On This Page You Will Find:
- The 10 toughest university programs to get into in Canada in 2026
- How we ranked Canada’s most competitive undergraduate programs
- Admission averages and acceptance rates for each program
- The role of supplementary applications, interviews and CASPer tests
- What universities look for beyond high grades
- Tips to improve your chances of admission
- Frequently asked questions about competitive university admissions
- What international students need to know about study permits and pathways to permanent residence
Canadian universities take in hundreds of thousands of applications every year, and for most programs a solid average will get you an offer. But a small group of “elite” programs play a completely different game. For these, admission averages have crept into the mid- and high-90s, and a near-perfect transcript no longer guarantees anything.
The biggest change since this list first appeared: grades are now just the entry ticket. At the most competitive programs, what separates the students who get in from the thousands who don’t is the supplementary application – written responses, recorded video interviews, situational-judgment tests like CASPer, and demonstrated leadership. It’s common for applicants with 95%+ averages to be turned away because their supplementary application didn’t stand out.
Here are the 10 toughest undergraduate programs to get into in Canada right now, ranked from most competitive down, with what it actually takes to earn a seat.
How we ranked them
We weighed three factors: published admission averages and cutoffs, acceptance rates (where universities release them – many do not), and the applicant-to-seat ratio. We also factored in how heavily each program weighs its supplementary application, since that’s increasingly the real barrier. Where a university doesn’t publish official statistics, we’ve said so and relied on the most credible available estimates.
1. Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc): McMaster University
McMaster’s Honours Health Sciences program is widely considered the single hardest undergraduate program to get into in Canada, and the country’s premier “pre-med” pathway. Recent applicant pools have run to roughly 7,000 applications for about 240 seats – a reported acceptance rate in the 3–5% range.
The grade range to be considered is 90%+, but McMaster is explicit that grades alone won’t get you in: the February supplementary application is decisive. Offers go to applicants across the entire 90s spectrum, and a candidate in the low 90s with an outstanding supplementary application can beat a 99% applicant with a weak one. The supplement is designed to probe critical thinking, problem-solving, and empathy.
2. Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) – Queen’s University
Queen’s newer Health Sciences program has quickly become one of the most competitive in the country, with reported acceptance rates around 3–4%. Inspired in part by McMaster’s inquiry-based model, it draws a very large applicant pool and weighs a supplementary application heavily alongside grades.
Queen’s lists a “low 90s” competitive average for Health Sciences admission consideration. As with McMaster, the supplementary component – not just the transcript – determines who gets an offer.
3. Software Engineering – University of Waterloo
Waterloo Software Engineering is one of the most sought-after engineering programs in North America, prized for its co-op program (the largest in North America) and its pipeline into top tech firms. Waterloo admits by “individual selection,” with an admission range officially described as the low-to-mid 90s, though competitive applicants typically sit well above that.
Beyond grades, applicants must complete the mandatory Admission Information Form (AIF) and an online interview, and – uniquely for Software Engineering – demonstrate programming experience. Reported acceptance rates hover around 5%.
4. Computer Science – University of Waterloo
Waterloo’s Bachelor of Computer Science sits right alongside Software Engineering at the top of the difficulty scale. The floor is in the 90s, but most admitted students arrive with averages in the mid-to-high 90s, and the program is reported to admit only a few hundred students a year across Computer Science and Computer Engineering – a reported acceptance rate in the 4–5% range.
A strong AIF, evidence of coding ability, and extracurricular work (projects, contests like the Canadian Computing Competition) all factor in. High-90s math grades are effectively expected.
5. Engineering Science – University of Toronto
U of T’s Engineering Science (EngSci) is the university’s most demanding engineering stream. While the Faculty lists a 70% minimum course average as an absolute floor, that is nowhere near competitive: admitted applicants typically present averages around 96–97%.
U of T Engineering requires a supplementary application (a personal profile covering extracurriculars, competitions, and work experience). For EngSci, where so many applicants have near-perfect grades, that supplement is often what differentiates candidates.
6. Ivey AEO (Honours Business Administration) – Western University
Western’s Ivey Business School admits high-school applicants through Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO) status, a conditional path into the HBA program (entered in third year). Ivey states a low-90s minimum average, but competitive applicants cluster around 94–95%, and reported acceptance rates are around 8%.
Crucially, Ivey weighs leadership experience equally with academics. A strong average without demonstrated leadership and a compelling application is not enough.
