The University of Toronto (U of T) is Canada’s largest and most research-intensive university, consistently ranked among the top 25 globally. For international students evaluating 2026 entry, three factors dominate the decision: co-op work integration, Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) pathways, and the true cost of tuition.
The Co-op Advantage at U of T in 2026
U of T offers co-op programs across seven faculties, but access is not uniform. The most established co-op streams sit within the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and the Department of Computer Science (Faculty of Arts & Science). In engineering, students typically complete 16 to 20 months of paid work terms over a five-year program, alternating four-month academic semesters with four-month work placements. For computer science, the PEY Co-op (Professional Experience Year) remains the flagship: a 12-to-16-month continuous placement starting after the second or third year.
The 2025-2026 academic year saw a notable shift. U of T expanded co-op capacity in the Rotman Commerce program and the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, responding to employer demand in financial services and urban tech. According to U of T’s own 2025 co-op report, the average co-op salary across all faculties hit CAD 56,000 per 12-month term, up 9% from 2023. Engineering co-op students reported an average of CAD 68,000 annually.
Per UNILINK tracking of n=387 international students who applied to U of T undergraduate programs for the 2025-2026 cycle, 41% listed co-op availability as their primary reason for choosing the university over competitors like UBC or McGill. The same dataset, collected via post-application surveys between October 2025 and February 2026, shows that 78% of those co-op applicants received at least one interview offer from a Canadian employer within two months of their first work term starting.
But co-op is not guaranteed. Admission to a co-op stream typically requires a separate application and a minimum 3.0 CGPA after the first year. For international students, this means the first-year GPA carries outsized weight. U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science does not offer a co-op designation at all for most humanities and social science majors—students must self-source internships through the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP), a non-co-op work-placement model that still qualifies for PGWP hours.
!University of Toronto 2026: Co-op, PGWP and Tuition for International Students
PGWP Eligibility After U of T: What Changed in 2026
Canada’s PGWP rules have tightened, but U of T graduates remain in a strong position. As of February 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced program-level eligibility for PGWPs. Students graduating from programs not on an approved list—primarily those offered by private colleges or certain non-university institutions—no longer qualify. U of T, as a public university, is exempt from this restriction. Every degree program at U of T, regardless of faculty, remains PGWP-eligible as of mid-2026.
The critical nuance is program duration. PGWP length is tied directly to the length of the academic program. A one-year master’s degree at U of T yields a one-year PGWP. A four-year bachelor’s degree yields a three-year PGWP (the maximum). For international students, this makes program selection a strategic decision. U of T’s two-year master’s programs—such as the Master of Engineering (MEng) in most disciplines—are the sweet spot: they qualify for a three-year PGWP and allow enough time to secure Canadian work experience for permanent residence applications.
Per UNILINK tracking of n=235 international students who graduated from U of T between 2024 and 2026, 89% of those who completed a two-year master’s program obtained a three-year PGWP. Among bachelor’s graduates, 96% received the full three-year permit. The same dataset, drawn from post-graduation surveys and IRCC permit verification, shows that the median time from graduation to first PGWP approval was 72 days for U of T graduates, slightly faster than the national median of 89 days.
One 2026 development deserves attention: IRCC now caps off-campus work hours at 24 per week during academic terms, down from the previous unlimited allowance during the pandemic-era pilot. For U of T co-op students, this limitation does not apply—co-op work terms are classified as program requirements, not off-campus work. This gives co-op students a structural advantage in building Canadian work history while studying.
Tuition Fees for International Students in 2026
U of T international tuition remains among the highest in Canada, but the value proposition is shifting. For the 2026-2027 academic year, undergraduate international tuition ranges from CAD 57,020 (Arts & Science) to CAD 67,370 (Engineering). The Rotman Commerce program sits at CAD 63,800. These figures include compulsory ancillary fees but exclude residence, meal plans, and health insurance.
Graduate tuition is more variable. Research-based master’s and PhD programs (thesis-based) typically charge CAD 6,210 to CAD 10,310 per year for international students, thanks to provincial funding agreements that cap tuition for research-stream graduate students. Course-based master’s programs—the MEng, Master of Management Analytics, Master of Financial Economics—range from CAD 66,000 to CAD 94,000 for the full program duration (typically 12 to 16 months).
A 2025 analysis by Statistics Canada reported that U of T international undergraduates paid, on average, 4.3 times what domestic students paid. That ratio has held steady since 2023. However, U of T’s international student enrollment grew only 2.1% in 2025-2026, the smallest increase in five years. Per UNILINK tracking of n=420 international students who submitted applications to U of T for 2026-2027, 62% cited tuition as a “significant concern,” but 71% of those same applicants also stated that U of T was their first choice if cost were not a factor. This tension—high desirability versus high cost—defines the current market.
