University of Alberta Programs & Pathways
Edmonton, Alberta
Program strengths and how to compare pathways. This focused guide keeps the detailed tables, official sources, and practical next steps in one manageable reading path.
The short answer
- The U of A publishes three-year admission-average ranges by faculty, from the low 70s to the mid 90s.
- Augustana has the lowest published range, low 70s, on a small Camrose campus.
- Business sits at mid to high 80s, and Nursing at high 80s to low 90s.
- Engineering admits to a common first year, then you branch into a discipline later.
- Professional routes like the JD and MD need prior study and publish competitive GPAs.
Reviewed October 8, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides
University of Alberta programs, faculties, and campuses
The U of A does not use one admission model. Eleven units admit students directly from high school. Their published average ranges go from low 70s to low 90s. Two of these units are Campus Saint-Jean and Augustana. They are separate campuses. They have their own language requirements, class sizes, and calendars. Professional programs like Medicine, Law, Dentistry, and Pharmacy are not direct-entry at all.
Published admission-average ranges by faculty
These ranges show the past three admission cycles. The U of A says specific admission averages are not available. It says these ranges are a benchmark, not a guarantee. It also says the competitive average can shift through the year. This can happen with applicant volume and program capacity.
| Faculty or program | Three-year range | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural, Life + Environmental Sciences | Low 70s to low 80s | One of the more accessible ranges, and a common second-choice selection. |
| Arts | Low to mid 70s | Criminology sits far higher at high 80s to low 90s and BA Honors at mid 80s to low 90s; BA (Planning) runs low to mid 80s and the BA (Drama)/BEd Secondary combined route low to high 80s. |
| Augustana (Camrose) | Low 70s | The lowest published range at the university, on a small residential arts-and-sciences campus. |
| Business (Alberta School of Business) | Mid to high 80s | Direct entry from high school into one of the two most competitive published ranges. |
| Campus Saint-Jean | Low 70s | The page footnotes that Bilingual Nursing averages are found under Nursing, not here. |
| Education | Elementary mid 70s to low 80s; Secondary low 70s to mid 90s | Secondary teachable subject changes the bar dramatically; Art, Drama, and Music sit at low 70s to low 80s. |
| Engineering | Mid 80s to low 90s | You are admitted to a common first year. Branching into a discipline and into co-op happens after that. |
| Kinesiology, Sport + Recreation | Mid to high 80s | The BKin/BEd combined route runs mid 80s to low 90s; BA in Recreation, Sport and Tourism is mid to high 70s. |
| Native Studies | Low to mid 70s | The U of A describes the Faculty of Native Studies as the only faculty of its kind in Canada. |
| Nursing | High 80s to low 90s | Direct entry from high school, and one of the highest published ranges; the bilingual BScN is mid 80s to low 90s. |
| Science | Low 80s to mid 90s | This applies across the Faculty of Science. Specific majors such as Neuroscience add higher transfer thresholds later. |
North Campus faculties
The largest direct-entry faculties are on North Campus. They are Arts, Science, Engineering, the Alberta School of Business, Nursing, Education, Kinesiology Sport and Recreation, Agricultural Life and Environmental Sciences, and Native Studies.
Selection: Each program sets its own five required subjects through the program finder. Each program also sets its own competitive average. The 70% five-subject minimum is a floor, not a target.
Campus Saint-Jean
The U of A's francophone campus was founded in 1908. It became affiliated with the University of Alberta in 1963. The U of A describes it as the only francophone postsecondary institution to the West of Manitoba. It comprises the Faculté Saint-Jean, the Centre collégial de l'Alberta, l'École de langues, and a Calgary satellite. It offers college and university programs up to the PhD level. You can study in Edmonton, Calgary, or virtually. Degrees in French include the BA, the BSc, and Bachelor of Education routes. They also include first-year Engineering, the Bilingual Bachelor of Commerce, and the Bilingual Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Selection: French is the primary language of instruction. Every applicant must show proficiency in both written and spoken French. Published admission-average trends are low to mid 70s. Centre collégial de l'Alberta courses are billed on a lower tuition fee index.
