Dalhousie University

Dalhousie Tuition, Fees & Financial Aid 2026–27

Dalhousie tuition varies by course and faculty. Compare the current billing-hour rates, mandatory charges, international guarantee, bursary eligibility, and entrance-award timeline.

The short answer

Dalhousie charges tuition per course, not per degree. You pay the rate for each course you take.
For 2026–27, domestic Arts is $301.00 per billing hour. A 15-hour term is $4,515.00.
Full-time incidental fees for 2026–27 total $1,750.31 on Studley and Carleton, and $1,950.31 on Sexton.
Nova Scotian students may get the Nova Scotia Student Bursary up to $1,283 a year. It does not reach out-of-province or international students.
The 2027–28 General Entrance Award program opens October 1, 2026 and closes February 15, 2027. One application reaches hundreds of awards.

Reviewed October 8, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides

Dalhousie tuition, the Nova Scotia bursary, and entrance awards

Dalhousie charges per course, not per degree. Its 2026–2027 schedule warns that tuition fees are assessed at the approved rate for each course selected rather than the admitted degree. An Arts student taking Science electives therefore pays the Science rate for those courses. The table below shows the per-billing-hour rate and a 15-billing-hour term estimate.

Faculty	Per billing hour	Domestic term (15 hrs)	International annual (guaranteed)
Arts and Social Sciences	$301.00	$4,515.00	$37,992.00
Management	$302.80	$4,542.00	$42,042.00
Community Design / Architecture	$314.50	$4,717.50	Not listed in the guaranteed-tuition schedule
Science	$341.50	$5,122.50	$37,992.00
Computer Science / Informatics	$341.50	$5,122.50	$41,688.00
Commerce	$344.60	$5,169.00	$42,042.00
Health Science / Kinesiology / Recreation	$350.90	$5,263.50	Not listed in the guaranteed-tuition schedule
Engineering	$373.40	$5,601.00	$48,594.00
Agriculture (Truro degree program)	$319.00	$4,785.00	$30,906.00

The Nova Scotia bursary reality

Up to $1,283 a year — and only if you are Nova Scotian

Dalhousie's own fee schedule states that Nova Scotian students may be eligible for the Nova Scotia Student Bursary up to $1,283 per year. It is a provincial fee reduction, not a Dalhousie scholarship. It is the largest structural difference between what a Nova Scotian and an out-of-province Canadian student pays in the same course. Ontario, other out-of-province, and international applicants should build their budget without it.

What costs are charged in addition to tuition?

Dalhousie's fee schedules add required incidental charges to the course-based tuition total. The amount depends on campus, faculty, enrolment and student status. Residence, meal plans, books, travel and personal spending are separate again. They belong in a full cost of attendance budget, not the tuition line.

Full-time incidental fees — Studley and Carleton

$1,275.05 in the Fall term and $475.26 in the Winter term, totalling $1,750.31 for the year.

Full-time incidental fees — Sexton (Engineering, Architecture)

$1,375.05 Fall and $575.26 Winter, totalling $1,950.31, because of the $100 per term Facilities Renewal – Sexton fee that supports the IDEA building.

Full-time incidental fees — Agricultural Campus

$877.07 Fall and $385.18 Winter, totalling $1,262.24.

What is inside the incidental total

DSU is $83.86 per term and the Student Service fee is $188.90 per term. Facilities Renewal is $110.00 per term. Facilities Renewal – Recreation is $90.00 per term, to a $180 annual maximum. The University Bus Pass is $177.90 per year and DSU Health is $491.89 per year. New students pay a $130.00 Fall Orientation/Transition fee. The Dalhousie Medical Campus Response Team charge is $2.50 per term.

International health plan

$1,328.84 single and $3,523.89 family per year, plus a $5.00 per term International Society Fee. International students may opt out with proof of comparable coverage.

Nova Scotia Student Bursary

The fee schedule states that Nova Scotian students may be eligible for the Nova Scotia Student Bursary up to $1,283 per year. It is a provincial reduction applied to fees, not a Dalhousie scholarship. It does not reach out-of-province or international students.

Entrance awards for 2027–2028

One General Entrance Award application reaches hundreds of awards. Dalhousie has already confirmed the cycle. The 2027–2028 program opens October 1, 2026 with a February 15, 2027 deadline. Eligibility is typically an 80% average or 26 predicted/anticipated IB (the International Baccalaureate diploma) points. This is calculated on the five courses required for the program applied for.

General Entrance Award program

Approximately $1K to $80K yearly and over four years

Dalhousie publishes 2,000+ entrance awards each year. The school assesses them on academic achievement. It also looks at leadership and extracurricular involvement. It looks at community service, financial need, and cultural identity. The 2027–2028 program opens October 1, 2026. It closes February 15, 2027.

First Nations and Indigenous Black Student Scholarships

$32,000 ($8,000 per year renewable for 4 years)

This is for Indigenous Black and First Nations students from Atlantic Canada. They must be in good academic standing with financial need. Dalhousie states the admissions average is not taken into consideration for this award.

