York Nursing admission requirements: the high 80s range, 70% prerequisites and who can apply for Fall 2027

For Fall 2027, York's Direct Entry Nursing is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Protected persons and international applicants are eligible only if they're current Ontario high school students under 21, completing the OSSD (Ontario's high school diploma) with six 4U or 4M courses, and applying on the OUAC 101 (Group A) application.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents with college or university studies can also apply, but York assesses them on post-secondary grades as well. If you already have university credits, York suggests its 2nd Entry Nursing program instead.

2nd Entry Nursing is a separate program for students with at least 60 university credits. It runs six terms of continuous study, so you finish a BScN in two calendar years. Its application deadline is also February 1, 2027.

You need an Ontario Secondary School Diploma with ENG4U (English), a 4U math, SBI4U (Biology) and SCH4U (Chemistry) or SPH4U (Physics), plus two more 4U or 4M courses. Every prerequisite needs at least 70%.

All prerequisites must be finished by June 30 of the year you apply. If a prerequisite is low or missing, York says you can take it at an accredited in-person or online high school, such as TVO's Independent Learning Centre. York won't pre-assess your transcript before you apply. Plan ahead with our course planner.

York says applicants with an overall average in at least the high 80s may be considered. It reviews applications against each year's applicant pool, so the real bar can be higher.

Your offer has a firm condition: an 86% final average. That's a high bar to hold through second semester, so your final Grade 12 marks matter. York doesn't publish a nursing acceptance rate. See our York acceptance rate page and check your average with our Top 6 average calculator.

York's nursing FAQ says the Casper test isn't required, which sets it apart from several Ontario nursing programs. Your grades and prerequisites carry the application.

York's Fall 2027 deadlines page lists February 1 for Direct Entry Nursing, an exception to its January 15, 2027 deadline for most Ontario high school applicants. Apply through OUAC using code YHW. York doesn't allow deferrals: if you decline an offer, you reapply in a later year.

British Columbia students need English 12, a senior math, Anatomy and Physiology 12, and Chemistry 12 or Physics 12, plus one more Grade 12 academic course. Alberta students need ELA 30-1 or English 30, a senior math, Biology 30, and Chemistry 30 or Physics 30, plus one more. Both need 70% in every prerequisite and the same high 80s range.

IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma students need a math course, Biology, and Chemistry or Physics, with no prerequisite below 5. Remember that international applicants are eligible only as current Ontario high school students.

The four-year BScN is approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario. First year includes nursing practice and theory, health assessment, anatomy and physiology, and introductory psychology. Practicum courses start in second year and end with an integrated practicum and capstone project.

From second year you work in hospitals, community health centres and other settings with partners in Brampton, Toronto, Mississauga, Newmarket, Vaughan, Durham, Barrie and Oakville. York has a 5,000 square foot nursing simulation centre and a virtual reality lab.

York says you rotate through specialties such as medical-surgical nursing, paediatrics, maternity and obstetrics, mental health, community health, critical care or emergency nursing, and long-term care. It lists careers as a registered nurse, a home and primary health care nurse or a specialty nurse in areas such as oncology, cardiology and the ICU.

There's no co-op. Instead you can choose an optional stream in High Acuity and Critical Care; Mental Health, Illness and Addictions Care; or Nursing Leadership and Care of the Older Adult. Current students can apply in fall of second year to an accelerated three-year pathway with summer terms, based on GPA.

York's 2026-27 tuition estimates page doesn't list Nursing separately. Its estimate for most programs is about $6,200 for domestic students and $40,000 for international students, with a 2% domestic increase over 2025-26. York posts exact fees on its course and program fees page.

For living costs, York estimates $9,000 to $13,000 for an eight-month residence room and $4,350 to $8,000 for a meal plan. Health and dental coverage is about $359 for domestic students.

York's Automatic Entrance Scholarship needs no application. Based on your final admission average, it pays $1,500 at 85% to 89.9%, $2,000 at 90% to 94.9% and $3,500 at 95% or more, renewable with an 8.0 GPA. York says it awards over $20 million in entrance scholarships and awards each year, and some, such as the President's Scholarships, need no application. Estimate yours on our Top 6 average calculator.

To become a Registered Nurse, graduates must pass the NCLEX-RN exam and meet the College of Nurses of Ontario's registration rules. York's program is built for nursing careers, not as a route to medical school.

The 86% offer condition is the risk to plan for. A strong first semester helps, but the final average is what keeps the seat.

Line up other nursing choices too. Compare programs, routes and prerequisites on our Ontario nursing programs guide.