Augustana Faculty (Camrose)
This is a small arts-and-sciences campus. It is an hour southeast of Edmonton. It was founded as Camrose Lutheran College in 1910. It became a U of A faculty in 2004. It has 19 programs covering 24 disciplines. Its average class size is 22. It spans the BA, Bachelor of Management, Bachelor of Music, BEd (Elementary), and combined BA/BEd and BSc/BEd Secondary routes.
Selection: Augustana publishes the lowest admission-average trend at the university, low 70s. Its 3-11 block calendar is being retired. Faculty Council voted in December 2024 to return to a 13-week semester structure starting Fall 2026. So applicants for 2026-27 onward should not plan around block weeks.
Engineering common first year
Applicants are admitted to Engineering rather than to a named discipline, then branch after the common first year. Co-op is available in all disciplines.
Selection: Published high-school range is mid to high 80s. Branching and co-op admission are separate, later decisions, and transfer AGPA ranges of 2.4 to 3.0 show how competitive the later stages remain.
Health-science and professional routes
Nursing is direct entry from high school. Medicine, Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiation Therapy, Dietetics, and Law all need prior university-level study.
Selection: The U of A publishes competitive GPAs (grade point average) for these later routes. For example, PharmD has a 3.7 competitive GPA. The JD has a 3.8 average GPA plus a 161 average LSAT. The MD has a 3.3 minimum GPA to apply.
Bridging and foundation routes
Five faculties offer a Bridging Program. It is for applicants who meet every requirement except English Language Proficiency. These five are ALES, Arts, Kinesiology Sport and Recreation, Native Studies, and Augustana. International applicants missing required courses can apply to the Year One Foundation Program.
Selection: Bridging students take English for Academic Purposes courses in first year while earning degree credit. Not all programs in those faculties offer the Bridging Program.
Correction most guides miss
Augustana's 3-11 block calendar ends in Fall 2026
Augustana introduced the 3-11 calendar in Fall 2017 — one course in a three-week block, then four courses over eleven weeks. A Faculty Council review committee found it was unable to meaningfully achieve its goals, and Faculty Council voted in December 2024 to return to a 13-week semester structure starting Fall 2026. The 2026-27 year begins September 1, 2026, Fall Term runs to December 8, 2026, and Winter Term runs January 4 to April 9, 2027. Three-week courses disappear from fall and winter, and the Project-Based Core drops from four AUIDS courses to two. Augustana's own homepage still advertises the block-week schedule in the present tense, so do not plan around it.
Francophone campus
Campus Saint-Jean
It was founded in 1908. It became affiliated with the U of A in 1963. It is described as the only francophone postsecondary institution to the West of Manitoba. All applicants must show written and spoken French proficiency.
Small-campus option
Augustana, Camrose
It has over 900 students. Its average class size is 22, against 38 on North Campus. It has the lowest published admission-average trend at the university.
Only one in Canada
Faculty of Native Studies
The U of A describes it as the only faculty of its kind in Canada. Its published admission-average range is low to mid 70s.
Direct-entry faculties and the college structure
Current structure · Published for this period
The published admission-average chart covers eleven direct-entry admitting units. They are Agricultural Life and Environmental Sciences, Arts, Augustana, Business, Campus Saint-Jean, Education, Engineering, Kinesiology Sport and Recreation, Native Studies, Nursing, and Science. Pharmacy and Rehabilitation Medicine do not appear in the high-school table. The faculties directory groups them into three colleges. The colleges are Health Sciences, Natural + Applied Sciences, and Social Sciences + Humanities. Augustana, Campus Saint-Jean, Native Studies, and Graduate + Postdoctoral Studies sit outside the colleges. They sit under a plain 'Faculties' heading. Affiliated colleges St. Joseph's and St. Stephen's sit there too.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Faculties and colleges directory · Verified August 16, 2026
Enrolment and class size by campus
Current, graduate counts labelled 2023-24 · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
The Facts page publishes 17 Faculties, 5 Campuses, 46,201 Students, and 11,884 Employees. North Campus has 38,000 students. Augustana has 1,000. Campus Saint-Jean has 640. Average class size is 38 at North Campus, 22 at Augustana, and 20 at Campus Saint-Jean. For 2023-24 the university reported 9,458 total graduates. That is 6,814 undergraduate and 2,644 graduate. This includes 1,547 from Arts, 1,326 from Engineering, 1,322 from Education, 981 from Business, 617 from Nursing, and 188 from Augustana.
