Future Pathwaysby Madan Kumar PCSaved

UniversitiesAlso in Countries

University Spotlight: McGill University

Canada's #1 in QS. English classes in Quebec, the CAQ step, English test rule for CBSE, fees by faculty and the honest note on Medicine.

For
Grades 9–10, Grades 11–12
Stream
Any stream
Country
Canada
Reading time
13 min
Published
Written by
Madan Kumar PC
Subject area
Studying abroadUniversity guidesMedicineScholarships and financial aid
Entrance exam
IELTS and TOEFL
Skill
Learning a language
Study level
Undergraduate
Audience
Parents

At a glance

McGill Campus: Downtown Montreal, Quebec McGill’s virtual campus tour page shows a live tour hosted by a student. At the time of writing the page says live tours are on hold, so please check it before you plan around a tour.

  • QS 2027: #30 Globally · #1 in Canada* *QS World University Rankings 2027 (June 2026). McGill fell from 27th place last year, and QS says about two thirds of Canadian universities fell this year. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 (30 September 2026), McGill is 43rd. The two lists use different methods, so always check which one is quoted.
  • University: McGill University · Over 300 undergraduate programmes · A second campus at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, outside the city
  • Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The main campus is downtown, at the foot of Mount Royal. India is 9.5 hours ahead of Montreal in summer and 10.5 hours ahead in winter. The flight from India usually takes 15 to 18 hours with a change of plane.
  • Founded: 1821 · About 30,800 students, 27 percent of them international (Times Higher Education) |
  • Language of teaching: English
  • Legacy: 12 Nobel Prize winners linked to McGill (Times Higher Education) · The Faculty of Medicine was McGill’s first faculty, and McGill calls it Canada’s first medical faculty
  • Popular Subjects: Medicine, Management (Desautels), Engineering, Computer Science, Law, Life Sciences, Political Science
  • Curriculum Accepted: CBSE, ISC and Cambridge A Level. State Boards are looked at one by one.

McGill hosts live virtual campus tours led by a student guide, who talks about campus, student life, academics and Montreal. Open the official McGill Virtual Campus Tours page to see the latest. When we checked in October 2026, the page said live tours were on hold and would resume soon.

Visit a university in person. I strongly recommend that families of Grade 9 and above students visit at least one university: this one, a local university in India, or any place you choose. Seeing the labs and classrooms and talking to students gives a child something a virtual tour cannot. If you need help planning a visit, write to me at pcmadankumar@gmail.com.

McGill Admission Requirements, CBSE/State Boards and Cambridge A Level

Please read the rows on English tests and the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) with care. Both surprise many families, and both are easy to handle if you start early.