Forsyth Family NS Scholarship

Up to $80,000 (up to $20,000 per year renewable for 4 years)

For Black African Nova Scotian students who also demonstrate financial need and extracurricular involvement.

The Sankofa Scholarships

$32,000 domestic; $48,000 international

Two awards serve domestic students. One is for a student of Black or African descent with Caribbean heritage, and one is for a Black or African Nova Scotian student. A separate international award serves a student of Black or African descent from the Caribbean, with preference to the former British West Indies.

The Ivan Joseph Promise Scholarship

$32,000 ($8,000 per year renewable for 4 years)

This is for a domestic undergraduate student. The student comes from an under-represented or underserved group. The student is entering an undergraduate degree program.

Murray Family Jamaican Engineering Scholarship

$88,000 ($22,000 renewable for 4 years)

One of the highest-value named international awards published on Dalhousie's future-student awards page.

Schulich Leader Scholarships

$120,000 Engineering; $100,000 Science, Technology, and Math

You need a separate application and a high-school nomination. The General Entrance Award application does not give this scholarship.

Harrison McCain and Fountain Performing Arts Scholarships

$16,000 and $24,000 ($6,000 per year)

Both carry a separate March 1 deadline, later than the February 15 General Entrance Award deadline.

There is no guaranteed average-to-dollar ladder

Dalhousie does not publish an automatic scholarship tier table tied to an admission average. It publishes one eligibility threshold. Then it assesses each student one by one. It looks at academic achievement, leadership and initiative, and extracurricular involvement. It also looks at community service, financial need, and cultural identity. Decisions use Grade 12 first-semester final grades. Dalhousie states that later grades will not be used to reassess an award. So a strong second semester cannot rescue a weak first one for award purposes. Any tiered ladder you find on a third-party site is unofficial.

2026–2027 domestic tuition by faculty

2026–2027 Fall and Winter · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed

Per-billing-hour rates are $301.00 in Arts, $302.80 in Management, and $314.50 in Community Design and Architecture. Agriculture is $319.00 and Social Work is $332.50. Computer Science, Informatics, and Science are $341.50; Commerce is $344.60. Health Science, Kinesiology, and Recreation are $350.90; modified Nursing is $368.20; Engineering is $373.40. A 15-billing-hour term therefore runs from $4,515.00 in Arts to $5,601.00 in Engineering.

Dalhousie assesses tuition at the approved rate for each selected course, not the admitted degree. An Arts student taking Science electives therefore pays the Science rate for those courses.

Applies to: All applicants, Ontario high school, Other Canadian

Dalhousie University: 2026–2027 Undergraduate Fee Schedule, Fall and Winter term estimates (PDF) · Verified August 16, 2026

2026–2027 international guaranteed tuition

2026–2027 guaranteed tuition model · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed

Annual program guaranteed tuition: Faculty of Agriculture degree program $30,906.00, Arts & Social Sciences $37,992.00, Science $37,992.00, Computer Science $41,688.00, Management $42,042.00, Engineering $48,594.00. Tuition is charged 50% in fall and 50% in winter.

Applies to: International

Dalhousie University: 2026–2027 International Fee Schedule, Guaranteed Tuition Model (PDF) · Verified August 16, 2026

How the International Student Tuition Guarantee works

Current policy · Published for this period

Students entering Fall 2023 or later receive fixed tuition for the program length plus one year. Dalhousie states that tuition will not increase or decrease during the guarantee period. It excludes changeable incidental fees, co-op and work-integrated learning charges, and credits beyond program requirements. An eligible program or faculty change produces a new guarantee based on the new program.

Only six faculties are listed in the 2026–2027 guaranteed schedule; students admitted to a faculty outside that list should confirm which tuition model applies to them.

Applies to: International

Dalhousie University: International Student Tuition Guarantee · Verified August 16, 2026

Nova Scotia Student Bursary

2026–2027 · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed

The 2026–2027 fee schedule states that Nova Scotian students may be eligible for the Nova Scotia Student Bursary up to $1,283 per year.

This is a provincial reduction for Nova Scotian students, not a Dalhousie scholarship. Ontario, other out-of-province, and international applicants should budget without it — it is the largest structural cost difference between a Nova Scotian and an out-of-province Canadian student.

Applies to: Other Canadian

Dalhousie University: 2026–2027 Undergraduate Fee Schedule, Fall and Winter term estimates (PDF) · Verified August 16, 2026

2026–2027 mandatory incidental fees

2026–2027 Fall and Winter · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed

Full-time domestic incidental fees on Studley and Carleton total $1,750.31: $1,275.05 in Fall and $475.26 in Winter. Sexton totals $1,950.31, including a $100-per-term IDEA-building facilities charge. Agriculture totals $1,262.24. Components include DSU at $83.86 per term, Student Service at $188.90, Facilities Renewal at $110.00, and Recreation at $90.00 per term. The U-Pass is $177.90 annually and DSU Health is $491.89 annually. New students add $130.00 for orientation; Medical Campus Response is $2.50 per term.

