For many, increasing university admission standards, even in Canada, is making the dream of a university degree just that.

While south of the border, the debate rages on about college admission scandals Canada, by and large, has avoided such controversy.

Canada has managed to do so because—frankly, it’s less competitive to earn admission to most Canadian post-secondary institutions and programs than the ivy coated institutions of the US.

However, there exist a few elite Canadian undergraduate programs that compare to the Ivy’s, in terms of competition and prestige.

While the lack of statistics for some programs can make comparison difficult, Candorous has ranked programs as accurately as possible.

1. Queen’s University Accelerated Route to Medical School (QuARMS)

Kingston, Ontario

Queen’s University Accelerated Route to Medical School (QuARMS) provides undergraduate students the ability to apply to medical school at Queen’s after only two years of undergrad in either the Faculty of Arts or Science.

The Draw

Students still have to apply to medical school after the first two years of the program but admission is virtually guaranteed provided progression requirements are met.

Admission to the program may also come with a $36,000 Chancellor’s Scholarship, if high school nominees are successful in this separate process as well.

The Competition

The program accepts just ten applicants a year from a pool of high school nominated Queen’s University Chancellor Scholars. Receiving a nomination within a high school, in itself, can also be competitive. The selectiveness of the program quickly pushes this programs acceptance rate into the single digits but no official statistics have been released.

2. Leaders in Health Science (LHS)—University of Calgary

Calgary, Alberta

Despite the QuARMS website claiming to be “the only admission track of its type in Canada for high school students” a few years ago the University of Calgary launched the Leaders in Health Science (LHS) program which is similar.

The Draw

LHS is different from QuARMS as it is a four year program and does guarantee admission to medical school at the University of Calgary after completing a Bachelor’s in Health Science. LHS also has a larger scholarship, and is guaranteed, at $60,000 over four years.

The Competition

LHS, unlike QuARMS, does not require a high school nomination and is also newer. However, only two students are selected for this stream. These factors may make the program slightly less competitive than QuARMS, but no admission statics have been released.

3. The Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) Program (BHSc)—McMaster University

Hamilton, Ontario

Another health science/medical program is at the top of the list! McMaster’s BHSc program has earned a stellar academic reputation for using inquiry based, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning methods. The program most likely has the highest medical school conversion rate in the country—but most similar programs do not release statistics.

The Draw

The results of McMaster’s BHSc is evident as the vast majority of their students continue to pursue either medical school, graduate, doctoral, or other professional degrees. McMaster does provide statistics which support this; since 2003 over 1,130 McMaster’s BHSc students (close to, if not, the majority of the program’s alumni) have gained entry into medical school. In Canada, many medical school acceptance rates are sub 10%, making this program is extremely attractive.

The Competition

With 4000 applicants in 2017 and just 240 spots, the accept rate is approximately 6%.

4. Software and Biomedical Engineering—University of Waterloo

Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario

These two programs at the University of Waterloo are among the most competitive engineering programs in Canada and are renowned in their respective sectors for producing solid engineers. Waterloo’s engineering strength is a large part of why Google just announced it will double the size of it’s Kitchener-Waterloo office. The increase makes the office the company’s largest engineering centre outside of its Mountain View HQ.

The Draw

Waterloo’s coop program is the largest in North America and provides software and biomedical engineering students with the opportunity to work at some of the world’s leading technology and medical firms, including Google and Siemens among others. Over these five programs, students can be expected to earn between $42,000 to $90,000. Software and biomedical engineering students are definitely towards the upper echelons of this range.

The Competition

Statistics from the University of Waterloo provide the following stats:

A 95% admission average garners only a 50% chance of admission.

There’s a stark drop as a 94% admission average drops admission chances to 15%.

A 89% admission average leaves only a 2% admission chance.

Waterloo also requires a supplemental, called an Additional Information Form (AIF), for admission to all engineering programs.

5. Electrical, Computer, Bio and Software Engineering—McGill University

Montreal, Quebec

These programs at McGill all boast similar admission averages. High schools students seek entry and employers are eager to hire engineers from “The Harvard of Canada”.

The Draw

McGill is ranked as one of the most prestigious and reputable universities, both Canada and the world. The name, international reputation, and low acceptance rate of the university is definitely a defining feature of McGill. For many, the prestige—and the resulting opportunities—are the main draw.

The Competition

Statistics from McGill state the lowest mark students were admitted with for these programs was just above 95%. No supplemental is required.

6. Bachelor of Commerce—Smith School of Business at Queen’s University

Kingston, Ontario

Smith has long been a staple of the GTA and broader Canadian business community. This reputation has made it a destination for both students and employers alike.

The Draw

Smith’s job statistics report that 98% of students find employment within 6 months of graduation and the average salary of over $60,000 and some as high as $119,000. Smith’s active Career Centre and alumni network further strengthen the appeal of the school.

The Competition

Smith states there are usually over 7,000 applicants for 475 spots making the acceptance rate approximately 7%.