The UBC acceptance rate is approximately 57%. Each year approximately 22,000 students apply for 8,000 spots in undergraduate programs at the University. However, almost double the amount of applicants are given an acceptance to the university since many high school students apply to more than one university.
However, the acceptance rate for various programs a student is looking to apply to will vary greatly. This post covers a full breakdown of why the acceptance rates for Canadian universities are so high, programs with notably low acceptance rates, and comparisons with various other universities in North America.
Comparing UBC Acceptance Rates to Canadian Schools:
UBC has a relatively high acceptance rate compared to other universities in Canada. This data is fairly consistent among all Canadian institutions, with the average Canadian University acceptance rate being 45-55%.
Chart of Biggest Canadian Universities and Their Acceptance Rates
Full List of Canadian Universities and Their Acceptance Rates
American Ivy League University Acceptance Rates:
| UNIVERSITY NAME | ACCEPTANCE RATE |
|---|---|
| Brown University | 9.00% |
| Columbia University | 6.00% |
| Cornell University | 14.10% |
| Dartmouth College | 10.50% |
| Harvard University | 5.20% |
| Princeton University | 6.50% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 9.40% |
| Yale University | 6.30% |
The difference in the acceptance rates between Canadian universities and American schools is huge. The average rate for top-tier universities across Canada is approximately 5x higher than their counterparts down south!
Why is the UBC Acceptance Rate Acceptance Rate so High?
We believe there are two main reasons why the UBC Acceptance rate is so high compared to its American counterparts.
Firstly, most programs in Canada only have two requirements, prerequisite courses and minimum grades. For most undergraduate colleges this means that if you apply with no other information other than your transcripts from high school, and meet the minimum grade requirement, then it’s likely they’ll accept you! No supplement applications are needed and you can tell immediately whether acceptance is possible before submitting anything else.
Secondly, in Canada, it is more important what program one applies to within each university rather than the prestige of the school. American higher education institutions, in contrast, tend to place more emphasis on the university names rather than what programs they offer. For example, Queen’s Health Sciences (BHSc) tends to have extremely low acceptance rates that are comparable to the “prestigious” universities in North America. The Queen’s Health Science acceptance rate is 4.25%!
In general, Canadian employers treat all degrees equally regardless of which institution you received them from. For example, if a person obtains an undergraduate life science degree then they will be able to find employment with companies across Canada no matter the school that gave them this qualification. That being said, there are some extremely difficult undergraduate programs to get into Canada that many students strive to be accepted into.