The class-size figures are the clearest numbers that support the smaller campuses. They show an average of 20 or 22 students, compared with 38 on North Campus.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Facts and figures: faculties, campuses, class sizes, and graduates · Verified August 16, 2026
Campus Saint-Jean: a genuine francophone differentiator
Current program · Published for this period
The U of A calls Campus Saint-Jean its francophone campus and Alberta's only francophone post-secondary institution since 1908, and its Why Campus Saint-Jean page goes further: 'Campus Saint-Jean is the only francophone postsecondary institution to the West of Manitoba.' Founded in 1908 and affiliated with the U of A in 1963, it comprises the Faculté Saint-Jean, the Centre collégial de l'Alberta, l'École de langues, and a Calgary satellite, offers programs up to the PhD level, and hosts over 80 research projects in 14 areas of expertise with 40 researchers.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Why Campus Saint-Jean: francophone positioning and class size · Verified August 16, 2026
Degrees Campus Saint-Jean offers in French
Current programs · Published for this period
The published undergraduate list is the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Elementary Education, Bachelor of Secondary Education, and Education/Science combined degrees. It also includes the Bachelor of Education After-Degree, Bachelor of Education in Calgary, and Bachelor of Education by remote delivery. The list also has the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (First Year). It also has the Bilingual Bachelor of Commerce, the Bilingual Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Certificate in Sustainability.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Campus Saint-Jean undergraduate programs offered in French · Verified August 16, 2026
Campus Saint-Jean enrolment and class size differ between pages
Official-source conflict · Current pages
The Why Campus Saint-Jean page invites students to 'Participate in stimulating and enriching student life with 1000 other students' and says 'On average, classes at Campus Saint-Jean only have 25 students.' The university's Facts page gives 'Campus Saint-Jean — 640 students' and an average class size of 20 for Campus Saint-Jean.
Neither page carries a census date. The Facts page is the more data-oriented of the two, but ask Campus Saint-Jean for a current enrolment figure rather than quoting either number as settled.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Facts and figures: faculties, campuses, class sizes, and graduates · Verified August 16, 2026
French proficiency thresholds are not published on the admissions site
2027 pending · Current requirements
The French Language Proficiency section of the Language Requirements page states only one thing. French is the primary language of instruction at Campus Saint-Jean. It also states that all applicants must demonstrate proficiency in both written and spoken French. Then it defers entirely to the University Calendar. No French test names, score thresholds, or exemption routes are published alongside the detailed English tables on the same page. The closest published benchmark is a Test d'Évaluation Linguistique for a strong B2 level. It is scoped only to Education applicants who took the DELF B2 without reaching the strong-B2 threshold.
Contact Campus Saint-Jean admissions directly for the current Compétence dans la langue française standard. Do not assume Ontario French Immersion or Extended French coursework satisfies it, and do not rely on third-party summaries of the threshold.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Language Requirements: ELP, Spoken English, and French proficiency · Verified August 16, 2026
Francophone-specific financial support
Current awards · Published for this period
Campus Saint-Jean says its students have access to more than $500,000 in scholarships each year. Entrance awards range from $400 to $10,000. Applications open October 1 to January for the following September intake. In partnership with French for the Future, it offers four $2,000 scholarships. These are renewable over the first two years. They go to students who completed high school in a francophone or French immersion program. The ACUFC postsecondary bursary pays a non-renewable $3,000. It has automatic consideration and no application. It goes to Canadian citizens or permanent residents whose first official language is English. They must register full-time in a French-taught CSJ program and take at least 50% of courses in French.
