Université de Montréal
The largest French-language university in the Americas, set on the slope of Mount Royal with HEC Montréal and Polytechnique alongside.
- Students
- 46,820
- Tuition
- CA$30,773
- 2026-27
- Founded
- 1878
- QS World Ranking
- #162
- 2027 edition
About UdeM
The Université de Montréal began in 1878 as a Montreal branch of Université Laval, gained autonomy by papal charter in 1919, and moved to its current campus on the northern slope of Mount Royal in 1942, where Ernest Cormier's Pavillon Roger-Gaudry tower is visible from across the city. Teaching is in French. With its affiliated schools HEC Montréal and Polytechnique Montréal, the UdeM campus counts 71,146 students (46,820 at UdeM itself), making it the largest French-language university in the Americas.
UdeM has 13 faculties and schools, including large faculties of arts and sciences, medicine, law and pharmacy, and more than 600 programs. It is one of Canada's major research universities, with 465 research units, 145 Canada Research Chairs and $775.4 million in research revenue, and it partners with McGill on Mila, the AI research institute founded by UdeM professor Yoshua Bengio.
Admission is direct to UdeM and program by program. Many programs have limited capacity and select on grades (the cote R for Quebec CEGEP graduates), while medicine, pharmacy and dentistry add Casper, interviews or other assessments. It suits students who are comfortable studying in French, or ready to reach the required level, and who want a big research university in one of North America's most affordable major cities.
Fide splendet et scientia
“It shines by faith and knowledge” — university motto
Why students choose UdeM
Tuition for international undergraduates is about $30,773 CAD for a 30-credit year, among the lowest in North America, and French and Belgian francophone students pay much lower rates.
All international students admitted are automatically assessed for the UdeM exemption bursary, which reduces their tuition, with no form to fill in.
Students can access Mila, the UdeM-McGill AI institute founded by Yoshua Bengio, from one of Canada's strongest AI ecosystems.
More than 9,800 international students from about 130 countries study at UdeM each year.
Admissions
Fall 2027 entry (automne 2027)
Selectivity
UdeM publishes applications, places and cote R data per limited-capacity program rather than an overall rate. For fall 2025: Medicine 2,118 applications for 202 places; Law 1,279 applications for 243 places (lowest admitted cote R 32.112); Pharmacy 1,255 for 108; Psychology (Montreal campus) 936 for 179; Architecture 447 for 61.
Typical entry requirements
| Quebec DEC (cote R, fall 2025 lowest admitted) | Medicine (interview stage) 33.159; Pharmacy 34.481; Dental Medicine 35.439; Law 32.112; Architecture 31.641; Psychology (Montreal) 27.005; Criminology 27.212; Computer Science minimum 25.000; many arts and science programs minimum 22.000 |
|---|---|
| French baccalauréat, IB and other international diplomas | Program pages list required averages and subjects (e.g. lycée specialities for French applicants); UdeM publishes separate IB thresholds and country-specific requirements |
| Canadian high school outside Quebec | Apply with your provincial diploma plus the program's prerequisites; the application deadline is February 1 for most programs |
| English language | Instruction is in French, so UdeM requires proof of French, not English. Requirements are listed in each program's admission section and can be met through studies in French, an accepted French test or diploma, or UdeM's intensive francization program. A revised French requirement applies from winter 2026. |
Deadlines
- Doctoral-level first degrees (e.g. Medicine, Pharmacy) - applicants from outside Quebec or with university studies Non-binding Next deadline · In 25 daysNovember 1, 2026
Includes the preparatory year for the MD. Quebec CEGEP-only applicants have until March 1, 2027.
- Music bachelor's programs (all applicants) Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 15, 2027
Faculté de musique programs.
- Bachelor's programs - applicants from outside Quebec or with university studies Non-binding In ~4 monthsFebruary 1, 2027
Majors, minors and certificates in other faculties. Quebec CEGEP-only applicants have until March 1, 2027.
- Bachelor's programs - Quebec CEGEP applicants Non-binding In ~5 monthsMarch 1, 2027
Applicants whose studies are only at Quebec collèges.
UdeM's deadlines page lists standing annual dates (no year is printed); the date on each program page takes precedence and may be extended. International applicants must apply by April 1, 2027 at the latest for fall, and UdeM advises starting immigration steps as soon as an offer arrives because they can take several months.
How to apply
Apply directly to UdeM online (applications for fall open August 1 of the previous year), pay the admission fee, and upload documents and French-proficiency evidence through the Centre étudiant. You can apply to more than one program in the same term. Some programs add Casper, interviews, auditions or questionnaires.
What admissions looks for
- Academic excellence, measured for Quebec applicants by the cote R and for others by equivalent averages in required subjects.
- Meeting each program's prerequisites and French-language requirement.
- For programs marked as not based only on grades (e.g. Medicine, Pharmacy, Dental Medicine, Kinesiology, Nutrition), results in Casper, interviews, auditions or motivation questionnaires.
- In limited-capacity programs, places are shared between college (CEGEP) and university-level applicant categories.
Tips for applying to UdeM
- 1 If you are applying from outside Quebec to Medicine or Pharmacy, your deadline is November 1, 2026, months earlier than Quebec CEGEP students.
