Future Pathwaysby Madan Kumar PCSaved

UniversitiesAlso in Countries

University Spotlight: University of Toronto

Canada's largest university and a home of AI. Programme-based entry, Standard Maths rule, PAL, study permit money, PGWP and Pearson scholarship.

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 guidesData and AIScholarships and financial aid
Entrance exam
IELTS and TOEFL
Study level
Undergraduate
Audience
Parents

At a glance

U of T Campus: St. George, Downtown Toronto Walk the historic St. George campus. This is our first Canadian spotlight in this series.

  • QS 2027: #32 Globally* *QS World University Rankings 2027 puts U of T at 32 and McGill at 30. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 (published 30 September 2026), U of T is 22 and McGill is 43. Two rankings use different methods, so always check which one is quoted.
  • University: University of Toronto (U of T) · 3 campuses: St. George (downtown, the main one), Mississauga and Scarborough
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. India is 9.5 hours ahead of Toronto 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: 1827, the oldest university in Ontario · Students apply to a named programme, not to the university as a whole
  • Signature Strength: Artificial intelligence. Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “Godfather of AI”, is a U of T professor emeritus, reported as a Nobel Prize winner in Physics.
  • Popular Subjects: Computer Science and AI, Engineering, Commerce (Rotman), Life Sciences, Economics, Public Policy
  • Curriculum Accepted: CBSE, ISC and Cambridge A Level. State Boards are looked at one by one.

You can watch a University of Toronto campus tour on YouTube. Watch the University of Toronto St. George Campus Tour today! This video was made by an independent creator, not by the university. U of T also lists campus tours on its admissions website, future.utoronto.ca. Please check that site for the current options.

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.

U of T Admission Requirements for CBSE/State Boards and Cambridge A Level

Please read the rows on Standard Mathematics and the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) with care. A PAL is a letter from the Ontario government that most new international undergraduates need before they can apply for a study permit. Places are limited. The Mathematics rule can catch CBSE families by surprise.

Requirement CBSE / Indian State Boards Cambridge A Level
Boards Accepted CBSE (All India Senior School Certificate) and ISC (CISCE) are accepted. Year 12 State Board results are accepted “with excellent results” and are judged one by one. Please confirm your State Board with U of T admissions before you apply. Cambridge A Levels are accepted. U of T asks for five different IGCSE or GCSE subjects and three different A Level subjects for most programmes.
Subjects and Marks Class 12 Standard Mathematics is needed for programmes that require calculus (business, engineering and science). U of T says that Applied Mathematics does not meet this requirement. U of T does not publish one fixed mark for Indian boards. Computer Science, Engineering and Commerce are the hardest to enter, so aim as high as you can. Engineering needs three A Levels including Mathematics and Physics, and Chemistry is strongly recommended. U of T asks for 70 percent or higher in each prerequisite subject, and says the real bar is usually higher. Other programmes need their own subject prerequisites, so check the programme page.
Standardised Tests SAT and ACT are not listed as required for Indian boards. U of T’s SAT and ACT notes are for students from US style schools, where scores are optional. JEE is not part of the U of T requirements. Please confirm this with us before relying on it. Not listed as required. SAT or ACT scores can be sent if a student wishes, but they are optional.
English Proficiency If English is not your first language, U of T asks for a test. IELTS Academic needs 6.5 overall and 6.0 in each part. TOEFL iBT, Duolingo, PTE, CAEL and Cambridge C1 and C2 are also accepted. Only four years of full time study in an English medium school in an English speaking country can waive the test, and Grade 12 English alone does not. U of T’s page does not mention CBSE or ISC as an exemption. U of T accepts a pass in IGCSE, GCSE or GCE English (grade B or equivalent) and AS or A Level English. Please confirm with the programme that your child’s result is enough.
Application Portal OUAC (Ontario Universities’ Application Centre, ouac.on.ca). U of T does not use UCAS or the Common App. Students choose a programme on the application. Same. All undergraduate applicants use OUAC.
Application Dates (2027 entry) OUAC deadline: 15 January 2027 for most programmes. Documents: 1 February 2027 (15 January 2027 for Engineering). Computer Science and Rotman Commerce supplementary application: 1 February 2027. Engineering Online Student Profile: 15 January 2027. First round offers: apply by 7 November 2026 and finish documents by 1 December 2026. Same dates apply to all applicants.
Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), CRITICAL Most newly admitted undergraduates need a PAL. You do not apply for it. Ontario issues it after you accept the offer and pay the admission deposit, usually about a week later. Do not file the study permit before the PAL arrives. The number of places is limited, so accept the offer and pay the deposit without delay. We could not confirm the 2027 allocation, so please check with us. Same for all international undergraduates.
Study Permit Apply to IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) with your PAL. Fees are CAD 150 for the permit and CAD 85 for biometrics. You must show your first year tuition plus at least CAD 23,448 for living costs (for applications from 1 September 2026). Processing takes many weeks, so apply as soon as the PAL arrives. Same for all international students.
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), CRITICAL After a degree longer than 2 years, the PGWP can give up to 3 years of work permission. Since 1 November 2024 you must show a language test result at CLB 7 (Canadian Language Benchmark) for a university degree. Accepted English tests are IELTS General Training, CELPIP General and PTE Core. The result is valid for 2 years, so take it near the end of the degree. You must apply within 180 days of getting final marks. Same rules for all graduates.