International students add the DSU Health – International plan at $1,328.84 per year and a $5.00-per-term International Society Fee. That brings the Studley and Carleton total to $3,079.15 and Sexton to $3,279.15.

Applies to: All applicants

Dalhousie University: 2026–2027 Undergraduate Fee Schedule, Fall and Winter term estimates (PDF) · Verified August 16, 2026

The General Entrance Award program and 2027–2028 dates

2027–2028 entrance awards · Published for this period

Dalhousie publishes 2,000+ entrance awards available each year with an approximate range of $1K to $80K yearly, and over 4 years, all reached through one General Entrance Award application. Dalhousie states: The 2027–2028 General Entrance Award program opens on October 1, 2026, with an application deadline of February 15, 2027.

Applies to: All applicants

Dalhousie University: Future undergraduate student awards and the General Entrance Award · Verified August 16, 2026

Entrance award eligibility and selection

2027–2028 entrance awards · Published for this period

Applicants must apply directly from high school or be mature students with no transferable post-secondary study. They must start in the Fall term and meet the academic requirements, typically an 80% average or 26 predicted or anticipated IB points. Averages use the five courses required for the chosen program. Selection combines academic achievement, leadership and initiative, extracurricular involvement, community service, financial need, and cultural identity. Gap year students remain eligible without transferable post-secondary study; transfer students are generally ineligible.

For the First Nations and Indigenous Black Student Scholarships, Dalhousie states the admissions average is not taken into consideration.

Applies to: All applicants, International, Mature

Dalhousie University: Future undergraduate student awards and the General Entrance Award · Verified August 16, 2026

Guaranteed entrance scholarship value by average

2027 pending · 2027–2028 entrance awards

Dalhousie does not publish a guaranteed average-to-dollar scholarship ladder. It publishes one eligibility threshold — typically an 80% average or 26 predicted/anticipated IB points — and then assesses each student individually on their full application.

No tier table exists on any first-party Dalhousie page reviewed here, so any published ladder you find elsewhere is unofficial. Do not budget against a specific guaranteed amount.

Applies to: All applicants

Dalhousie University: Future undergraduate student awards and the General Entrance Award · Verified August 16, 2026

Named entrance award values

2027–2028 entrance awards · Published for this period

The Forsyth Family NS Scholarship reaches $80,000, up to $20,000 per year for four years. The Murray Family Jamaican Engineering Scholarship is $88,000, or $22,000 renewable for four years. Schulich Leader Scholarships reach $120,000 for Engineering or $100,000 for Science, Technology, and Math, with a separate application. Sankofa Scholarships are $32,000 domestic and $48,000 international; First Nations and Indigenous Black Student Scholarships and the Ivan Joseph Promise Scholarship are each $32,000. Fountain Performing Arts awards are $24,000 and Harrison McCain awards are $16,000, both with March 1 deadlines. Jeff D. and Marth Edwards is $12,000; WeAreAllCS reaches $10,000 over two years.

Several of these carry a separate March 1 application, later than the February 15 General Entrance Award deadline — check each award's own instructions.

Applies to: All applicants, International

Dalhousie University: Future undergraduate student awards and the General Entrance Award · Verified August 16, 2026

How award decisions and payments work

Current mechanics · Published for this period

Award decisions use Grade 12 first-semester final grades; later grades do not trigger reassessment. Accept an early entrance award by paying the admission deposit by January 31. That guarantees no less than the early amount; if a General Entrance Award follows, the student keeps the higher value. Awards reach the student account in two equal instalments in mid-August and mid-December. Full-time registration is required: at least 9 credit hours per term for degree students and 6 for technology students.

Applies to: All applicants

Dalhousie University: Future undergraduate student awards and the General Entrance Award · Verified August 16, 2026

2027–2028 tuition

2027 pending · 2027–2028

Not yet published. Dalhousie says board-approved tuition and fees take effect April 1 each year and apply to the immediate Summer term. Rates may change annually, and the current schedule is informational until fees are assessed from actual registration.

Use the 2026–2027 schedule as the planning baseline and expect an April 1, 2027 revision before a Fall 2027 start. International students inside the tuition guarantee are the exception, because their program tuition is locked at entry.

Applies to: All applicants

Dalhousie University: Undergraduate program tuition overview · Verified August 16, 2026

Official Dalhousie cost and award sources

Cost Planning

Tuition	Tuition depends on program, student status, and year. Verify domestic and international tuition on the official fee schedule.
Scholarships	Check automatic entrance awards, competitive major awards, faculty scholarships, and international-student awards.
Living Costs	Budget for residence or rent, food, books, transit, health insurance, winter clothing, and emergency funds.
Proof of Funds	International students should confirm current study-permit financial requirements and school-specific cost estimates.

Official Sources and Next Steps

Stellar keeps this guide structured for comparison, but official university pages remain the source of truth for program requirements, tuition, residence, scholarships, deadlines, and policy changes.

Prepared by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed October 8, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology

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