7. Commerce (Smith) – Queen’s University
Queen’s Smith School of Business Commerce program is among the hardest business programs to enter in Canada. Queen’s lists a competitive average of 90+ for Commerce, and the program reportedly receives on the order of 7,000–9,800 applications for roughly 475–580 seats – a reported acceptance rate around 6–7%.
Admission is based on grades plus a supplementary application that, for the 2026 cycle, includes one written response and one recorded video-interview question, assessing initiative, problem-solving, and maturity.
8. Sauder Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) – University of British Columbia
UBC’s Sauder School of Business runs one of the two top-ranked business programs in Canada. Competitive averages sit around 90% (Sauder lists a lower formal minimum), and admission is holistic: a Personal Profile and broader application are assessed alongside grades. Reported acceptance rates vary widely by source and applicant category, commonly cited in the 15–25% range, with some sources lower.
9. Engineering (Mechanical, Software & Bioengineering) – McGill University
McGill consistently posts some of the highest entrance averages in the country. For Ontario high-school applicants, its most competitive engineering streams – including Mechanical, Software, and Bioengineering – have required averages around 95%+. Notably, McGill does not require a supplementary application for these programs, making admission almost purely grade-driven – which, at a 95%+ cutoff, is its own kind of brutal.
McGill publishes the “lowest grades used for admission” each year as a reference; these are not guarantees and shift with applicant volume.
10. Direct-entry-to-medicine programs (the ultra-selective special case)
A handful of programs guarantee or fast-track a path to medical school straight from high school – and accept only a handful of students, putting their acceptance rates into the low single digits.
- University of Calgary – Leaders in Health Sciences (LHS): a Bachelor of Health Sciences stream that, for a tiny number of students, comes with a substantial scholarship and a conditional pathway toward the Cumming School of Medicine. Only a couple of students are selected, making it among the most selective entry points in the country.
- Queen’s – QuARMS (Queen’s Accelerated Route to Medical School): allows entry to Queen’s medical school after two years of undergrad, without the MCAT. QuARMS is now an equity-based access pathway open specifically to Black and Indigenous applicants, with roughly ten seats – so eligibility is restricted, and applicants should confirm current criteria directly with Queen’s.
Because seats number in the single digits, treat these as a category of their own rather than a typical “apply and hope” program.
What it actually takes to get in
Three themes run through every program on this list:
- Grades are the filter, not the decision. A 90%+ average gets your application read; it rarely gets you in on its own. At the top programs, mid-to-high-90s averages are common among rejected applicants.
- The supplementary application is where offers are won or lost. Written responses, video interviews, and tools like CASPer now carry enormous weight at McMaster, Queen’s, Waterloo, Ivey, and others. Start them early and treat them as seriously as your final exams.
- Leadership and evidence of “fit” matter. Ivey and Queen’s Commerce weigh leadership heavily; Waterloo wants demonstrated programming interest; health-science programs want critical thinking and empathy. Generic extracurriculars don’t move the needle – specific, sustained involvement does.
For international students: competitive admission and your immigration pathway
If you’re applying from outside Canada, gaining a seat in one of these programs is only the first step – you’ll also need a study permit, and many graduates use their Canadian education as a springboard to permanent residence through the study → work → PR pathway.
Start here:
- Study in Canada: Step-by-Step Guide for International Students
- Study in Canada FAQ for International Students
- How to Apply for Permanent Residence After Study in Canada
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hardest university program to get into in Canada?
McMaster’s Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) is widely regarded as the hardest, with roughly 7,000 applicants for about 240 seats and a reported acceptance rate around 3–5%. Queen’s Health Sciences and Waterloo’s Software Engineering and Computer Science programs are close behind.
What are the most competitive programs in Canada?
Health sciences (McMaster, Queen’s), the Waterloo tech programs (Software Engineering, Computer Science), top engineering streams (UofT Engineering Science, McGill engineering), and elite business programs (Western Ivey, Queen’s Commerce, UBC Sauder) are consistently the most competitive.
What average do I need to get into these programs?
Most set a stated minimum around 90%, but competitive averages run higher – frequently 94–97% for the very top programs. Averages fluctuate yearly with applicant volume, and several programs weigh a supplementary application as heavily as grades.
Is it harder to get into a program or a university?
In Canada, the program is usually the deciding factor. A university may have a moderate overall acceptance rate while a specific program within it (like McMaster Health Sciences or Waterloo Software Engineering) is far more selective.
Do these programs require supplementary applications?
Most of the hardest ones do – McMaster, Queen’s, Waterloo, U of T, Ivey, and UBC Sauder all assess written responses, video interviews, or personal profiles. McGill engineering is a notable exception, admitting largely on grades.