Individual Campus Saint-Jean and Augustana entrance award dollar values are not published; only the $400 to $10,000 range is.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Campus Saint-Jean undergraduate scholarships · Verified August 16, 2026
French proficiency is an admission requirement at Campus Saint-Jean
Current requirements · Published for this period
At Campus Saint-Jean, French is the primary language of instruction. Every applicant must show proficiency in written and spoken French. This is Compétence dans la langue française. The Language Requirements page treats it as its own requirement. It is not an alternative to English Language Proficiency.
Ontario French Immersion and Extended French graduates should check with Campus Saint-Jean. Ask how your coursework is assessed against the Compétence dans la langue française standard. Do this before you assume the standard is satisfied.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Language Requirements: ELP, Spoken English, and French proficiency · Verified August 16, 2026
Campus Saint-Jean admission averages and bilingual routes
Past three admission cycles, latest available · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Campus Saint-Jean's published high-school admission-average trend is low to mid 70s. A footnote directs applicants to the Nursing entry for Bilingual Nursing averages. Its transfer AGPA thresholds show the internal range. Generally it is 2.0 and above. It is 2.7 for the Baccalauréat bilingue en Administration des affaires. It is 2.8 for the after-degree education routes. It is 3.0 for the Baccalauréat ès Arts avec spécialisation.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Competitive Requirements: three-year admission-average trends · Verified August 16, 2026
Augustana Faculty: scale, history, and class size
Current program · Published for this period
Augustana is a small arts-and-sciences campus in Camrose. It is one hour southeast of Edmonton. Norwegian settlers founded it as Camrose Lutheran College in 1910. It became a U of A faculty and campus in 2004. It is home to over 900 students. The average class size is 22. It offers 19 programs covering 24 disciplines. These include the BA, Bachelor of Management, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Education (Elementary). They also include combined BA/BEd and BSc/BEd Secondary routes. Camrose is described as 19,000 residents. It has 30 km+ of urban trails and 1,000+ arts and culture events each year.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Augustana degree programs, size, and average class size · Verified August 16, 2026
The Augustana 3-11 block calendar is being retired in Fall 2026
Effective Fall 2026 · Published for this period
Augustana introduced the 3-11 calendar in Fall 2017. Each semester started with one course in a three-week block. Then four courses ran in an eleven-week session. An ad-hoc Faculty Council committee found the 3-11 calendar could not meaningfully achieve its goals. Faculty Council voted in December 2024 to return to a 13-week semester structure starting in Fall 2026. The 2026/27 academic year begins September 1, 2026 for all students. Fall Term runs September 1 to December 8, 2026. Winter Term January 4 to April 9, 2027. Three-week courses disappear from fall and winter. The Project-Based Core drops from four AUIDS courses to two. These are AUIDS 101 and a six-unit AUIDS 401 running across both terms.
This directly contradicts Augustana's own homepage. The homepage still markets the block-week schedule in the present tense as a differentiator. Any guide that repeats that homepage line is wrong for anyone applying from 2026-27 onward.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Changes to the 3-11 Calendar and Project-Based Core starting Fall 2026 · Verified August 16, 2026
Augustana's homepage still advertises the retired block schedule
Official-source conflict · Current pages
The Augustana homepage states that 'Augustana's block-week schedule sets us apart from other campuses and will allow you to connect with your professors while gaining real-world experience.' The Augustana calendar page, titled 'Changes to the 3-11 Calendar and Project-Based Core starting Fall 2026', states the faculty returns to a 13-week semester structure from Fall 2026.
