The Cheapest DLI programs are there to assist those foreign graduates who seek success in the top Canadian jobs. The three primary in-demand professions in the country include human resource managers, developers, and mechanical engineers.
The above information about the top in-demand professions in Canada is an exclusive report by an employment agency, Randstad.
Most foreign students arriving in Canada will look forward to taking up programs that will prepare them for the in-demand occupations in Canada.
The three Canadian Designated Learning Institutions offering the most affordable tuition for programs that would help international students land positions in Canada’s most in-demand employment sectors are given below.
Essentially, the information below only considers the tuition fees each institution charges. It doesn’t include other expenses such as recreational activities, student services, dental care, and health care. Additionally, unless otherwise stated, all tuition projections below are for 2022–2023 (in CAD).
Per the QS World University Rankings 2023, here’s a comparison of the most desirable DLI in each Canadian province.
According to the assessment, the top 10 DLIs are as follows:
- McGill (Montreal, Quebec)
- University of British Columbia – UBC (Vancouver, B.C)
- University of Manitoba – UManitoba (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
- University of Toronto – UofT (Toronto, Ontario)
- University of New Brunswick – UNB (Fredericton, New Brunswick)
- University of Saskatchewan – USask (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
- Dalhousie (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
- University of Alberta – UAlberta (Edmonton, Alberta)
- Memorial University of Newfoundland – Memorial (St. John’s, Newfoundland)
- University of Prince Edward Island – UPEI (Charlottetown in PEI)
Cheapest DLI programs for international graduates
Since these are Canadian educational institutions with governmental approval to accept foreign students, it was crucial to compare DLIs. Moreover, international students who graduate from these institutions are also eligible to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit. PGWP enables them to gain the necessary Canadian work experience for ultimate permanent residency.
Developers
Developers topped Randstad’s list of the 15 top jobs expected to trend in Canada in 2023. In line with Randstad’s description, “Developers design and code programs per the user demands. This could be smartphone apps, business accounting programs to operating systems.
People in this position typically have a computer science educational background. UPEI, UNB, and Memorial provide the cheapest computer science programs, which are among the 10 DLIs evaluated.
For undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Science at UPEI, the projected annual tuition for overseas undergraduate students is $6,750. The most recent data from UNB indicates that education for undergraduate international students in the computer science program will be $19,360 per year. Lastly, Memorial in Newfoundland charges an estimated $20,000 in tuition for overseas students.
The two most expensive programs in this discipline among the evaluated DLIs are provided at UManitoba (about $77,196 annually for students in Science) and UofT. International students’ undergraduate computer science tuition is $60,510 (2023/24).
Also, to anticipate the total annual tuition, UManitoba gives all tuition numbers on a per-credit basis, which has been multiplied by the anticipated full course load (120 credit hours).
The 10 rated DLIs are shown in the table below, ranked by the cost of tuition for computer science-related programs.
| Province | Institutions’ Names | Tuition Cost |
| Prince Edward Island | UPEI (Charlottetown) | $6,750 |
| New Brunswick | UNB (Fredericton) | $19,360 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Memorial (St. John’s) | $20,000 |
| Saskatchewan | USask (Saskatoon) | $26,359 |
| Alberta | UAlberta (Edmonton) | $31,895.40 |
| Nova Scotia | Dalhousie (Halifax) | $35,000 |
| British Columbia | UBC (Vancouver) | $46,295.70 |
| Quebec | McGill (Montreal) | $55,389.30 |
| Ontario | UofT (Toronto) | $60,510 |
| Manitoba | UManitoba (Winnipeg) | $77,196 |
Human Resources Managers
According to Randstad, HR managers are Canada’s second most sought-after position. Generally, those in these positions “oversee the company’s HR functions, including recruitment and workforce management.”
Once more, all DLIs that have been evaluated provide a program related to human resources. However, some do so through four-year undergraduate degrees, while others do so through certificate programs that may be finished in less time.
However, these universities provide the least expensive HR programs for students from abroad:
- $3,135 for Dalhousie
- $6,750 (annual tuition) at UPEI
- $200.00 for memorial
The three courses of Dalhousie’s HR management certificate program each run for 12 weeks.
Conversely, McGill and UManitoba are home to the two most expensive HR programs these DLIs provide. An undergraduate degree in commerce for an international student at McGill costs $63,693.60 a year. UManitoba estimates that management students at the Asper School of Business will pay tuition of about $85,999.20 per year.
The following table lists all 10 assessed DLIs in descending order of program tuition costs for HR-related programs.
| Province | Name of Institutions | Tuition Cost |
| Nova Scotia | Dalhousie (Halifax) | $3,135 |
| Prince Edward Island | UPEI (Charlottetown) | $6,750 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Memorial (St. John’s) | $20,000 |
| New Brunswick | UNB (Fredericton) | $20,158 |
| Saskatchewan | USask (Saskatoon) | $30,060 |
| Alberta | UAlberta (Edmonton) | $37,842 |
| British Columbia | UBC (Vancouver) | $58,153.50 |
| Ontario | UofT (Toronto) | $60,510 |
| Quebec | McGill (Montreal) | $63,693.60 |
| Manitoba | UManitoba (Winnipeg) | $85,999.20 |
Cheapest DLI programs for foreign students seeking success as Mechanical Engineers in Canada
The mechanical engineering sector will be home to Canada’s third-most sought-after employment 2023. Mechanical engineers aid the development and design of machines that address human problems. figuring out how to automate and control production operations and address various environmental issues.
UPEI, UNB, and Memorial offer the least expensive mechanical engineering programs for international students. The following is a list of their estimated annual international student tuition:
- UPEI: $6,750
- $200.00 for memorial
- $21,337 at UNB (for undergraduate foreign engineering students)
Again, UofT and UManitoba charge the highest tuition fees for students from outside who want to study mechanical engineering. For students seeking undergraduate degrees in the university’s Bachelor of Applied Science programs (2023/2024), the annual tuition for overseas students is $65,410. UManitoba estimates that the cost of tuition for students enrolled in a scientific program will be about $77,196 per year.
The following table lists all 10 determined cheapest DLI programs for mechanical engineering, ranked from least expensive to most expensive tuition.
| Province | Institution Name | Tuition Cost |
| Prince Edward Island | UPEI (Charlottetown) | $6,750 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Memorial (St. John’s) | $20,000 |
| New Brunswick | UNB (Fredericton) | $21,337 |
| Saskatchewan | USask (Saskatoon) | $35,071 |
| Nova Scotia | Dalhousie (Halifax) | $40,800 |
| Alberta | UAlberta (Edmonton) | $42,707.40 |
| Quebec | McGill (Montreal) | $55,389.30 |
| British Columbia | UBC (Vancouver) | $57,735.91 |
| Ontario | UofT (Toronto) | $65,410 |
| Manitoba | UManitoba (Winnipeg) | $77,196 |
