A clear, level-by-level budget for language school, high school, college and university, including housing, insurance and the extras families forget.
Before any family falls in love with a school, one question sits quietly underneath everything: what will this really cost? Tuition figures appear everywhere, but the full picture of housing, insurance and daily life is much harder to find. That uncertainty is normal, and it is exactly where a clear budget brings peace of mind.
Below is a level-by-level guide using published figures from our own school research. Every number changes from year to year, so treat these as planning ranges, not quotes.
Language school: priced by the week
Full-time English at accredited Canadian schools costs roughly CAD 395–480 a week in 2026, with some schools listing lower prices for 20-lesson programs. Homestay usually adds about CAD 290–390 a week, plus a placement fee. As a worked example, 12 weeks at ILSC Toronto with homestay comes to about CAD 10,010 before flights and insurance. See our language school cost table for school-by-school prices.
High school: tuition plus a home
Public school tuition for international students ranges from about CAD 10,500 (Nova Scotia) to CAD 18,500 (Coquitlam, BC) per school year. Homestay typically costs CAD 950–1,700 a month. Private boarding is a different category: Columbia International College lists an all-in package of about CAD 53,500, while leading CAIS boarding schools range from roughly CAD 75,000 to 105,000.
College and university: the long-term investment
- College: a standard Ontario diploma costs about CAD 15,500–19,500 a year in tuition; specialised programs such as practical nursing cost more.
- University: undergraduate tuition ranges from about CAD 17,000 a year at Brandon University to CAD 63,570 at the University of Toronto, and higher in some engineering and business programs.
- Housing: first-year residence varies widely, from about CAD 10,600 with meals at Memorial University to more than CAD 21,000 at Western.
The extras families forget
- Health insurance: school boards charge it separately, for example CAD 500 at TDSB, 550 in Calgary and 1,400 in Vancouver.
- Application and registration fees: usually a few hundred dollars per school.
- Flights, books, phone and transport: modest individually, significant together.
- Custodianship and homestay monitoring for students under the age of majority.
The good news: Canada offers strong options at every budget, and a well-chosen city can save thousands each year. For eligible programs at partner colleges, education financing through Passage may also help; our loan calculator shows how it could fit, though every decision rests with Passage.
Ready to see your own numbers? Book a free pre-assessment with Canadian Edu Centre, and we will build an all-in, first-year budget around your goals, with no surprise fees.