Memorial University of Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador's only university, with ocean-focused research, compulsory engineering co-op and low Canadian tuition.
- Students
- 17,056
- International
- 20%
- of students
- Tuition
- CA$22,500
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1925
About Memorial (MUN)
Memorial University of Newfoundland opened in 1925 as Memorial University College, a living memorial to the Newfoundlanders who died in the First World War, and became a full university in 1949 when Newfoundland joined Canada. It is the province's only university and the largest in Atlantic Canada, with 17,056 students from more than 115 countries in its December 2025 Fast Facts, about a fifth of them international.
The main campus is in St. John's, with Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook, a Labrador Campus in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, the Marine Institute, and a small campus in Harlow, England. Undergraduate study runs through faculties and schools including Business Administration, Education, Engineering and Applied Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Nursing, Pharmacy, Music, Social Work, and Human Kinetics and Recreation. Memorial says about 40% of its research is ocean-related, and its facilities include one of Canada's largest marine labs and North America's largest suite of marine simulators.
Admission is by grade average rather than tests: IB 24 points, an American-patterned diploma with a B average, or 70% in five Ontario Grade 12 courses, with higher bars for competitive programs such as Engineering and Business. It suits students who want a co-op heavy degree at a Canadian research university for about CAD 22,500 a year in international tuition, and who do not mind North Atlantic winters.
Provehito in Altum
“To launch forth into the deep” — university motto
Why students choose Memorial (MUN)
International tuition for new students is CAD 22,500 for a standard 10-course year in 2026-27; the scheduled 4% increase for fall 2026 is on hold during a tuition freeze.
The five-year Bachelor of Engineering alternates eight academic terms with at least four paid work terms, and its Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering major is the only one of its kind with mandatory co-op.
The Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative) reports a 100% co-op placement rate, and the Faculty of Business Administration was the first in Atlantic Canada to earn AACSB accreditation.
Ocean science and technology run through the university, from the Ocean Sciences Centre to the Marine Institute's motion-capable ship's bridge simulator.
Admissions
Fall 2027 entry (application opens 10 September 2026)
Selectivity
Memorial does not publish an overall acceptance rate. General admission is by a minimum grade average in five required subject areas; competitive-entry programs such as Engineering, Business, Nursing and Pharmacy may require a higher average and supplementary information.
Typical entry requirements
| IB Diploma | Minimum 24 points, with English, Mathematics (either IB maths course), a laboratory science, a social studies or language course, and an elective |
|---|---|
| American high school diploma | Minimum B average in English, Mathematics, a laboratory science, social studies or a modern/classical language, and an elective at Grade 12 |
| UK-patterned (GCE/IGCSE) | For winter 2027 and later: minimum B/6 average in required subjects at O Level/IGCSE plus at least three AS Levels or two A Levels with a minimum C average |
| Ontario (OSSD) | Overall average of at least 70% in the five Grade 12 (4U/4M) courses used for the required subject areas |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 83 IELTS Academic 6.5 with at least 6 in reading and writing; TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall on the new 1-6 scale with 4.0 in reading and writing (83 with 20 in reading and writing for tests taken up to January 2026); PTE Academic 60; MET 59. Usually waived after two years in an English-medium curriculum. Applicants below these scores may be considered for early acceptance through the Intensive English Program. |
Deadlines
- Priority deadline and early entrance scholarships (fall) Non-binding Next deadline · In ~5 monthsMarch 1, 2027
High school students must apply by March 1 to be considered for early entrance scholarships. Also the deadline for Engineering One.
- Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative), fall intake Non-binding In ~7 monthsMay 15, 2027
Later applications considered as time, resources and space permit.
- Document deadline (fall) Non-binding In ~10 monthsAugust 20, 2027
General admission documents deadline for the fall semester.
Memorial publishes a recurring table: for the fall semester the application opens 10 September, the priority deadline is 1 March, documents are due 20 August and the application closes on the first day of the semester. International applicants are advised to apply at least 12 weeks before the semester starts to allow for a study permit; in practice apply by 1 March for scholarships.
How to apply
Apply online through Memorial's own application portal (apply.mun.ca). Upload an interim transcript (Grade 10 and 11 results plus Grade 12 courses) for early acceptance, then have official final results sent for verified acceptance. Competitive programs may ask for supplementary information; applicants who have attended post-secondary study apply as transfer students.
What admissions looks for
- A minimum average in five required subject areas: English, mathematics, a laboratory science, a social studies or modern/classical language course, and an elective.
- A pass in every subject used to calculate the admission average.
- For competitive programs, a higher admission average and any requested supplementary information.
- Proof of English proficiency where the curriculum was not taught in English for at least two years.
Tips for applying to Memorial (MUN)
- 1 Apply by 1 March: that is both the priority deadline and the cut-off for early entrance scholarships; international applicants are then automatically considered for first-year entrance scholarships (not guaranteed, and awarded as funding allows).
- 2 Upload your interim transcript early; Memorial can give an early acceptance on unofficial documents before your final exams.
- 3 If you want Engineering, you apply to Engineering One, the common first year, and then choose from seven majors such as Mechatronics or Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering.
- 4 The MD program is closed to international applicants, so pick a different route if medicine in Canada is your goal.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in CAD
International students admitted to Memorial are automatically considered (with no guarantee, as funding allows) for non-renewable first-year entrance scholarships, including the Memorial University of Newfoundland International Entrance Scholarship, with no separate application. Domestic students receive the Transforming Our Horizons Entrance Scholarship based on their early admission average (CAD 500 to CAD 6,000), and application-based awards include the Schulich Leader Scholarship.