Common to both pathways

All undergraduate applications go through OUAC (ouac.on.ca). Applications are programme based. You apply to a named programme, such as Computer Science, Life Sciences or Commerce, and each programme has its own level of competition. Offers come in rounds between January and May and are usually conditional on your final results. CBSE results and Cambridge A Level results both come in May. Ask us how your final marks will reach U of T.

U of T and Indian Students

U of T has said in public that it is proud of its Indian students and committed to their wellbeing.

One well known name from U of T is Geoffrey Hinton, often called the “Godfather of AI”. He is a professor emeritus at the university and has been reported as a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. Computer Science students who like AI will find that a strong reason to look at U of T.

Why Should Your Child Consider the University of Toronto?

A Research Leader and a Home of Modern AI

U of T is 22nd in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027 and 32nd in the QS World University Rankings 2027. In both lists it is among the top Canadian universities, although McGill is ahead of it in QS. Its biggest name in AI is Geoffrey Hinton. For a student who wants to study computer science, machine learning or data science, U of T is one of the most important universities in this series.

A Work Permit After Graduation, and a Possible Route to Permanent Residence

Canada’s Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) lets a graduate of a degree longer than two years work for up to 3 years. For a bachelor’s degree, the student does not need to meet the field of study list that applies to college courses. The language test is the new part. Since 1 November 2024 every PGWP application needs a result at CLB 7, and the result is valid for 2 years. Do not take the test in the first year of the degree. Take it in the final year so it is still valid when you apply. A work permit can help a graduate later apply for permanent residence, but permanent residence is not guaranteed and the rules change. Please check IRCC before you plan around it.

India and Canada Relations, and What Families Should Know

Several families have asked me about the tension between India and Canada in recent years. We want to be honest. We have no new official statement to share, and we cannot promise how relations will look in 2027. What we can say is that study permit rules are set by the Canadian government for all international students. Please read the current government advisories when your child applies.

Programme Based Admission, a Difference Worth Understanding

Unlike the UK system (UCAS) or the single US application, U of T admits students into a named programme. Computer Science, Engineering and Commerce (Rotman) need an extra application on top of OUAC, and they are far harder to enter than the university’s general figures suggest. Computer Science and Rotman Commerce need a supplementary application by 1 February 2027. Engineering needs an Online Student Profile by 15 January 2027. A strong all round profile is not enough on its own. Pick the target programme early and prepare for it.

What parents should know

  • CRITICAL, Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship: this covers tuition, books, fees and residence for four years, but a student cannot apply alone. The school must nominate its one best candidate, and each school can nominate only one student a year. For 2027 entry the school nomination closed on 9 October 2026. No the school campus put a student forward this year, so this scholarship is not open to a child now in Class 12. Families with a child in Class 11 should speak to me early in the next academic year. U of T sends the forms to schools in July, and the school must choose its nominee by early October 2027.
  • CRITICAL, Mathematics: Class 12 Standard Mathematics is needed for business, engineering and science programmes. U of T says Applied Mathematics does not meet the calculus requirement. Please check your child’s subject choice now.
  • CRITICAL, PAL: most newly admitted undergraduates need a Provincial Attestation Letter before the study permit. It is issued after you accept the offer and pay the deposit. Places are limited, so accept and pay quickly.
  • CRITICAL, PGWP language test: since 1 November 2024 you need CLB 7 on an accepted test, and the result is valid for 2 years. Take it near the end of the degree, not in the first year.
  • Tuition for 2026-27: CAD 66,110 a year (~INR 44 lakhs at ~CAD 67/INR, October 2026) for first year students in Computer Science, Commerce and Arts and Science streams. Engineering is CAD 72,860 (~INR 49 lakhs). U of T’s fee report lists a rise of about 4 percent a year, so fees for 2027 entry will probably be higher. Fees for Computer Science and Commerce can also change in later years.
  • Other yearly costs: incidental fees of about CAD 2,100 and mandatory health insurance (UHIP) of CAD 948 for 2026-27. Residence with a meal plan was CAD 13,645 to 37,848 for 2025-26 (~INR 9.1–25 lakhs), and books cost about CAD 1,500 to 2,000. For Arts and Science streams, plan on roughly CAD 83,000 to 107,000 for the first year (~INR 56–72 lakhs). Engineering is higher.
  • Study permit money proof: first year tuition plus at least CAD 23,448 for living costs (~INR 16 lakhs), for applications from 1 September 2026. The permit costs CAD 150 and biometrics CAD 85.
  • Important dates for 2027 entry: apply by 7 November 2026 for first round consideration, and by 15 January 2027 at the latest. Computer Science and Rotman Commerce need a supplementary form by 1 February 2027.
  • English test: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no part below 6.0. Grade 12 English alone does not give an exemption.
  • State Board students are judged one by one and are not treated as equal to CBSE or ISC. Confirm your board with U of T before you apply.

Talk to me

To set up a University of Toronto counselling session for your family, write to me at pcmadankumar@gmail.com or use my contact page. I can cover programme choice, the PAL and PGWP rules, and the extra applications for Computer Science and Engineering. I am happy to arrange 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.