Why Choose Lakehead University?
1. Ontario's #1 Primarily Undergraduate University
Maclean's 2026 named Lakehead Ontario's top primarily undergraduate university and 5th in Canada in that category. It also ranked 1st in Canada for student awards and 3rd for research dollars — metrics that reflect investment in student success rather than prestige optics. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 named Lakehead #1 in North America among universities with under 10,000 students.
2. AACSB-Accredited Business School
Fewer than 6% of business schools globally hold AACSB accreditation, and Lakehead's Faculty of Business Administration is one of them. The school also carries CPA Ontario recognition for Accounting majors and aligns its Finance curriculum with the CFA body of knowledge. Business graduates report 80%+ employment at 6 months and 100% at 2 years.
3. All Engineering Programmes Are CEAB-Accredited
Every BEng programme at Lakehead — Chemical, Civil, Environmental, Mechanical, Electrical, Computer — holds accreditation from the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). This is the standard required to become a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Canada, and it ensures Lakehead engineering degrees are recognised by employers and licensing bodies across the country
4. Affordable Compared to Southern Ontario
Thunder Bay's cost of living runs approximately 25–30% lower than Toronto or Vancouver, with shared room rent averaging C$700–900/month. International tuition for most programmes ranges from C$30,780 to C$35,540/year, and on-campus residence with a meal plan starts at around C$6,500/year. The combination of strong national rankings and significantly lower living costs makes Lakehead one of the most value-competitive options in Ontario.
5. Strong Employment Outcomes and Structured Co-op
Lakehead reports 87.8% of graduates employed within 6 months and 97.4% within 2 years, with a median post-graduation salary of approximately C$60,600. Engineering, Computer Science and Kinesiology all have structured co-op programmes — Kinesiology offers 4 formal work terms, one of very few programmes of its kind in Canada. A full 100% of senior-year students engage in some form of co-op, internship or research project
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Rankings &
Achievements
#5th in Canada
Maclean's 2026
#1st in North America
THE Impact Rankings 2025
Campus Locations
Thunder Bay main campus
Set on Lake Tamblyn; includes W.A. Porter Library, Gerald Schwartz Innovation Complex, Fitness & Academic Centre, Bora Laskin Faculty of Law building and Northern Ontario School of Medicine campus
Orillia campus
1,200 students; 20+ programmes in Arts, Business, Communications and Science; one hour north of Toronto by GO bus; smaller class sizes and lower cost of living than Toronto
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Course Highlights
Business & Management
|
Programme |
Credential |
Duration |
Fees/Year (CAD) |
Intakes |
|
Bachelor of Business Administration |
BBA |
3 years |
C$35,540 |
September; January (limited) |
|
International Dual Degree (BBA + partner university) |
BBA + partner degree |
4 years |
C$35,540 |
September |
|
Accounting (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
Business Administration (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
Business Economics (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
Finance (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
General Management (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
HR Management / Industrial Relations (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
Business Analytics & Information Systems (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
International Business (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
Marketing (Honours) |
BCom (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,500 |
September |
|
Master of Business Administration (MBA) |
MBA |
2 years |
C$25,435 |
September |
|
MSc Business Management |
MSc |
1 year |
~C$25,000 (total) |
September |
Computing & IT
|
Programme |
Credential |
Duration |
Fees/Year (CAD) |
Intakes |
|
Computer Science (Honours) — Business or Science Stream |
BSc (Honours) |
4 years |
C$35,540 |
September; January (selected) |
|
Software Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
C$35,540 |
September; January (selected) |
|
Computer Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
C$35,540 |
September; January (selected) |
|
Electrical & Computer Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
C$35,540 |
September |
|
Electrical Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
C$35,540 |
September |
|
MSc Computer Science |
MSc |
1–2 years |
~C$18,000 |
September; January |
|
MEng Software / Computer Engineering |
MEng |
1–2 years |
~C$18,000 |
September; January |
Engineering & Technology
|
Programme |
Credential |
Duration |
Fees/Year (CAD) |
Intakes |
|
Chemical Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,540 |
September |
|
Civil Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,540 |
September |
|
Environmental Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,540 |
September |
|
Mechanical Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,540 |
September |
|
Electrical Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,540 |
September |
|
Computer Engineering (Honours) |
BEng (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$35,540 |
September |
|
Engineering + MBA (Integrated Programme) |
BEng + MBA |
5 years |
Combined (Engineering + MBA fees) |
September |
Health Sciences & Nursing
|
Programme |
Credential |
Duration |
Fees/Year (CAD) |
Intakes |
|
Nursing — Collaborative BScN |
BScN |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September; January |
|
Nursing — Compressed BScN (accelerated; after degree) |
BScN |
2 years |
~C$30,780 |
January |
|
Kinesiology (Honours) |
BHK (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Biomedical Engineering (Honours) |
BEng |
4 years |
~C$35,540 |
September |
|
MSc Nursing (Thesis) |
MSc |
2 years |
~C$16,000 |
September |
|
Nurse Practitioner |
Post-Graduate Certificate |
1 year |
~C$18,000 (total) |
September |
Arts, Media & Design
|
Programme |
Credential |
Duration |
Fees/Year (CAD) |
Intakes |
|
Indigenous Learning and Indigenous Studies Certificates |
Certificate |
1–2 years |
~C$9,000–C$18,000 |
September |
|
Education — Concurrent BEd |
