What does an admission rate measure?
An admission rate generally relates offers to applications for a given period. Before comparing it with another rate, however, you need to read its definition: does it refer to people or applications? All applications received, or only complete applications?
In its Annual Enrolment Report 2025/26, The University of British Columbia, or UBC, reports offers made for applicants’ first-choice programs in relation to the corresponding complete applications. It distinguishes this rate from the offer acceptance rate, which relates enrolments to offers made for first-choice programs.
The difference matters: someone can receive an offer without enrolling. Dividing enrolments by applications therefore does not produce the same indicator. And UBC’s definition should not automatically be attributed to another university.
UBC’s two campuses: putting the figures in context
UBC’s annual report presents the following overall rates for 2025-2026:
| Campus | Admission rate | Population described |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 60% | Undergraduate, all entry levels |
| Okanagan | 76% | Undergraduate, all entry levels |
Both figures are based on complete applications and offers for first-choice programs. They include several entry levels: they do not describe only students entering directly from high school. In Vancouver, the scope also includes certain post-baccalaureate programs, diplomas and certificates.
These rates describe two groups of applications during a given year. They do not tell you whether the degree you are interested in is easier to get into at Vancouver or Okanagan. Nor do they represent your personal probability of receiving an offer.
To compare two statistics usefully, look for at least their year, campus, level of study and calculation method. If these elements differ, present the figures as separate reference points, not as a ranking.
McGill: applicants and offers, without deriving a rate
Not all universities present their data as a comparable rate. On its Admissions Profile page, McGill University reports 41,836 applicants and 18,782 offers in the “Undergraduate/Professional” category for fall 2026. These final figures include degrees, certificates and diplomas, among other credentials, but exclude exchange students.
McGill specifies that a person is counted only once in the total number of applicants, even if they applied to several admission units. The page does not give an equivalent rule for counting offers. The division of the two totals therefore cannot be interpreted as the proportion of people admitted.
Keep the two figures separate and do not compare them directly with UBC’s rates: the periods and scopes differ. The sources presented here do not allow for a consistent national ranking of selectivity.
Capacity-limited programs: what do the available places tell you?
An overall statistic does not reveal the number of places available in the program you are interested in. At Université Laval, a program is considered capacity-limited when applications exceed the number of available places. The limit may depend, among other things, on resources, internship opportunities or a government decision. The university indicates that capacity limits and selection criteria are adopted each year.
Laval publishes a list for 2027-2028 that gives capacities and deadlines for different programs and application circumstances. Official descriptions specify the places reserved. As a result, total capacity does not necessarily correspond to the number of places available to your applicant category.
To interpret a capacity, consider the following together:
- the intended intake and program;
- your applicant category and any places reserved;
- the selection criteria and supplementary documents;
- the deadline that applies to your circumstances.
A number of places, on its own, does not tell you whether selection is based only on grades. Nor does it replace an offer rate: to understand the competition, you would also need to know the applications and their scope.
Minimum requirement, previous result and selection: three ways to read the information
A minimum requirement helps you determine whether your application meets the stated conditions. A previous admission result, by contrast, describes a past application cycle. Neither is a promise of an offer.
McGill invites applicants to review prerequisites and results from previous years. The university specifies that requirements may change and that meeting or exceeding the results shown does not guarantee admission. At the University of Toronto Mississauga, actual averages vary, among other things, according to the applications received during the year. This information applies to the Mississauga campus: it does not establish a common threshold for all Toronto campuses.
UBC, for its part, describes a comparative assessment of applications received in the same year for the same degree. It considers, among other things, grades, courses taken and, when required, the personal profile. The profile applies to most applicants from high school, with some exceptions.
In your notes, therefore, distinguish what is required for eligibility from what is published as a historical result or selection criterion. This distinction remains useful even when no rate is available.
If you studied outside Canada
Start by looking for the pathway that matches your background, rather than using an average intended for another applicant category. The University of Toronto, for example, distinguishes secondary studies completed outside Canada from college or university studies completed abroad.
Next, check the prerequisite courses, language of instruction and supporting documents required for the program. At UBC, there are several ways to meet the English language competency requirement, so you should not assume that a particular test is mandatory for everyone.
If an equivalency is uncertain, contact the admissions office and provide the official name of your credential, your institution and the courses you took. Avoid converting a mark out of 20 into a cote R or Canadian average yourself using a general formula found online.
Universities and programs: continue comparing
The StudyCanada profiles of the institutions mentioned are starting points for your exploration:
For each choice, then refer to the official information for the program, campus and intake you are interested in. An institution profile does not replace the conditions specific to your background.
A worksheet for deciding without relying on the percentage alone
Fill in the same table for two or more programs you are interested in. Note the source and year for each piece of information so you can verify that you are comparing the right categories.
| Question | Choice 1 | Choice 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Degree, campus and intake | To be completed | To be completed |
| Admission pathway and applicant category | To be completed | To be completed |
| Prerequisites and language requirement | To be checked | To be checked |
| Published capacity or rate, including period and definition | Note if available | Note if available |
| Criteria, documents and deadline | To be checked | To be checked |
| Question to ask the admissions office | To be completed | To be completed |
If no comparable rate is published, leave the box blank. You can still compare the conditions and program content. Plan several options that fit your goals, without treating any one of them as guaranteed admission.