sent to a university.

The exam changed in 2025. An official Can Tho City summary of Circular 24/2024 says the exam now has three sessions. Literature and Mathematics are required. You then take two electives from subjects you studied in Grade 12. English is one elective choice. It isn't a required paper under these rules. That matters later, because your exam choices can affect which science or language results a Canadian school sees.

Alberta's Vietnam page still describes the older format. For graduates from 2016 to 2024, it wants the transcript and the exam result. That record must show marks for each subject in the Sciences or Humanities combination test. It doesn't say what a 2027 graduate sends in place of that combined result. Ask Alberta before you finish your exam registration, so your science choices match the program you want.

Compare eleven official Vietnam rules

Read a row as a floor. A school's minimum isn't a promise of an offer. UBC says its grades change by degree and by year. U of T says meeting its minimum doesn't guarantee admission. When a program is competitive, the real average can sit well above the listed number.

Don't convert your marks with a home-made formula. Laurier publishes its own scale, where 8.00 to 8.99 becomes 80 to 89%. That chart belongs to Laurier's review. Another school may weigh courses in a different way. Send your marks as printed and let each school do its own conversion.

Subjects your program will check

Your diploma gets you in the door. Your Grade 12 subjects decide which programs stay open. Science, Engineering and business degrees are where most Vietnamese files run into trouble.

At UBC, Science asks for upper secondary Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. UBC may waive Physics if you have 9 out of 10 in both Mathematics and Chemistry. Engineering asks for all three. UBC may review a strong student missing Chemistry or Physics case by case. Commerce at UBC Sauder asks for upper secondary Mathematics. Arts has no course rule beyond general admission.

At SFU, Computing Science needs senior Mathematics and one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Engineering Science needs Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. Most Science majors need Mathematics and two sciences. Beedie business adds a supplemental application to your marks. If you fall short, SFU names Fraser International College as a pathway.

Waterloo's Mechanical Engineering row counts Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, English and one more senior course. Each needs at least 7. Its Computer Science row needs 9 in senior Mathematics. Waterloo also says older required courses may need updating, so tell the office if you're taking a gap year.

Plan your exam electives with these lists in mind. If you want Engineering, keep Physics and Chemistry in your Grade 12 timetable. Ask each school whether it reads your school marks, your exam marks, or both for a required subject.

Documents and English proof

Each school asks for its own set of papers. uOttawa wants transcripts for your last three years and your first term of Grade 12. Graduates also send proof of the diploma. Alberta asks for Grade 11 results and Grade 12 work so far for early review. At Alberta, records not in English or French need an official English translation.

Laurier's final condition is the diploma itself. It accepts the national exam-result certificate until the diploma is issued. Both should come straight from your school. Memorial asks for a certified translation of the final certificate. It also wants a certified copy in Vietnamese, sent by post or courier. UBC says notarized copies aren't accepted, but school-certified photocopies are.

Your credential is usually read by the university itself. Learn when a separate report is needed in the credential evaluation guide. Order one only if a school asks for it.

Plan on an English test. Memorial requires one from Vietnam. Waterloo asks for a score unless your last four full-time years were in an English school system. Laurier says you may need to meet its English rule if English isn't your first language. U of T's list of exempt countries doesn't include Vietnam.

An English-medium school in Vietnam can still help at UBC. Its standard accepts four years at an eligible international school that teaches in English, right before UBC. Other school routes pair those four years with senior non-ESL English. UBC can exclude schools, and a waiver request goes in by February 15. Bilingual schools need a waiver request.

Scores differ by school. U of T asks for IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0. Its TOEFL minimum for tests from January 21, 2026 is 4.5, with 4.5 in Writing and 4.0 in Speaking. Tests before that date use a total of 89. UBC lists IELTS 6.5 with no part below 6.0 and TOEFL iBT 90. Compare tests in the English test guide.

Scholarships: what's open and what has passed

UBC International Scholars is open for September 2027. It asks for all As or the equivalent and significant financial need. UBC reviews your family's income, costs and assets. You must enter directly from high school, and you must have graduated no earlier than June 2026. Apply to UBC first. The award form is due November 15, 2026. Documents and English proof are due January 31, 2027.