Requirement CBSE / Indian State Boards Cambridge A Level
Boards Accepted CBSE and ISC are accepted directly. State Boards are looked at one by one, so please confirm your board with us before you apply. Cambridge International AS and A Level are accepted. The subjects needed depend on the programme.
Marks Needed McGill does not print one cut off for every programme. Indian guides report that Computer Science, Engineering and Management usually want about 87 to 94 percent in the key Class 12 subjects, and Arts about 80 to 88 percent. These are reports, not McGill rules. Both Class 11 and Class 12 marks count, so a weak Class 12 is hard to repair with activities. Competitive applicants usually offer strong grades in the subjects the programme asks for. McGill lists the exact subjects on each programme page.
Language of Teaching Teaching, exams and graduation are in English. French is not needed for most programmes. McGill lists Nutrition (Dietetics), Nursing and Physical and Occupational Therapy as programmes that do need proof of French, because of hospital and clinic placements. Its updates page also says that a few other programmes, such as Medicine and Law, look at French. Same rule for all qualifications.
English Test, CRITICAL McGill’s list of exemptions does not include CBSE or ISC English marks, and English medium schooling in a country that is not on its list does not count either. Plan to take a test. McGill asks for IELTS Academic 6.5 overall (no part below 6.0), TOEFL iBT 90 or Duolingo 125, and the Management programme asks for more (TOEFL 100 or Duolingo 130 reported). Scores differ by programme, so check yours. You can skip the test with A Level English at grade C or better, or IGCSE, GCSE or O Level English at grade B (or 5) or better. If your child has neither, a test is needed. Please check with us which English subject you took.
Standardised Tests We could not confirm a SAT or ACT rule for 2027 entry. McGill’s admission is based mainly on marks. Check your programme page, because Music and some other programmes add auditions or extra material. Same for all qualifications.
Application Portal and Fee Apply on McGill’s own website (future.mcgill.ca/apply). It is not OUAC, UCAS or the Common App. The application opened on 1 October 2026 and costs CAD 140.16 (~INR 9,400), not refundable. After you pay, you upload documents in the McGill Applicant Portal. Same portal for all applicants.
Dates for Fall 2027 The deadline for international applicants is 15 January 2027. McGill decides on a rolling basis, and in the last cycle decisions came between mid November and mid May. The entrance scholarship deadline usually falls about a week after the main one. Supporting documents have a later date, which we could not confirm, so watch your portal. Fall (September) is the main start for new students. Same deadline. The date comes before your A Level results in May, so offers are usually conditional on the final results. Ask us how McGill treats predicted grades.
Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ), CRITICAL Because McGill is in Quebec, you need a CAQ from the Quebec government before you apply for the federal study permit. For undergraduates the CAQ also works as the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), so it replaces that separate step. The fee is reported as CAD 135 (~INR 9,000), and about 25 business days is the usual time for most complete files. Quebec limits how many CAQs it will issue. McGill says it has arranged this with the province, and expects that admitted students will not be refused because its allotment ran out. Same CAQ rule for all international students.
Funds and Study Permit Quebec asks you to show CAD 24,617 (~INR 16 lakhs) for living costs for one student. That is the Quebec figure, which is set by the province. Plan to show the first year tuition and the cost of travel as well. Same for all qualifications.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) After a degree of 2 years or more, the PGWP gives up to 3 years of work permission. Degree graduates must show CLB 7 (Canadian Language Benchmark) in English or French. The usual English tests are IELTS General Training, CELPIP General and PTE Core. Apply within 180 days of your final marks. A bachelor’s degree does not need to match a field of study list. Same rules for all graduates.

Common to both pathways

The process is marks based. Many programmes do not ask for a long essay, but some, such as Arts and Music, do, so check the programme page. This makes McGill different from Oxford, Stanford or Yale in this series, where the essay and activities count for a great deal. At McGill, the school transcript does most of the work.

Voices from McGill, the India Connection

McGill has worked with India for many years. The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, which supports studies of India in Canada, was founded in 1968 by McGill professor Michael Brecher. Here is one well known Indian alumnus.

M.R. Srinivasan earned his master’s degree at McGill in 1952 and his PhD there in 1954, working on gas turbines. He came home to help build India’s nuclear power programme. In 1987 he became Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy. He received the Padma Bhushan (1990) and the Padma Vibhushan (2015).

Why Should Your Child Consider McGill?

The Ranking Story, Told Honestly

McGill is #30 in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and is the top Canadian university in that list. It fell three places from #27. QS reports that about two thirds of Canadian universities fell this year, so this is a wider Canadian trend and not only McGill. McGill also rose on several QS measures, including academic reputation (#33), employer reputation (#45) and sustainability (#9). In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, published on 30 September 2026, McGill is #43. Neither list measures how your child will do. Please use them as one small input.

Quebec, English Classes, and Its Own Immigration Step

Many Indian families assume that a university in French speaking Quebec must need French. For most programmes it does not. McGill teaches in English, and French is not a graduation requirement. The exceptions are the placement based programmes named in the table above. Daily life in Montreal is often bilingual, and McGill offers optional French learning. The bigger difference is immigration. Besides the federal study permit, a McGill student needs the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ). For undergraduates it also does the job of the Provincial Attestation Letter that Ontario issues separately. The CAQ must be in hand before the study permit application. Quebec limits the number of CAQs each university can use. McGill says admitted students should not lose their CAQ because its allotment is full, but please do not rely on this. Apply for the CAQ as soon as you accept the offer.

