Tuition Fees Variations across Canada – A Closer Look at the Province of Quebec

By Marie Lyster
Associate Director of Recruitment, Graduate Programs
John Molson School of Business - Concordia University, Montreal

When preparing to pursue graduate studies, you will certainly evaluate the various aspects of each school you are interested in. You will consider location, reputation of the School, employment prospects, and of course, the cost. Whether you plan to work part-time while studying or plan to leave your job to concentrate on your graduate studies, your budget will be a factor. When tuition fees vary from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, it is fair to wonder… Why such discrepancies?

In Canada the education portfolio is handled at the provincial level, which is why there are different tuition rates from province to province.  Some provinces put more of an emphasis on student funding by subsidizing tuition rates (such is the case in the province of Quebec) and others may set higher tuition rates but offer student loans that are more substantial. 

Quebec Tuition Fees
There is no easy way to demystify how tuition fees are set. Universities in Quebec set their tuition fees out of Government policy and most programs are regulated and must abide by Government pricing standards. However, some Universities do offer programs (usually referred to as “privatized” or “self-sustaining”) that do not fall under the Provincial pricing model and are priced at the discretion of the respective University.

In Quebec, most graduate programs are highly subsidized by the Provincial Government. This means that students who are Quebec residents only pay a fraction of the actual tuition cost of their program of study, with the difference funded by Quebec tax payers. For example, Quebec residents pay approximately $120 less per credit than other Canadians studying in Quebec (Source: http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/ens-sup/ens-univ/finances-univ.asp). The same rule applies to international student fees in most cases (for regulated subsidized programs); the difference between the Quebec resident fee and the out-of province or international fee is given back to the Provincial Government.

Return on Investment
Although tuition fees in Canada vary from province to province, overall, they are among the lowest in the world. Students can benefit from a high quality education from very reputable Schools, while paying a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere.
For example, the total program cost for the John Molson MBA program is $6,300 for a Quebec resident, $13,000 for an out-of-province Canadian resident and $37,500 for an international student (http://tuitionandfees.concordia.ca/g_costs/mas_bus.shtml). 90% of the June 2009 graduates had a job within three months of graduating with a starting salary ranging from $66,000-$76,000.

To find out if you qualify for Quebec resident tuition, please visit: http://quebecresidency.concordia.ca/

For information about Concordia University’s tuition policy, please visit: http://tuitionandfees.concordia.ca/