Hardest Programs to Get Into in Canada, by Average (2027)

Ask most parents to name the hardest program in Canada and you'll hear the same few answers. Medicine. Engineering at a big-name school. Maybe Ivey.

The published numbers back up part of that. They also name programs most families have never looked at.

Some of the highest published figures in the country belong to a double degree with about thirty seats per school and a computer science co-op stream on a suburban campus. Here's the list, built only from official sources.

By published figure, the hardest programs to get into in Canada include UBC Engineering (a 2026 mean average of 97), U of T Scarborough Computer Science co-op (high 90s, approximate, for Fall 2027) and McGill Mechanical Engineering (high 90s, a guideline only).

Where do these numbers come from?

Every figure here comes from an official source: a university's own admissions pages, its published presentations, or OUInfo, the official guide to Ontario universities.

Here's the catch. Schools don't all mean the same thing by "average."

1. UBC publishes the mean and the minimum average of the class that entered in 2026.
2. Queen's publishes the minimum average required for admission consideration for what it calls "September of last year," and warns it could be higher.
3. Waterloo publishes a range based on previous years.
4. McGill publishes typical minimum ranges and calls them a guideline only.
5. McMaster Health Sciences publishes the minimum to be considered. A required supplementary application comes after that.

None of these is a cut-off. So read every number below with its label. Each one keeps the school's own wording, and the year it applies to, wherever the school gives one.

Highest published admission averages in Canada, at a glance

Two cautions. This is not every program in Canada, only ones whose official figures sit at or near the top of what schools publish. And because the labels differ, the order is a rough grouping from the highest published figure down, not a strict ranking.

Here's what sits behind each one.

1. UBC Engineering: a mean of 97

UBC Vancouver Engineering had a mean average of 97 for the class that entered in 2026. The minimum average was 89.

The mean was also 97 in 2025, but the minimum was 95. So the mean held while the minimum fell six points in a year. Grades still come first here, but a single year's minimum is a shaky target.

UBC publishes these figures in its counsellor presentations. For all 18 Vancouver programs, both years side by side, see UBC entering averages for 2026.

2. U of T Scarborough Computer Science co-op: high 90s

This one surprises families.

For Fall 2027, UTSC lists approximate grade requirements of high 90s overall for Computer Science co-op. The regular stream is low 90s overall. Both require at least 70% in English.

Same campus, same required courses. The co-op option adds paid work experience, and the published range moves from low 90s to high 90s.

What does this mean for you? If UTSC CS is on your child's list, the co-op box changes the target. For this cycle, UTSC's early date was November 7, 2026, and the deadline is January 15, 2027.

3. McGill Mechanical Engineering: high 90s

McGill bases admission on its calculation of your "Top 5" academic final-year courses, including the program prerequisites. It lists typical minimum grade ranges by program. For Mechanical Engineering, the Top 5 range is high 90s, and the math and science range is low to mid 90s.

McGill is clear that these are a guideline only and don't necessarily represent the requirement for upcoming admission. Admission depends on competition and available space.

4. Laurier BBA + Waterloo BCS: mid-90s and about thirty seats each

This double degree might be the smallest front door on the list.

Laurier and Waterloo each admit approximately 30 students to the program per year. Waterloo recommends applying at both universities.

OUInfo lists the Laurier side at mid-90s for the 2027-2028 cycle. It also sets minimums on specific courses:

1. English at 80%
2. Advanced Functions at 90%
3. Calculus and Vectors at 90%

Waterloo lists its side as individual selection from the low to mid-90s, and requires an Admission Information Form (AIF).

Pro Tip: Apply to both schools. It's the advice the program gives itself. Two applications mean two routes into roughly thirty seats each.

The Waterloo admissions guide walks through the AIF in detail.

Is your child aiming for a program on this list? Our Educators build academic and application plans for exactly these programs. Join the program waitlist.

5. UBC Science: a mean of 96

UBC Science had a mean average of 96 for the class that entered in 2026, with a minimum of 85. Both figures matched 2025.

That 11-point gap suggests UBC admitted Scholars across a wide band of grades. That leaves room for the Personal Profile to matter.

High school students can't apply directly to UBC Computer Science, and Science is one of three routes in. The UBC entering averages post explains the routes.

6. Queen's Health Sciences and Mechatronics + Robotics: mid-90s

Queen's publishes the minimum average, based on prerequisite courses, required for admission consideration for "September of last year." It warns the figures could be higher than what is published.

Two programs sit at the top: Health Sciences and Mechatronics + Robotics, both at mid-90s.

Health Sciences also requires supplementary information. Meeting the grade only gets an application considered.

Compare that with Queen's Computer Engineering, listed at mid-80s on the same page. The program matters more than the school. See the Queen's admissions guide for supplementary details.

7. McMaster Life Sciences and Health Sciences: mid 90s and a 90% minimum

McMaster lists an anticipated admission average of mid 90s for its Life Sciences Gateway, with a target enrolment of 1,000.