Fees Depend on the Faculty

McGill’s own 2026-27 table for new international undergraduates shows a wide range. Yearly tuition plus compulsory fees are about CAD 59,500 for Arts (~INR 40 lakhs at ~CAD 67/INR, October 2026). They are about CAD 35,300 for Science (~INR 24 lakhs) and CAD 39,300 for Music (~INR 26 lakhs). Engineering is CAD 68,500 (~INR 46 lakhs) and Management is CAD 78,700 (~INR 53 lakhs). These totals include McGill’s international health insurance (CAD 1,155 a year, ~INR 77,000). McGill says tuition is fixed for the whole degree if study is continuous. Other fees rise by about 3 percent a year. The table calls the totals estimates until the Quebec government confirms them. They do not include housing or food.

One Honest Caution, Medicine

Medicine is one of McGill’s best known programmes, and McGill calls its Medicine faculty the first in Canada. Places for international students are very few, and Indian guides report that most successful Indian applicants apply after a Canadian bachelor’s degree, not straight from Class 12. We could not confirm McGill’s current number of places for international students. If Medicine is your goal, please do not treat direct entry as likely. A bachelor’s degree at McGill or another Canadian university is a safer first step, and I can talk it through with you.

What parents should know

  • CRITICAL, the Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ): Quebec asks for a CAQ before the federal study permit. The fee is reported as CAD 135 and the usual time is about 25 business days. Show CAD 24,617 for living costs, plus tuition and travel. Quebec limits how many CAQs it issues, so do not wait. Ontario universities such as Toronto work differently.
  • CRITICAL, the English test: McGill does not exempt CBSE or ISC students because of English marks. Book IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo early. Cambridge students with A Level English at grade C or better, or IGCSE English at grade B or better, can skip the test.
  • Fees for 2026-27: the yearly tuition plus compulsory fees run from about CAD 35,300 for Science to CAD 78,700 for Management (~INR 24–53 lakhs). This does not cover housing or food. Please look at McGill’s table for your child’s faculty.
  • Deadline: 15 January 2027 for Fall 2027. It comes before CBSE and A Level results, which both come in May, so offers are usually conditional. If you accept an offer, McGill asks for a non refundable deposit of CAD 1,000 (~INR 67,000) that counts towards tuition.
  • Scholarships: every applicant is automatically considered for a one year entrance scholarship of CAD 3,000 (~INR 2 lakhs). Major Entrance Scholarships (CAD 3,000 to 12,000 a year, renewable) need a separate application. McGill says the CAD 12,000 level is only for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Do not count on large aid as an international student.
  • French is not needed for most programmes, but Nutrition (Dietetics), Nursing and Physical and Occupational Therapy need proof of French.
  • Medicine: places for international students are very few, and most Indian applicants enter after a Canadian bachelor’s degree. Please speak to us before planning around it.
  • PGWP: after a degree you can get up to 3 years of work permission. You need CLB 7 on an accepted English test, so plan the test near the end of the degree.
  • McGill is marks based. A steady record in Class 11 and 12 matters more than a polished essay or a long list of activities.

Talk to me

To book a McGill counselling session for your family, write to me at pcmadankumar@gmail.com or use my contact page. I can cover the CAQ and study permit timeline, English test planning and grade targets for each programme. I can also compare McGill with Toronto and the other options in this series. I am happy to set up a one to one session at a time that suits you.

Sources

Checked by Madan Kumar PC on 11 Oct 2026. Fees, dates and rules change. Always check the official link before applying.

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Talk to a career counsellor. A good counsellor can help you work out what this means for you. You can also write to me at pcmadankumar@gmail.com or use mycontact page.