BEd (concurrent) |
4 years |
~C$30,000 |
September |
|
Education — Consecutive BEd (after degree) |
BEd |
2 years |
~C$15,000 |
September; January |
|
Music — BMus (Performance / Composition) |
BMus |
4 years |
~C$30,000 |
September |
|
Theatre Arts |
BA |
4 years |
~C$30,000 |
September |
|
Visual Arts |
BFA |
4 years |
~C$30,000 |
September |
|
Media, Film & Communication — Orillia campus |
BAA |
3 years |
~C$35,000 |
September |
|
MA History / Classics (Thesis or Course) |
MA |
1–2 years |
~C$16,000 |
September; January |
|
PhD — Arts and Humanities |
PhD |
4+ years |
C$21,000/year stipend |
September |
Science & Environment
|
Programme |
Credential |
Duration |
Fees/Year (CAD) |
Intakes |
|
Forestry (Honours) — Forest Management / Health / Products |
BSc (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Environmental Science |
BSc |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Environmental Management |
BSc |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Biology (Honours) |
BSc (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Chemistry (Honours) |
BSc (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Physics (Honours) |
BSc (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Geographic Information Science |
Graduate Certificate |
1 year |
~C$15,000 (total) |
September |
|
MSc Environmental Biology / Ecology |
MSc |
2 years |
~C$14,000 |
September |
|
PhD Ecology / Forestry |
PhD |
4–5 years |
C$21,000/year stipend |
September |
Social Sciences & Humanities
|
Programme |
Credential |
Duration |
Fees/Year (CAD) |
Intakes |
|
Psychology (Honours) |
BA (Honours) |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Sociology |
BA |
3–4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Social Work |
BASW |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Social Work Bridging |
Post-Diploma |
2 years |
~C$15,390 |
September; January |
|
Aboriginal (Native) Studies |
BA |
3 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Political Science |
BA |
3 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
History |
BA |
3–4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
International Development Studies |
BA |
4 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Criminology |
BA |
3 years |
~C$30,780 |
September |
|
Graduate Diploma in Accounting |
Graduate Diploma |
1 year |
C$10,080 |
September |
|
Graduate Diploma in Education |
Graduate Diploma |
1 year |
~C$12,000 |
September |
|
MA Psychology (Thesis) |
MA |
2 years |
~C$13,000 |
September |
|
MA Political Science |
MA |
2 years |
~C$13,000 |
September |
|
PhD — Psychology and Social Sciences |
PhD |
4+ years |
C$21,000/year stipend |
September |
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Popular Study Areas
Business & Management
Computing & IT
Engineering & Technology
Health Sciences & Nursing
Science & Environment
Arts, Media & Design
Social Sciences & Humanities
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Entry Requirements
Bachelor's Programmes:
- Academic:
- Equivalent of Ontario Secondary School Diploma with 4–6 Grade 12 U/M courses
- Minimum 70–75% overall average; 80%+ required for competitive programmes
- Engineering: U-level Calculus, Physics and/or Chemistry
- Business: English plus U-level Math (70%+)
- Nursing: Biology and Math (70%+ minimum)
- Music and Visual Arts: Portfolio or audition required
- English:
- IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0)
- TOEFL iBT 80 (no section below 19)
- PTE Academic 58 (no score below 50)
- Duolingo 120 | CAEL 60 | MELAB 85
Graduate Programmes:
- Academic:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
- Programme-specific requirements apply (e.g. LSAT 153+ and 3.7 GPA for JD Law; research proposal for thesis programmes)
- English:
- Same thresholds as undergraduate: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL iBT 80, PTE 58, Duolingo 120, CAEL 60
- Higher scores may apply for professional programmes — confirm per programme at lakheadu.ca
English for Academic Purposes (EAP — Conditional Entry):
- Programme:
- Lakehead English Language Programme — 5 to 15 weeks depending on starting level
- Cost: approximately C$1,800–C$5,000 depending on level (2025)
- Completing Level 5 meets Lakehead's English admission requirement
- Conditional admission:
- Conditional LOA available for students with unofficial transcripts or pending graduation
- Official transcripts required before full acceptance
Alternative English tests accepted:
TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Duolingo English Test, CAEL, MELAB, Lakehead English Language Programme (Level 5 completion). Full English-medium education (3+ years) may waive test requirements — confirm with admissions.
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Scholarships at Lakehead University
- Value: Up to C$40,000 total (C$10,000/year for 4 years)
- Eligibility: Entering undergraduate with 90%+ average or IB ≥ 35; automatic; renewable annually with 90%+ GPA
Value: Up to C$30,000 total (C$7,500/year for 4 years)
Eligibility: Entering undergraduate with 80–89.9% average or IB 30–34; automatic; renewable annually with 80%+ GPA
Value: C$6,000 (one-time, Year 1 only)
Eligibility
Value: C$6,000 (one-time, Year 1 only)
Eligibility: Entering undergraduate with 75–79.9% average or IB 28–29; automatic; non-renewable
Value: C$11,314.28/year
Eligibility: Master's students; 15–20 hours/week as TA or RA; awarded by department through programme acceptance
Value: C$12,338.50/year
Eligibility: PhD students; 15–20 hours/week as TA or RA; awarded by department through programme acceptance
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Student Support Services
Visa and study permit guidance, buddy programme, peer mentoring, intercultural events and airport pickup for September intake
W.A. Porter Library (open 7 days); writing and math tutoring centres; faculty-dedicated academic advisors; study skills workshops
On-campus Health Centre with free counselling (12 sessions), flu shots and UHIP coverage; Counselling Centre; Recreation Centre with fitness classes and intramurals
HIREway job board, one-on-one career advising, mock interviews and resume reviews; Spring and Fall career fairs with engineering, tech, health and NGO employers
100+ clubs and societies; varsity Lakers competing in U Sports (hockey, basketball, volleyball); Safe Walk programme and 24/7 campus security on all campuses
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