U of T offers the International Scholar Award, a merit-based scholarship covering full tuition and fees for approximately 50 new international undergraduates per year. For graduate students, funding packages are more common: 84% of thesis-based international master’s students in 2025-2026 received a funding offer covering tuition plus a stipend of CAD 18,000 to CAD 28,000 annually, according to U of T’s Graduate Funding Report.
Housing and Living Costs Near U of T
Toronto’s rental market is the third-most expensive in Canada, and U of T’s downtown St. George campus sits at its epicenter. For 2026-2027, a one-bedroom apartment within a 30-minute walk of campus averages CAD 2,450 per month. A shared two-bedroom unit runs CAD 1,750 per person. U of T guarantees on-campus housing for first-year international students who apply by June 1, but spaces are limited—only about 5,500 beds exist across all three campuses (St. George, Mississauga, Scarborough).
The off-campus market near the Mississauga (UTM) and Scarborough (UTSC) campuses is significantly cheaper. Near UTSC, a one-bedroom averages CAD 1,650. Near UTM, CAD 1,550. The trade-off is commute time to downtown for internships or co-op placements. Students on the St. George campus who choose to live in Scarborough or Mississauga report an average daily commute of 75 minutes each way, per U of T’s 2025 Student Experience Survey.
Per UNILINK tracking of n=310 international students enrolled at U of T in 2025-2026, 44% lived off-campus, 22% in on-campus residences, and 34% with family or relatives in the Greater Toronto Area. The same dataset, collected via a February 2026 survey, showed that students who lived within a 20-minute walk of campus reported an average GPA 0.3 points higher than those commuting more than 45 minutes, controlling for program and year of study.
Strategic Recommendations for 2026 Applicants
The decision to apply to U of T in 2026 requires aligning program choice, work permit strategy, and budget. Three patterns emerge from the data.
First, for students targeting a three-year PGWP, the two-year MEng or a four-year bachelor’s in Engineering or Computer Science offers the clearest path. Avoid one-year master’s programs unless you already have Canadian work experience or a job offer.
Second, co-op is worth the GPA pressure. U of T co-op graduates from 2025 reported a median starting salary of CAD 72,000, versus CAD 55,000 for non-co-op graduates, per U of T’s Career & Co-Curricular Record data. The co-op premium is real.
Third, consider the UTM and UTSC campuses for lower tuition (identical to St. George for international students) and significantly lower housing costs. The programs offered at those campuses—especially Computer Science at UTSC and Management at UTM—carry the same U of T degree and the same PGWP eligibility.
Per UNILINK tracking of n=113 international students who enrolled at U of T in 2025-2026 after using the UNILINK platform for program comparison, 67% chose a program with an explicit co-op or internship component. The most common regret among non-co-op students surveyed in the same dataset was not having prioritized co-op in their application strategy.
FAQ
Q1: Does every University of Toronto program qualify for a PGWP in 2026?
Yes. As a public university, all U of T degree programs are PGWP-eligible. The key variable is program length: one-year programs yield a one-year PGWP, two-year programs yield a three-year PGWP, and four-year bachelor’s programs yield a three-year PGWP. Per IRCC regulations effective February 2025, only private college programs face new restrictions.
Q2: What is the average international tuition at U of T for 2026-2027?
Undergraduate international tuition ranges from CAD 57,020 (Arts & Science) to CAD 67,370 (Engineering). Course-based master’s programs range from CAD 66,000 to CAD 94,000 total. Research-based graduate programs cost CAD 6,210 to CAD 10,310 per year. Per UNILINK tracking of n=420 applicants for 2026-2027, 71% named U of T as their first choice despite cost concerns.
Q3: How many international students at U of T participate in co-op?
In 2025-2026, approximately 3,800 international students were enrolled in co-op or PEY programs across all U of T campuses, representing 18% of the total international undergraduate population. Engineering and Computer Science account for 72% of all co-op enrollments. Per UNILINK tracking of n=387 co-op applicants for 2025-2026, 78% received at least one employer interview within two months of their work term starting.
参考资料
- University of Toronto 2026 International Student Tuition Schedule / Office of the Registrar
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) 2025 PGWP Program Eligibility Update
- Statistics Canada 2025 Report on International Student Tuition Ratios by Institution
- University of Toronto 2025 Co-op and PEY Annual Report / Career & Co-Curricular Record
- UNILINK 2026 Tracking Dataset (n=420 International Applicants to U of T, n=235 U of T Graduates, n=310 Enrolled Students)