Western Computer Science admission requirements: average, courses, co-op and tuition

Western asks for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma and at least six Grade 12 U or M courses. For Computer Science, three are set: ENG4U (English), MHF4U (Advanced Functions) and MCV4U (Calculus and Vectors).

You also need one of MDM4U (Data Management), SBI4U (Biology), SCH4U (Chemistry), SPH4U (Physics), SES4U (Earth and Space Science) or ICS4U (Computer Science). A high school computer science course is an option, not a must. Plan your choices with our course planner.

Western publishes typical average ranges for last year's incoming class. Computer Science's is the low to mid 80s, with OUAC code ECS. It's an average, so some admitted students were above it and some below. For comparison, the same table lists Science at the low to mid 80s too, and Engineering at the high 80s to low 90s.

Western says no minimum grade guarantees admission and that ranges change from year to year. There's no supplementary application listed, so your average does most of the work. Work out yours on our Top 6 average calculator, and see our Western acceptance rate page for what Western publishes on selectivity.

Western lists the same low to mid 80s range for students at Canadian high schools outside Ontario. Required courses depend on your province. You report your own grades on a Self-Reported Grade form after you apply.

IB (International Baccalaureate) students are assessed on predicted or final IB results first, then on provincial grades if needed.

In first year you take two programming fundamentals courses, a foundations course and two math courses, each with a minimum final grade. Western's CS department says you aren't registered in a module until the start of second year.

Every first-year Western student also needs 1.0 credit toward breadth requirements and 5.0 credits at the 1000 level. Science students take breadth courses from the social sciences or the arts and humanities.

At Western, a module is a set of courses in one subject, and you need at least one to graduate. Computer Science offers an Honours Specialization, a Specialization and a Major, plus minors in Computer Science, Game Development and Software Engineering.

An Honours Specialization is 9.0 or more credits inside a four-year honours degree, which leaves about 6.0 credits for electives. A Major is 6.0 to 7.0 credits, so you can pair it with a second module. Combining two modules doesn't add courses, but it leaves fewer electives.

Western's CS department offers concurrent degrees that take one year less than doing both separately: Computer Science with an Ivey HBA, with Engineering (BESc), with Music or with Nursing. It also lists an Honours Specialization in Data Science. If business interests you, read our Ivey AEO guide.

Beyond co-op, Western lists project courses such as an open source software project, IBM Z Xplore, Summer of Code and a game development project, plus an honours thesis.

Computer Science students can apply to the Science Co-op Program from second year. Western says most job postings aimed at second-year students are for Computer Science and Statistical and Actuarial Sciences students.

You need at least 12 months of paid, program-related work, and you can do up to 20. Your graduation moves back one year. You need to be full time with a cumulative average of at least 60%.

Work terms run 4 to 16 months. A four-month co-op can start as early as the summer after second year. Western's CS department says co-op students typically earn an average of $40,000 or more a year.

There's no tuition while you're on a work term, but you pay $500 for each four-month term you secure.

Western's 2026-27 fee schedule lists Year 1 Computer Science tuition at $8,077 for Ontario and other Canadian students, or $10,128.46 with ancillary and student fees. International students pay $55,167. The schedule is marked draft, and 2027-28 fees aren't posted yet.

Western's automatic admission scholarships need no application. A final average of 92% or more earns $3,500, and 90% to 91.9% earns $2,500. The top averages compete for 250 Western Scholarships of Excellence worth $8,000. Western guarantees consideration if your application and documents are in by March 1.

Estimate yours with our Top 6 average calculator and compare aid on our Western financial aid page.

Western Computer Science is grade-driven: no supplement, and a typical range in the low to mid 80s. Co-op is available but adds a year to the degree.

Western's automatic scholarships start at a 90% final average, above the typical CS range. A strong average can mean both an offer and $2,500 or $3,500 off the bill.

Compare it with other schools on our computer science admission requirements page.