You need a nominator from your school and a different teacher as referee. A school may nominate up to two students for UBC Vancouver and one for Okanagan. Nursing, Dental Hygiene, dual degrees and joint degrees can't receive these awards. You can be considered for merit awards or need-based awards, not both.

UBC's merit awards come with your offer, with no extra form. The IMES range is CAN$10,000 to CAN$25,000 a year for 2026/2027. The one-time OIS range is labelled 2025/2026. Fall 2027 values are pending for both. UBC says these awards don't cover the full cost.

U of T's Pearson award covers tuition, books, incidental fees and residence for four years. About 37 students get it each year. For 2027, nominations closed October 9, 2026, and the admission deadline was October 16. Both have passed. Only nominated students can finish the award form by November 6, 2026. U of T also warns that Pearson doesn't work with agents.

Several schools give automatic awards. Carleton's viewbook lists entrance awards from CAN$4,000 to CAN$12,000 over four years. Its Prestige awards need a separate form by March 1, and the year isn't printed. SFU's USES awards range from CAN$20,000 to CAN$140,000. Use the international scholarships guide to compare dates.

Tuition: compare dated fee pages

No official list ranks the most affordable universities. Each school prices its programs in its own way. Compare published figures for the same year and add the costs that come with them.

Carleton's viewbook fixes international tuition for 2027/2028 and 2028/2029. Arts, Science and similar degrees cost CAN$39,000 a year. Business degrees cost CAN$45,000. Engineering and Computer Science cost CAN$55,000. Most degrees add about CAN$2,500 in other fees. Carleton estimates a full year at C$59,910 to C$79,900 with living costs. See Carleton tuition and fees.

SFU's estimate is for 2026/27. A typical Arts or Science year of ten courses costs CAN$38,944 in tuition and fees for international students. With a residence room, books and insurance, SFU's total is CAN$57,303. SFU says fees for current students can rise by up to 6% a year. See SFU tuition and fees.

Memorial charges by course. Its framework lists CAN$2,250 per three-credit course for international students in Fall 2026, during a tuition freeze. A Fall 2027 rate isn't published. Your yearly total depends on how many courses you take. Other fees, residence and the higher Pharm.D. rate aren't in that figure.

UBC Okanagan lists a CAN$8,000 award for every new international student who enrols there. The page doesn't print a year for it. It's renewable for up to four years and is paid as tuition credit. It's useful if you're comparing UBC's two campuses. Check UBC tuition and fees for the base rate.

Compare the cost of the whole degree. A frozen rate protects you for two years only. Ask what happens to awards and fees in later years before you pay a deposit.

Funds, study permit and part-time work

IRCC asks a single student to show CAN$23,448 for living costs outside Quebec. That amount applies to applications from September 1, 2026, and each family member who comes with you adds CAN$6,318. Tuition and travel are extra. The 2027 amount is pending. Proof can include six months of bank statements, a Canadian GIC or a scholarship letter.

You must show these funds without working in Canada. Don't count future part-time pay as proof. Plan your budget as if you won't earn anything in Canada.

Work rules come after you arrive. IRCC lets you work off campus without a work permit once you've started your program. You must be full time at a designated school, in a program of at least six months. You also need a social insurance number. In class terms you can work up to 24 hours a week. In scheduled breaks, such as summer, there's no weekly limit.

Your study permit file needs an acceptance letter, ID and proof of funds. Most students also need a provincial or territorial attestation letter, called a PAL or TAL. Your school tells you how to get one. IRCC's page lists validity dates for 2025 and 2026 only. The 2027 cap-year dates are pending, so check again before you apply.

Next steps for your shortlist

Pick four to six programs whose subject rules match your Grade 12 timetable. Write down each school's minimum, its English rule and its final document list. Ask schools about any record you're unsure of before paying fees. Your parent can use the international families guide for the funding papers. Check dates in the Canadian deadlines guide and the international students guide.

