Universities in Canada: QS 2027 Rankings, Study Permit and PGWP Rules for International Students

Quick answer

In the QS World University Rankings 2027, McGill (30th), the University of Toronto (32nd) and the University of British Columbia (45th) are Canada’s top three. For a study permit applied for on or after 1 September 2026, a single applicant outside Quebec must show CAD 23,448 for living costs, on top of tuition and travel. The figure is CAD 24,617 for Quebec.

Undergraduates generally need a provincial attestation letter (PAL), but master’s and PhD students at public institutions have not needed one since 1 January 2026. Eligible students can work up to 24 hours a week off campus during term.

Top universities in Canada: QS 2027

QS published the 2027 rankings on 17–18 June 2026. McGill is Canada’s highest-ranked university and the only Canadian institution in QS’s global top 30 for four years running (McGill). QS reported that about two-thirds of Canada’s ranked universities fell this year (Academica).

Source: QS World University Rankings 2027 as reported by Academica and MTL Blog. Rankings change every year and measure research and reputation, so they say little about fit for your programme. Universities Canada represents 97 public and private not-for-profit universities and degree-level colleges, so this table is only the top of a much longer list (University of Manitoba).

Study permit: funds and attestation letter

You need an acceptance letter from a designated learning institution (DLI) and, for most undergraduates, a PAL. IRCC lists the funds you must show for living costs, separate from tuition and travel (IRCC):

Sources: IRCC’s proof-of-financial-support page, updated 28 August 2026, as reported by CIC News, and The PIE News. The amount is reviewed each year, so check IRCC before applying.

Worked example (hypothetical figures). If your first-year tuition is CAD 30,000 and return travel is CAD 2,000, a single applicant outside Quebec applying on 1 October 2026 needs 30,000 + 23,448 + 2,000 = CAD 55,448. The same costs for a Quebec application come to 30,000 + 24,617 + 2,000 = CAD 56,617.

Attestation letter (PAL). Most new undergraduate applicants must include a PAL from the province where they will study. Master’s and doctoral students at public institutions have been exempt since 1 January 2026. A PAL issued for 2025 can no longer be used, and 2026 PALs are valid to 31 December 2026 unless they show an earlier expiry (Waterloo, SFU, Guelph). IRCC’s rules cover 1 January to 31 December 2026, so confirm the rules for your intake year.

Working during and after your studies

During your studies. If your study permit allows it, you can work up to 24 hours a week off campus during academic sessions and full time during scheduled breaks. IRCC raised the limit from 20 hours on 8 November 2024 (SFU). Since 1 April 2026, eligible post-secondary students no longer need a separate co-op work permit for a placement that is required to graduate. The placement must be 50% or less of the programme, and you must be enrolled full time (RRC Polytech).

After graduation (PGWP). Reported 2026 rules for the Post-Graduation Work Permit are:

So a 16-month master’s earns up to 3 years, while a 16-month college diploma earns about 16 months. University degree graduates need Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 in all four skills, which corresponds to IELTS 6.0 in each band. College graduates need CLB 5. You must apply within 180 days of receiving your final marks. Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral graduates are exempt from the field-of-study list, which IRCC froze for 2026 (IDP, JCA Law). These sources report IRCC’s rules, so confirm the details on IRCC’s PGWP page.

Application deadlines for fall 2027

The OUAC date applies to Ontario high-school applicants only. For other applicants, including most international students, each Ontario university sets its own date, as the Laurier row shows. Check the dates page of the university you are applying to, such as UBC’s, because deadlines also vary by programme.

Scholarships for international students

Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship (University of Toronto). It covers tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years, and about 37 students are named each year. A high school can nominate one student per year. For the current cycle the school nomination deadline was 9 October 2026, and nominated students must complete the scholarship application by 6 November 2026 (University of Toronto). U of T warns that it does not work with agents.

UBC International Scholars Program. UBC runs a need-and-merit-based programme for international undergraduates. Dates change yearly, so check UBC’s international awards page and the dates page. Also check each university’s own entrance awards.

Grades and GPA

We found no single national GPA requirement for admission, and each university and programme publishes its own. Use the admissions page for your programme and send grades in the format it asks for. Our Canada GPA guide explains Canadian grading, and our WES evaluation guide covers programmes that ask for an evaluation.

Frequently asked questions

How we researched this

Last checked: 17 October 2026. We compared each statement with the source linked beside it: McGill and Academica for QS 2027; CIC News and The PIE News for IRCC’s funding figures; the Waterloo, SFU and Guelph pages for PALs; the SFU and RRC Polytech pages for work rules; the OUAC calendar, Wilfrid Laurier and UBC pages for deadlines; and the University of Toronto’s Pearson page. We could not open IRCC’s own pages, so the funding, PAL and PGWP figures come from universities and news reports of IRCC. The PGWP details come from IDP and a law-firm page. We removed tuition, English-test and other deadline figures we could not verify. The funds example uses hypothetical costs.

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