- CAD 6,000 for 98%+ average, down to CAD 500 for 85-89.9%
- Transforming Our Horizons Entrance Scholarship (domestic, fall 2026)
- Student services CAD 100, students' union CAD 149, recreation CAD 148, health insurance CAD 548 (international)
- Required other fees, two semesters
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (fall, winter and spring)
Bachelor of Engineering (co-operative)
Five years with at least four paid work terms, a common Engineering One year and seven majors, accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board.
Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering
Memorial describes it as one of the top programs of its kind in North America and the only one with mandatory co-op.
Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative)
100% co-op placement rate, student-managed investment funds and exchanges with more than 40 partner institutions.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre), Grenfell Campus
Listed in the Fast Facts as rare in Canada; taught at the Corner Brook campus.
Bachelor of Arctic and Subarctic Interdisciplinary Studies, Labrador Campus
Memorial describes it as the first program of its kind in Canada.
Research
- About 40% of Memorial's research is ocean-related, and it reported more than CAD 160 million in sponsored research income in 2024-25.
- The Ocean Sciences Centre is one of Canada's largest marine labs, and the Marine Institute runs North America's largest suite of marine simulators, including the world's largest motion-capable ship's bridge simulator.
- The Launch is a multi-purpose hub for cold-ocean technology, and the Core Science Facility houses a 6,500-pound blue whale skeleton.
Schools & faculties
- Faculty of Business Administration
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Nursing
- Faculty of Science
- School of Human Kinetics and Recreation
- School of Music
- School of Pharmacy
- School of Social Work
- Grenfell Campus and Marine Institute
Memorial reports a 100% placement rate for co-op work terms in its Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative); engineering students graduate with up to two years of paid work experience.
Student life
Most first-year students on the St. John's campus live in Paton College or Macpherson College, where rates include a mandatory meal plan. Campus life centres on the University Centre, the Queen Elizabeth II Library and the clock tower, and the campus sits beside Long Pond. About one in five students is international, from more than 115 countries, and co-op terms mean many students spend part of the year working across Canada. Winters are long and snowy, and the campus has been used as a filming location for the TV series Hudson & Rex.
- Residence in Paton College (double or single rooms) or Macpherson College (single rooms in semi-private suites), with meal plans included.
- Co-op work terms in Engineering and Business alternate with study semesters.
- The Core Science Facility's blue whale skeleton and the Ocean Sciences Centre are campus landmarks.
- A small campus in Harlow, England hosts Memorial students for study terms and internships.
Housing. St. John's campus residence costs about CAD 10,600 to 12,500 for fall and winter including the mandatory meal plan (2026-27 rates).
Location
St. John's is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, a hilly harbour city on the Atlantic coast at the eastern edge of North America. The main campus is on Elizabeth Avenue, and the Marine Institute sits in Pippy Park north of the city. Expect long, snowy and windy winters and cool summers; the city's international airport connects to the rest of Canada.
Nearest airport: St. John's International Airport (YYT)
Notable alumni
- MG Moya GreeneCEO of Royal Mail (2010-2018) and Canada Post; BA from Memorial, 1974
- RH Rick HillierChief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces (2005-2008); studied biology at Memorial
- DW Danny WilliamsPremier of Newfoundland and Labrador (2003-2010); degree in political science and economics
- CW Clyde WellsPremier of Newfoundland (1989-1996) and later Chief Justice; BA in political science, 1959
- GD Gwynne DyerJournalist and military historian; BA in history, 1963
- WJ Wayne JohnstonNovelist (The Colony of Unrequited Dreams); BA in English, 1978
- MC Michael CrummeyNovelist and poet, winner of the 2025 Dublin Literary Award; began writing poetry as a Memorial student
- BG Brad GushueOlympic gold medallist and world champion curler; Bachelor of Business Administration
Frequently asked questions
How much is Memorial University tuition for international students in 2026-27?
New international students pay CAD 750 per credit hour, or CAD 22,500 for a standard year of 10 courses. A planned 4% increase for fall 2026 was put on hold during a tuition freeze, so the rate is the same as in 2025-26.
What grades do I need to get into Memorial?
General admission requires, for example, 24 points in the IB Diploma, a B average on an American-patterned diploma, or a 70% average in five Ontario Grade 12 courses, all with the required subject areas. Competitive programs can require more.
When is the deadline to apply to Memorial for fall 2027?
The application opens 10 September 2026 and the priority deadline is 1 March 2027, which is also the scholarship deadline for high school applicants. International applicants should apply at least 12 weeks before the semester starts.
Does Memorial require the SAT or ACT?
No, except for American-curriculum applicants whose school is not accredited by a recognised body; they must send SAT, ACT or AP scores.
Can international students study medicine at Memorial?
No. Memorial's MD program only accepts Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and it requires a bachelor's degree, the MCAT and Casper.
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.
- Memorial University: 2026-27 tuition and fees (undergraduate)
- Memorial University: Tuition framework 2022 (fall 2026 tuition freeze)
- Memorial University Finance: Undergraduate tuition fees per credit hour
- Memorial University: Admission deadlines
- Memorial University: International Baccalaureate requirements
- Memorial University: American-patterned curriculum requirements
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