- 2 Check the French requirement on your program page early and upload proof in the Centre étudiant before the program's deadline.
- 3 Look at the fall 2025 admission statistics: in Law, 1,279 applicants competed for 243 places.
- 4 International applicants must submit by April 1, 2027 at the latest, and should start immigration steps as soon as they receive an offer: UdeM warns they can take several months.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in CAD
International students are automatically assessed for the UdeM exemption bursary, which reduces the tuition they are charged; no form is needed after an offer of admission. French students benefit from the France-Quebec agreement, with fees two to three times lower than other international students. The Service de l'aide financière et emploi offers loans and bursaries advice, emergency aid and budgeting help.
- $1,025.76 per credit
- International undergraduate tuition (before exemption bursary)
- Tuition 2 to 3 times lower than other international students
- French students (France-Quebec agreement)
Academics
Academic calendar: Trimesters: fall (August to December), winter (January to April), summer; 15-week terms
Doctorat en médecine (MD)
2,118 applicants for 202 places in fall 2025; interview-stage cote R from 33.159.
Droit (LLB)
243 places, 1,279 applicants and a lowest admitted cote R of 32.112 in fall 2025.
Pharmacie (PharmD)
1,255 applicants for 108 places; selection is not based on grades alone.
Informatique (Computer Science)
Minimum cote R of 25.000 and close links to Mila, the Montreal AI institute.
Médecine vétérinaire (DMV)
Offered at the Saint-Hyacinthe and Rimouski campuses, with 52 places for 403 applicants in fall 2025.
Architecture
61 places for 447 applicants, with a lowest admitted cote R of 31.641.
Research
- Mila, the AI research institute founded in 1993 by UdeM professor Yoshua Bengio and run with McGill since 2017, is one of the world's largest academic deep-learning centres.
- 465 research units, 145 Canada Research Chairs and 4 Canada Excellence Research Chairs.
- $775.4 million in research revenue, and 19 affiliated health institutions.
Schools & faculties
- Faculté des arts et des sciences
- Faculté de médecine
- Faculté de droit
- Faculté de pharmacie
- Faculté de médecine dentaire
- Faculté de médecine vétérinaire
- Faculté des sciences infirmières
- Faculté des sciences de l'éducation
- Faculté de l'aménagement
- Faculté de musique
- École de santé publique
- HEC Montréal and Polytechnique Montréal (affiliated schools)
Student life
UdeM's main campus climbs the side of Mount Royal in the Côte-des-Neiges and Outremont boroughs, and the university has been developing a newer MIL campus in Outremont. Campus life runs in French, with a huge international community of more than 9,800 students. The Carabins run 23 teams with more than 510 student-athletes in U Sports and the Quebec RSEQ conference, and won U Sports national titles in football (Vanier Cup) and women's soccer in 2025-26.
- 23 Carabins teams with more than 510 student-athletes, the largest francophone university sports program in the Americas.
- Vanier Cup national football championships in 2014, 2023 and 2025, plus a women's soccer national title in 2025-26.
- Pavillon Roger-Gaudry's tower, designed by Ernest Cormier, is the campus landmark.
- The École de français offers French courses, workshops and language mentoring for students.
Location
Montreal is Quebec's largest city and a mostly French-speaking metropolis. UdeM describes it as one of the world's best student cities, with a European feel, a safe environment and relatively low costs, plus strength in AI, health and biotechnology. The main campus is on the slope of Mount Royal, close to the park's trails and the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood.
Nearest airport: Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Notable alumni
- PE Pierre Elliott TrudeauPrime Minister of Canada
- LA Louise ArbourFormer Supreme Court of Canada justice and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
- MJ Michaëlle JeanFormer Governor General of Canada and Secretary-General of the Francophonie
- RG Roger GuilleminNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on neurohormones
- DA Denys ArcandOscar-winning film director
- HR Hubert ReevesAstrophysicist and science communicator
- JP Jacques ParizeauPremier of Quebec; studied at HEC Montréal, UdeM's affiliated business school
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to speak French to study at Université de Montréal?
Yes. Programs are taught in French and each program sets a French requirement, which you can meet through prior studies in French, an accepted test or diploma, or UdeM's intensive francization program.
What is the UdeM application deadline for fall 2027?
February 1, 2027 for most bachelor's programs if you studied outside Quebec, March 1, 2027 for Quebec CEGEP students, and November 1, 2026 for Medicine, Pharmacy and other doctoral-level first degrees if you studied outside Quebec. International applicants should apply by April 1, 2027 at the latest.
How much is Université de Montréal tuition for international students?
For 2026-27, international undergraduates pay $1,025.76 CAD per credit, about $30,773 for a 30-credit year, before the automatic UdeM exemption bursary. French and Belgian francophone students pay much lower rates.
What cote R do you need for UdeM Medicine?
In fall 2025, the lowest cote R among candidates called to interview was 33.159 and the average 36.084, with 2,118 applicants for 202 places. Grades alone do not decide admission.
Does UdeM accept the Common App or OUAC?
No. You apply directly to UdeM through its online application and Centre étudiant.
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.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to UdeM in the QS World University Rankings 2027.