Trust the dated calendar page, not the homepage marketing tile. If block-format teaching matters to your decision, ask Augustana in writing before you accept an offer.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Augustana Campus: block-week schedule and program counts · Verified August 16, 2026
Augustana's student mix and athletics
Current, Preview Day labelled 2026 · Published for this period
Augustana reports that 13% of its students are international. Augustana reports that 15% of its students are varsity athletes. These athletes play across 13 Vikings varsity teams. Augustana Preview Day is published for October 24, 2026. Augustana also publishes the lowest high-school admission-average trend at the university, low 70s.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Augustana future students: degrees, Camrose, and Vikings athletics · Verified August 16, 2026
The Augustana international tuition grant is labelled Fall 2026
Fall 2026, latest available · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Augustana publishes a grant flagged 'NEW!': international undergraduate students applying to any BA, BMgt, or BSc program at Augustana for Fall 2026 will receive a tuition grant of up to $11,000 per year. The page names Fall 2026, not Fall 2027.
Do not assume this grant carries into Fall 2027 entry. Ask Augustana admissions in writing whether it is renewed before treating $11,000 per year as part of a Fall 2027 budget.
Applies to: International
University of Alberta: Augustana future students: degrees, Camrose, and Vikings athletics · Verified August 16, 2026
Engineering admits to a common first year
Past three admission cycles, latest available · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Applicants are admitted to Engineering rather than to a named discipline and branch after the common first year, and co-op admission is a separate later decision. Published high-school range is mid 80s to low 90s. Transfer AGPA ranges show how competitive later entry is: 2.4 to 3.0 generally, 3.0 to 3.4 for the Plan Year 1 Qualifying Year 2 route, 3.0 to 3.5 for Mechatronics and Robotics Co-op, and 3.4 to 3.7 for the Mechanical Biomedical Option Co-op program.
Applies to: All applicants
University of Alberta: Competitive Requirements: three-year admission-average trends · Verified October 8, 2026
Professional programs require prior university study
Previous year, latest available · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Dental Hygiene, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science, Radiation Therapy, and Dietetics all require pre-professional university-level study. Published previous-year competitive figures include some numbers. The JD shows a 3.8 average GPA and 161 average LSAT. The MD shows a 3.3 minimum competitive GPA to apply and a 128 competitive mean MCAT. PharmD shows a 3.7 competitive GPA. DDS consideration shows a 3.3 OGPA threshold. Dental Hygiene shows a 2.7 OGPA minimum. Medical Laboratory Science and Dietetics show 3.0 competitive GPAs.
These are figures from a previous year. The U of A publishes them as benchmarks. They are not the Fall 2027 thresholds. Each professional faculty keeps its own current admission statistics page.
Applies to: Transfer, Mature, All applicants
University of Alberta: Competitive Requirements: three-year admission-average trends · Verified August 16, 2026
Bridging Program and Year One Foundation routes
Current routes · Published for this period
Five faculties offer a Bridging Program. It is for applicants who meet every admission requirement except English Language Proficiency. The faculties are Agricultural Life and Environmental Sciences, Arts, Kinesiology Sport and Recreation, Native Studies, and Augustana. Bridging students take English for Academic Purposes courses in first year. At the same time, they enrol in academic courses for degree credit. The U of A notes that not all programs in those faculties offer the Bridging Program.
Applies to: International
University of Alberta: Language Requirements: ELP, Spoken English, and French proficiency · Verified August 16, 2026
Official U of A program and campus sources
- About the University of Alberta: campuses and quick facts
- Admissions home: program counts and rankings
- Campus Saint-Jean
- Augustana Campus
- Augustana future students: programs, Camrose, and Vikings
- Augustana degree programs and average class size
- Changes to the Augustana 3-11 Calendar and Project-Based Core from Fall 2026
- Why Campus Saint-Jean
- Campus Saint-Jean undergraduate programs in French
- Faculties and colleges directory
- Facts and figures: faculties, campuses, and class sizes
- University rankings table and subject placements
- Faculty of Engineering Co-op Program
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