Here's the twist. McMaster Health Sciences, the program families usually call the hardest, lists a minimum of 90% to be considered on OUInfo for the 2027-2028 cycle, with an enrolment of 240. After that, admission is by selection, with a required supplementary application.

So Life Sciences publishes the higher number. That doesn't make it the harder program to get into.

The two figures measure different things. One is an anticipated average for a gateway with a target enrolment of 1,000. The other is the minimum to be considered for an enrolment of 240, before selection begins. If you're weighing the two, the McMaster guide covers both.

8. McGill Management (Desautels): mid 90s

McGill lists the Top 5 typical minimum range for its Bachelor of Commerce at mid 90s. Like every McGill range, it's a guideline only.

For comparison across business schools, see the ranking of the best business programs in Canada.

9. Waterloo Software and Electrical Engineering: low to mid-90s

Waterloo Engineering publishes a minimum competitive average and a predicted first-year class size for each program. Its admissions page shows no cycle label. These are the figures as of November 10, 2026.

1. Software Engineering: low to mid-90s, predicted class of 130.
2. Electrical Engineering: low to mid-90s, predicted class of 120.
3. Computer Engineering: high 80s to low 90s, predicted class of 240.

Families often see Electrical as the gentler route to the same careers as Computer Engineering. The published band says the opposite: half the predicted class, and a higher range. OUInfo's 2027-2028 listing also shows Electrical at low to mid 90s. Waterloo's own Electrical Engineering program page still shows the older band of high 80s to low 90s, so check both pages when your child applies.

Waterloo's requirements page for Electrical Engineering also lists the AIF and an online interview. Read these Waterloo Engineering AIF examples before you start.

A top average gets your child considered. The rest of the application has to be ready when it does. Apply to our program waitlist to start building both.

What do Canada's most competitive university programs have in common?

Look across the list and three patterns stand out.

1. Small seat counts. The double degree admits about 30 per school. Waterloo Electrical predicts 120. Fewer seats leave less room below the top of the pool.
2. More than grades. Queen's Health Sciences, McMaster Health Sciences, Waterloo Engineering and the double degree all add a supplementary step. A top average gets you considered.
3. The famous name tells you little. A suburban co-op stream and a joint degree sit above better-known programs on this list.

How should you plan around these numbers?

Here's how to turn this list into a real plan for your child.

1. Read the label first. A minimum tells you where consideration starts. A mean tells you where admitted Scholars sat. Where a school gives both, plan to the higher one.
2. Count the seats. A program with 30 seats behaves differently from one with 1,000, even at the same average.
3. Start the supplementary application early. For programs with an AIF, Personal Profile or supplementary application, grades alone won't carry your child. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to collect real stories now.
4. Build a list with range. Pair each reach program with options where your child's average sits comfortably inside the published range. The post on hidden competitive programs shows why "backup" schools need checking too.

Pro Tip: Check every number again in the fall your child applies. Ranges can move, and some school pages update before others.

For school-level averages across Canada, see What Average Do You Need for University in Canada?.

Frequently asked questions

What is the hardest university program to get into in Canada?

By published average, UBC Engineering had a 2026 mean average of 97, and UTSC Computer Science co-op lists high 90s for Fall 2027. Small programs like the Laurier and Waterloo BBA + BCS double degree, with about 30 seats per school, are also among the hardest.

What average do you need for the Laurier Waterloo double degree?

OUInfo lists the Laurier BBA + Waterloo BCS at mid-90s for the 2027-2028 cycle, with at least 90% in Advanced Functions and in Calculus and Vectors, and 80% in English. Waterloo lists its side as low to mid-90s.

Is McMaster Health Sciences harder than Life Sciences?

The published figures can't tell you, because they measure different things. Health Sciences lists a minimum of 90% to be considered, with a required supplementary application and an enrolment of 240. Life Sciences lists an anticipated admission average of mid 90s and a target enrolment of 1,000.

What average do you need for UTSC Computer Science?

For Fall 2027, UTSC lists approximate requirements of high 90s overall for the co-op stream and low 90s overall for the regular stream, with at least 70% in English.

Is a published admission average a cut-off?

No. Each school uses its own label, such as a mean, a minimum for consideration or a guideline range. Averages change every year based on the applicant pool.

What average do you need for Waterloo Electrical Engineering?

Waterloo Engineering lists Electrical Engineering at low to mid-90s with a predicted first-year class of 120. Applicants also complete the AIF and an online interview.

Ready to aim for the top of the list?

Laurier and Waterloo each admit about thirty Scholars to the double degree every year. Thirty.

If your child wants a seat in programs like these, the plan has to start well before applications open. AdmissionPrep works with ambitious Scholars who want to get into Canada's top programs and make a real impact.

Complete our Program Assessment to see where your child stands. Our Educators work one-on-one, so spots are limited. If you're ready to begin, apply to our program waitlist.

Aim higher. Plan smarter. And maybe we'll see you on campus soon.