Lakehead University Admissions & Deadlines
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Core application items, supplements, deadlines, and proof. This focused guide keeps the detailed tables, official sources, and practical next steps in one manageable reading path.
The short answer
- Ontario high school applicants need an OSSD (your Ontario high school diploma) and six Grade 12 U or M courses (university or college prep), with at least a 70% average.
- The 70% is an eligibility floor. Lakehead says higher averages can be needed when demand exceeds space.
- Lakehead has not published Fall 2027 deadlines. Its January 15, 2026 date for Ontario high school applicants was for the 2026 cycle.
- Lakehead says a complete application is usually reviewed in four to six weeks.
- English requirements include IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0 and TOEFL iBT 80 with no section below 19.
Reviewed August 14, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides
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- OUAC Group A deadline (Ontario high-school students)January 15, 2027
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Lakehead admission requirements and Fall 2027 deadline status
Applicant type changes the academic route, while the target program determines the preparatory courses. Minimum eligibility does not replace program capacity or competitive review.
| Applicant route | General requirement | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario high school | OSSD, six Grade 12 U or M courses including program prerequisites, and at least a 70% final average in the top six. | The published 70% is an eligibility floor. Lakehead says higher averages can be required when qualified demand exceeds available space. |
| Other Canadian high school | Grade 12 and the provincial secondary-school diploma, program prerequisites, and at least a 70% final average. | Use Lakehead's province-specific prerequisite table rather than translating Ontario course codes by guesswork. |
| International secondary school | An academic secondary-school credential that supports university entrance in the home country, prerequisites, and the Canadian equivalent of at least 70%. | Meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission. English-language evidence may also be required. |
| Canadian college transfer | Normally at least one year of full-time academic study, the required preparatory courses, and a minimum 70% overall college average. | This general route applies when the target program does not have a dedicated college-transfer pathway. |
| Canadian university transfer | Completed university-level course work, program prerequisites, and a minimum C or 60% overall average. | Admission and transfer-credit assessment are separate decisions. |
Fall 2027 undergraduate deadlines are not yet published
Lakehead’s live page is explicitly titled “Application Deadlines for the 2026 Cycle.” The dates below are current 2026 evidence, not a prediction. Fall 2027 applicants should wait for Lakehead and OUAC to publish the new cycle.
| Applicant or program | Current published date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario high-school applicant — Fall 2026 | January 15, 2026 — extended on the current page | This is a recommended deadline on Lakehead's explicitly labelled 2026 Cycle page, not a confirmed Fall 2027 date. |
| College transfer applicant — Fall 2026 | March 1, 2026 — extended on the current page | Most programs may continue accepting applications after recommended dates while space remains. |
| International applicant — Fall 2026 | March 1, 2026 — extended on the current page | Applicants also need time for documents, an admission decision, study-permit steps, travel, and housing. |
| Other domestic applicant — Fall 2026 | August 31, 2026 — extended on the current page | This late current-cycle date does not mean every program remains open or that it will recur for Fall 2027. |
| Nursing — Fall 2026 | January 15, 2026 — waitlist on the current page | Nursing is excluded from the general-program deadline and has current capacity restrictions. |
No official overall acceptance rate
Lakehead publishes requirements, capacity status, timelines, and program rules—not one current university-wide undergraduate acceptance percentage. A complete application is typically reviewed in four to six weeks.
English-language evidence
- CAEL: 60
- Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 176; no score below 169
- Duolingo English Test: 120; no subscore below 115
- IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall; no band below 6.0
- Michigan English Test: 85
- PTE Academic: 58; no component below 50
- TOEFL iBT: 80; no section below 19 on the scale in effect as of January 2026
Build the course plan with the Canadian academic-requirements guide, then track Ontario submission steps in the Ontario university deadline guide.
Ontario academic base
Current requirements · Published for this period
An OSSD plus a minimum of six Grade 12 U or M courses (or equivalent) including program-specific prerequisites, with a minimum 70% overall final average calculated from the top six. Lakehead states higher averages may be required for programs where demand from qualified applicants exceeds available spaces.
Applies to: Ontario high school
Lakehead University: Undergraduate admission requirements by applicant type · Verified August 14, 2026
Other published entry routes
Current requirements · Published for this period
Other Canadian high-school applicants need Grade 12, the provincial diploma, prerequisites, and a minimum 70% final average. International applicants need an academic secondary credential with the Canadian equivalent of at least 70%. Canadian college transfers normally need at least one year of full-time academic study and a 70% overall average; Canadian university transfers need completed university-level course work with a minimum C or 60% overall average.
Applies to: Other Canadian, International, Transfer
Lakehead University: Undergraduate admission requirements by applicant type · Verified August 14, 2026
Published 2026-cycle deadline evidence
2026 cycle, latest available · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
The 2026 Cycle page lists specialized-program dates alongside the general ones: Juris Doctor November 2, 2025 (closed), the two-year Bachelor of Education December 1, 2025 (extended), one-year and year-3 Honours Bachelor of Social Work December 12, 2025 (closed), and Nursing January 15, 2026 (waitlist). Winter 2026 entry closed November 1, 2025 for international and December 1, 2025 for domestic applicants, and Fall 2026 deferral requests were due August 31, 2026.
These dates are evidence of Lakehead's deadline pattern, not Fall 2027 commitments. Professional and limited-enrolment programs close much earlier than the general recommended dates.
Applies to: All applicants
Lakehead University: Application Deadlines for the 2026 Cycle · Verified August 14, 2026
Decision timelines and Ontario offer rounds
Current published pattern · Published for this period
Lakehead says undergraduate applicants should anticipate a decision within 4–6 weeks of a complete application. Ontario high-school offers run in four rounds: December (Grade 11 marks), March (first-term finals), May (first-term finals plus second-term midterms), and July (both terms' finals). Offers for limited-enrolment programs—Post-Diploma Engineering, Nursing, and the one-year and year-3 Honours Bachelor of Social Work—begin in early February.
Applies to: Ontario high school
Lakehead University: Admission decision timelines and Ontario offer rounds · Verified August 14, 2026
English-language evidence
Current requirements · Published for this period
General undergraduate minimums: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0, Duolingo 120 with no subscore below 115, CAEL 60, Cambridge C1/C2 176 with no component below 169, Michigan English Test 85, PTE Academic 58 with no component below 50, and TOEFL iBT 80 with no section below 19 on the scale in effect as of January 2026. Nursing, Consecutive Education, and the Juris Doctor require higher scores—for example IELTS 7.0 overall. Applicants who meet academic requirements but miss the English thresholds are automatically considered for the Academic English Program pathway.
Applies to: International
Lakehead University: English-language proficiency requirements · Verified August 14, 2026
Published application fees
2026–2027, latest available · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Lakehead's international dates-and-fees page lists a $135 undergraduate application fee, a $75 document-evaluation fee for transfer applicants, and a $159 application fee plus $75 supplemental fee for the two-year Bachelor of Education. Ontario applicants applying through OUAC also pay OUAC's own fees.
Applies to: All applicants
Lakehead University: International dates, application fees, housing guarantee, and UHIP · Verified August 14, 2026
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 August 14, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology