McMaster University
Hamilton's research-intensive university, birthplace of problem-based learning and home of the 240-seat Health Sciences program.
- Tuition
- CA$45,158
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1887
- QS World Ranking
- #174
- 2027 edition
- THE World Ranking
- #116
- 2026 edition
About McMaster
McMaster University was incorporated in 1887 in Toronto, uniting Toronto Baptist College and Woodstock College, and later moved to Hamilton, Ontario. It now has more than 32,000 undergraduates from 125+ countries on a main campus beside the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Westdale neighbourhood. Its faculties are the DeGroote School of Business, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science and Social Sciences, plus the new Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement.
McMaster is best known for the McMaster Method: small-group, problem-based learning with early exposure to real-world experience, which the university says has been adopted by countless universities around the world. It won the Global Teaching Excellence Award in 2018 and is among Canada's most research-intensive universities, with research income of $374.6 million. The Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours), with a target class of just 240 and a minimum 90% average, is one of the most competitive undergraduate programs in Canada.
Admission is program-based through OUAC, and several flagship programs use a supplementary application or Casper. McMaster suits students who like inquiry-driven learning, want strong routes into health, engineering and science careers, and like a green, campus-centred life in a mid-sized city.
Ta panta en Christoi synesteken
“In Christ all things consist” — university motto
Why students choose McMaster
The Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) admits a target of 240 students a year, with a minimum 90% average and a supplementary application.
Engineering offers a Discovery Track: explore disciplines in first year and rank your preferred programs at the end of it.
McMaster Engineering reports that 93% of its undergraduates are enrolled in co-op, with 10,000+ positions posted a year by more than 1,300 employers.
International first-year students get a four-year housing guarantee.
Admissions
Fall 2027 entry (September 2027)
Selectivity
McMaster does not publish an overall admit rate. It publishes an anticipated admission range and target enrolment per program: e.g. Health Sciences min. 90% (240 places), Computer Science min. 90% (200), iBioMed min. 90% (155), Arts & Science min. 88% (70), Engineering min. 87% (1,000), Life Sciences mid-90s (1,000), Kinesiology low 90s (250), Business mid-to-high 80s (800), Social Sciences low-to-mid 80s (950), Humanities low 80s (480).
Typical entry requirements
| Ontario Secondary School Diploma (anticipated admission range) | Life Sciences mid-90s; Health Sciences, Computer Science and iBioMed min. 90%; Kinesiology low 90s; Arts & Science min. 88%; Engineering min. 87%; Business mid-to-high 80s; Social Sciences low-to-mid 80s; Humanities low 80s |
|---|---|
| International curricula (IB, A-levels, US, CBSE, French Baccalaureate) | Curriculum-specific equivalents are published in McMaster's admission requirements tool |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 86 IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component. TOEFL iBT 86 with at least 20 in each section for tests before January 21, 2026; for tests from that date, 4.5 overall with 4.0 in Reading, Writing and Speaking and 4.5 in Listening. Lower scores can lead to the MELD or STEP English programs. |
Deadlines
- Recommended early application (Engineering, Computer Science, iBioMed) Non-binding Next deadline · In 37 daysNovember 12, 2026
Recommended early supplementary submission: November 26, 2026.
- Application deadline: Engineering, Computer Science, Health Sciences, Arts & Science, iBioMed, Integrated Science, Nursing (Ontario high school students) Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 15, 2027
Supplementary applications due January 28, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET (Engineering, Computer Science, iBioMed, BTech), February 1, 2027 (Arts & Science and Integrated Science) and early/mid-February 2027 (Health Sciences). Nursing applicants who are not current Ontario high school students have until February 1, 2027, and Nursing requires Casper.
- Application deadline: most other programs (e.g. Business, Social Sciences, Life Sciences, Kinesiology) Non-binding In ~6 monthsApril 1, 2027
Business has an optional supplementary application due April 30, 2027 for applicants whose average may fall below the anticipated range.
Applicants not in an Ontario high school must submit supporting documents, including English test results, by April 1, 2027; Ontario high school grades come directly from OUAC. Most admission decisions are released between March and May.
How to apply
Apply through OUAC (Ontario and other Canadian and international applicants), then use the McMaster applicant portal to track documents and complete program supplementary applications. Engineering, Computer Science, iBioMed and Bachelor of Technology share a single Kira Talent supplementary application.
What admissions looks for
- Grades in the program's required courses, against a published anticipated admission range.
- For supplementary-application programs, evidence about you beyond grades; McMaster says supplementary applications help it learn more about applicants.
- For Engineering and Computer Science, a completed Kira Talent supplementary application.
- For Nursing and Midwifery, a Casper assessment.
Tips for applying to McMaster
- 1 Apply to Engineering or Computer Science by the recommended early date of November 12, 2026 and submit the Kira supplementary by November 26, 2026 if you can.
- 2 If you apply to several Engineering-faculty programs, you only complete the Kira Talent application once.
- 3 Consider Engineering's Discovery Track if you are unsure which discipline to pick; you rank programs after first year.
- 4 For Business, submit the optional supplementary application by April 30, 2027 if your average may be below the mid-to-high 80s.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in CAD
The McMaster University Entrance Award is automatic for students entering in September 2027 who reach their faculty's threshold, e.g. $3,000 at 92%+ in Business, 94%+ in Social Sciences and Humanities, 97%+ in Engineering, Computer Science and Science, and 98%+ in Arts & Science and iBioMed; Health Sciences, Nursing and Midwifery awards are $1,000. Other entrance awards for leadership and community involvement require an application through AwardSpring.
- $1,000 to $3,000, automatic
- McMaster University Entrance Award (2027-28)
- 97.00%+ admission average
- Engineering Entrance Award threshold
Academics
Academic calendar: Fall and winter terms
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours)
Target class of 240, a minimum 90% anticipated average and a supplementary application; built on inquiry-based learning.
Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (iBioMed)
A combined B.Eng.BME/B.H.Sc. route with a target class of 155 and a minimum 90% average.
Arts & Science
A 70-student interdisciplinary program with a minimum 88% average and its own supplementary application.
Engineering
Target enrolment of 1,000 with a min. 87% average, a Discovery Track and co-op taken by 93% of undergraduates.
Life Sciences Gateway
Gateway to programs including Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour; anticipated average in the mid-90s.
Computer Science
Target of 200 students, min. 90% average, co-op option and about a quarter of the degree in electives.
Research
- Faculty member Bertram Brockhouse won the 1994 Nobel Prize in Physics for neutron scattering work.
- McMaster researchers David Sackett and Gordon Guyatt are credited with establishing the methodologies of evidence-based medicine.
- McMaster reports total research income of $374.6 million and ranked #2 in Canada for faculty research intensity (Research Infosource 2022).
Schools & faculties
- DeGroote School of Business
- Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Science
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement
Kinesiology reports a 98% employment rate two years after graduation; no university-wide figure is published on the admissions pages.
Student life
McMaster's campus sits between the residential Westdale and Ainslie Wood neighbourhoods and the Royal Botanical Gardens, so it feels green and compact, with most teaching buildings in the campus core. Varsity teams play as the McMaster Marauders in U Sports; the football team won the Vanier Cup national championship in 2011. The university's teaching style, with small groups and problem-based work, shapes a collaborative academic culture, and international first-years can stay in guaranteed housing for four years.
- McMaster Marauders compete in U Sports; football won the 2011 Vanier Cup.
- Campus adjacent to the Royal Botanical Gardens.
- Four Year Housing Guarantee for international first-year students.
- The McMaster Method of problem-based learning runs through many programs.
Housing. McMaster offers residence for first-years and a four-year housing guarantee for international first-year students.
Location
Hamilton is a port city on Lake Ontario at the western end of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. McMaster's main campus lies in the city's west end, next to the Westdale and Ainslie Wood neighbourhoods and the Royal Botanical Gardens, with trails and green space on its doorstep. McMaster describes Hamilton as safe, welcoming and multicultural.
Nearest airport: John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM); Toronto Pearson (YYZ) for most international flights
Notable alumni
- MS Myron ScholesNobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences 1997 for the Black-Scholes model
- DS Donna StricklandNobel Prize in Physics 2018 for laser physics
- RB Roberta BondarFirst Canadian woman in space
- JO James OrbinskiAccepted the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize as president of Doctors Without Borders
- MS Martin ShortActor and comedian
- EL Eugene LevyActor and comedian, co-creator of Schitt's Creek
- SE Stephen ElopFormer president and CEO of Nokia
- TD Tommy DouglasFormer Premier of Saskatchewan, father of Canadian medicare
Frequently asked questions
What average do you need for McMaster Health Sciences?
McMaster lists an anticipated admission range of at least 90% for the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours), with a target class of 240 and a required supplementary application.
When is McMaster's application deadline for fall 2027?
January 15, 2027 for Engineering, Computer Science, Health Sciences, Arts & Science and iBioMed, and April 1, 2027 for most other programs such as Business and Social Sciences.
What is the McMaster Engineering supplementary application?
It is completed on Kira Talent and is due January 28, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET, with a recommended early submission by November 26, 2026. You only complete it once even if you apply to several Engineering-faculty programs.
How much is McMaster tuition for international students?
McMaster's 2026-27 estimates put international first-year tuition at about $45,158 CAD for Social Sciences, $50,003 for Business, $56,233 for Computer Science and $69,354 for Engineering.
What English test score does McMaster require?
IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0, or TOEFL iBT 86 with at least 20 in each section (4.5 overall on the new TOEFL scale from January 21, 2026).
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
- McMaster Future Students: Admission deadlines (program search)
- McMaster Future Students: Admission requirements tool
- McMaster Future Students: Supplementary applications
- McMaster Future Students: English proficiency
- McMaster Future Students: Cost estimator (2026/2027 estimates)
- McMaster Registrar: Entrance awards
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