Official sources

• Can Tho City (gov.vn): graduation exam rules from 2025. Checked 2026-10-19. Official city summary of Circular 24/2024: Literature, Mathematics and two electives from 2025. Later amendments weren't reviewed.
• U of T: minimum requirements by country. Checked 2026-10-19. Current row, no intake year given, names the Vietnamese graduation certificate only; program prerequisites and competition still apply.
• U of T: English-language requirements. Checked 2026-10-19. Current test minimums, including the new TOEFL scale for tests from January 21, 2026; Vietnam isn't on the exemption country list.
• UBC: Vietnam admission requirements. Checked 2026-10-19. Current Vietnam entry. The 8/10 average describes past years; Fall 2027 grades aren't published.
• UBC: English Language Admission Standard. Checked 2026-10-19. Current four-year English-school route, test minimums and the February 15 waiver-request date; the year isn't printed.
• Waterloo: Computer Science for Vietnam. Checked 2026-10-19. Current minimums, no intake year given: 9 in senior Mathematics and an 8.5 overall average, with individual review.
• Waterloo: Mechanical Engineering for Vietnam. Checked 2026-10-19. Current minimums, no intake year given: 7 in each listed course and 8.5 in five; video interview required.
• York: international country requirements. Checked 2026-10-19. Current country list names the Vietnamese certificate without a grade figure; program pages set the rest.
• McGill: international school credentials. Checked 2026-10-19. Current list names the Vietnamese certificate; general minimum is a B+ equivalent and most programs ask for more.
• SFU: Vietnam admission requirements. Checked 2026-10-19. Current page, no intake year given: 6/10 in senior Mathematics for the skills rule, interim senior marks and faculty prerequisites.
• Manitoba: international admission requirements. Checked 2026-10-19. Current Vietnam entry: 7.0 for University 1, 8.0 for Commerce and Engineering, with course floors.
• Laurier: Vietnam admission requirements. Checked 2026-10-19. Current six-course rule with excluded subjects, grade scale and the exam-result certificate as an interim document.
• uOttawa: applicants from Vietnam. Checked 2026-10-19. Current minimum, no intake year given, of 7.5/10 in five senior subjects and 5/10 in prerequisites; programs may ask higher.
• Alberta: Vietnam curriculum. Checked 2026-10-19. Current document list; its combination-test note covers 2016 to 2024 graduates, so later exam reporting needs confirmation.
• Memorial: Vietnam requirements. Checked 2026-10-19. Confirmed change: average of 6 up to Fall 2026, then 7 for Winter 2027 and later. English test required.
• UBC: International Scholars. Checked 2026-10-19. Confirmed September 2027 cycle: award application by November 15, 2026; documents and English by January 31, 2027.
• UBC: international awards. Checked 2026-10-19. IMES range is labelled 2026/2027 and OIS 2025/2026. Fall 2027 values are pending.
• U of T: Pearson scholarship. Checked 2026-10-19. Confirmed September 2027 cycle; October 9 nomination and October 16 admission deadlines have passed.
• SFU: fees and scholarships. Checked 2026-10-19. Published 2026/27 estimate for a typical Arts or Science year; Fall 2027 fees are pending.
• Carleton: international viewbook. Checked 2026-10-19. Published frozen international tuition for 2027/2028 and 2028/2029 by degree group; other costs are estimates.
• Memorial: tuition framework. Checked 2026-10-19. Published Fall 2026 international course rate under a tuition freeze; a Fall 2027 rate isn't published.
• IRCC: study-permit documents. Checked 2026-10-19. Current checklist; visa offices can ask for more.
• IRCC: proof of financial support. Checked 2026-10-19. Current amount for applications from September 1, 2026; the 2027 amount is pending.
• IRCC: PAL and TAL. Checked 2026-10-19. Current process. The page lists 2025 and 2026 cap-year validity only; 2027 is pending.
• IRCC: working off campus. Checked 2026-10-19. Current rule: 24 hours a week in session, unlimited in scheduled breaks.