This guide covers LaSalle College for international students who are considering college-level studies in Canada: what the college is, which programs it offers, what it takes to be admitted, what it costs, and how the application actually works. Everything below comes from the public pages of the LaSalle College official website; the college’s own statements describe itself and are not a ranking or a comparison with other institutions. Visa and legal eligibility conditions follow the rules of the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec, not the college website.
About LaSalle College
LaSalle College is a private and subsidized post-secondary institution founded in 1959 in Montréal, Quebec. It is part of LCI Education, a network that the college’s website describes as 12 higher education institutions across five continents. LaSalle College describes itself as the largest private college of public interest in the country, offers a bilingual academic option in English and French, and has two campuses: one in downtown Montréal and one in Laval. The college is particularly known for fashion — it claims to be Canada’s largest fashion school — and also positions itself as the most entrepreneurship-focused private college in Quebec. For an international student, the practical takeaway is that LaSalle College is a private institution with professional, career-oriented programs, flexible start dates, and a strong bilingual environment rather than a research university.
Programs and Credentials
LaSalle College’s website organizes its academic offering into seven schools: Art, Design and Communication; Business and Management; Education and Social Sciences; Fashion; Gaming, Animation and VFX; Hospitality and Tourism; and Information Technology. Across these schools the college says it offers more than 60 programs. Two credential types matter most for planning. The Diploma of College Studies (DCS) is a Quebec government-recognized college diploma: two-year pre-university programs lead to a DCS and can take graduates into bachelor’s degrees in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia, while three-year DCS programs build skills aimed directly at the job market. The Attestation of College Studies (ACS) is a shorter, more vocational credential. On the college’s Summer 2026 intake page, representative ACS programs include Early Childhood Education (2 years, 1,110 hours), IT Programmer-Analyst (2 years, 1,650 hours), Project Management (4 to 8 months, 180 hours), Residential Real Estate Broker (8 to 18 months, 450 hours), SME Accounting (8 to 12 months, 360 hours) and Executive Assistant (16 months, 750 hours). LaSalle College also runs continuing education, fully online ACS programs, and the LCI Language School located directly within the college, which is relevant if you need to strengthen your English or French before starting a program.
Entry Requirements for International Students
Admission criteria differ by credential. For a DCS program, LaSalle College requires a Diploma of Secondary Studies (DES) or a recognized equivalent. For an ACS program, the college must deem that you have sufficient prior training and you must satisfy one of three conditions: you interrupted your studies for at least two consecutive semesters or one year, you hold an agreement between an employer and the college, or you have completed at least one year of post-secondary studies. International students who did not complete their secondary education in Canada must also provide a standardized language test result. For DCS programs the college lists IELTS Academic 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in writing, TOEFL iBT 80 with a minimum of 20 in writing, PTE-A 61 with a minimum of 60 in writing, Duolingo 120 overall with no sub-score below 95, or Cambridge B2 First 162+. For ACS programs the thresholds are lower: IELTS Academic 5.5, TOEFL iBT 75, PTE-A 45 with a minimum of 51 in writing, or Duolingo 95. Results below these levels do not automatically disqualify you — LaSalle College notes that lower-scoring applicants may still be admitted with a pathway that includes upgrading courses at the LCI Language School or the Tremplin DEC program. Required documents include an official copy of your birth certificate with your parents’ names, your last academic transcript in English or French, your high school diploma or equivalent in English or French, a copy of your passport, and proof of financial capability; documents in other languages can be translated by a certified translator. Students planning to study in Quebec also need a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) and a study permit, but these are obtained after you receive an acceptance letter.
Costs and Budget
LaSalle College’s finances page gives international students a budget breakdown rather than a single tuition number. Study-related costs include a CAD $200 admission fee (the application page separately notes a CAD $50 admission fee paid when you apply), a CAD $150 study permit fee, books and school supplies at about CAD $200 per semester, and annual tuition that varies by program and is confirmed in your contract — the college does not publish one unified price. Some programs require specific materials or software that can cost up to CAD $2,000 per session. Immigration-related costs on the same page include the CAQ at CAD $128, a one-way flight estimated at CAD $1,000, furniture setup for an apartment at CAD $3,000, winter clothing at CAD $600, arrival expenses at CAD $300, and a work permit fee of CAD $155. For monthly living costs the college estimates housing between CAD $700 (shared) and CAD $1,300, home insurance CAD $40, telephone and internet CAD $150, electricity and hydro CAD $125, groceries and dining out CAD $400, public transportation CAD $60, leisure CAD $100, and miscellaneous CAD $100. The college also warns that cash exceeding CAD $10,000 must be declared at Canadian customs, and that most loans and bursaries are reserved for permanent residents and Canadian citizens, so international students should plan their own funding.
How to Apply and Timelines
The application process at LaSalle College is described on the international admission pages in four steps. First, prepare: gather documents, understand the CAQ and language test questions. Second, apply: complete the five-step online form in about 10 minutes, pay the CAD $50 admission fee by credit card, and upload your documents. Third, after applying: follow your application updates and start planning your study permit. Fourth, if accepted: secure your spot by paying the CAD $200 registration fee, demonstrate your financial ability, and proceed with the CAQ and study permit. The college warns that each step depends on the previous one being completed properly, and that document processing for international applicants can take up to six months, so applying early is strongly recommended. LaSalle College has three annual start dates — fall, winter and summer — with registration open all year. The Summer 2026 intake, for example, began May 11, 2026, and the checklist page lists the Fall 2026 DCS start on August 27, 2026, the Fall 2026 ACS start on September 3, 2026, and the Winter 2027 start on January 7, 2027. As a designated learning institution (DLI), LaSalle College notes that international graduates may be eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP); eligibility is decided under Canadian immigration rules.
Student Life and Arrival
The college’s campus is in downtown Montréal, in the Village Shaughnessy area, which the Summer 2026 page describes as close to parks, cafés, restaurants, shops, cinemas and museums. For housing, LaSalle College lists four partner student residences in Montréal — Chelsea House, EVO, Campus1 MTL and Coloc’Montréal — with furnished rooms, security, and all-inclusive rents; Chelsea House is described as the college’s official student housing partner with a floor dedicated to the LaSalle College student community. Host family stays are available through MS Homestays, and students who prefer to find their own apartment sign a lease and can search via platforms such as Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace. Upon arrival the college guides students through getting a health care card, and the finances page recommends opening a Canadian bank account and carrying enough cash or traveller’s cheques to cover about two months of expenses. Students with a study permit can work on campus, and eligible students who have completed six months of full-time study can work off campus part-time up to 24 hours per week and full time during summer vacation.
Official Information and Next Steps
This guide reflects the public pages of the LaSalle College official website as of August 2026, accessed through archived snapshots because the live site sits behind a security checkpoint; the college updates its pages frequently, so verify programs, fees, intake dates and requirements against the latest version before applying. LaSalle College does not publish a unified tuition price — the amount in your program contract is the authoritative figure. Nothing here is a comparison or ranking against other institutions, and eligibility for the CAQ, study permit and PGWP is determined by Canadian and Quebec authorities. If you want to check whether LaSalle College’s programs, entry requirements and budget fit your own situation, talk to our advisors on this site with your academic background, language scores and funding plan in hand, and compare them against the program list and the cost breakdown above.