Computer Science Admission Averages at Canada's Top Programs, Compared

Why raw percentage comparisons mislead

Universities publish admission averages in different formats and on different timelines. Some show the range actually admitted in the last cycle. Others show a stated minimum floor that is lower than what most admitted students actually presented. A published range in the low 90s at one school and the mid 90s at another does not automatically mean the second program is harder to get into, since the two numbers can measure different things.

Competitive programs also report higher figures because they select from the top of a large applicant pool, not because a fixed cutoff sits higher. As the size and strength of the applicant pool shifts year to year, the reported range shifts with it, even if the program's seat count and teaching stay the same.

The underlying grades feeding into that average also differ by province. Ontario averages are typically built from your top six Grade 12 U or M courses, while other provinces weigh a required set of courses tied to their own curriculum. Quebec CEGEP applicants are scored on an entirely different scale, covered below. Comparing a raw percentage across these systems without knowing which courses feed into it tells you less than it looks like it does.

University of Waterloo: a published range

Waterloo states that admission to Computer Science, in the Faculty of Mathematics, comes through individual selection, with admitted averages typically falling in the low to mid-90s, according to the university's own program page . Alongside your average, Waterloo's Math faculty asks applicants to complete an Admission Information Form, so meeting the published range is not the only factor in your file.

University of British Columbia: broad-based admission

UBC uses a broad-based admission process for its undergraduate programs, including Computer Science in the Faculty of Science. Your academic average is one input alongside a required personal profile, where you answer questions about your activities and experiences outside the classroom. UBC does not publish a single hard cutoff average, since the personal profile score factors into every admission decision alongside your grades.

McGill University: R-score for Quebec CEGEP applicants

Applicants coming from a Quebec CEGEP are ranked using the R-score, or cote de rendement au collegial, a scale specific to the Quebec college system that adjusts for grading differences between CEGEPs. This is a different scale entirely from a Grade 12 percentage average, so a Quebec applicant and an Ontario applicant to the same McGill computer science program are compared on different measures. Out-of-province applicants using a Grade 12 or equivalent average are assessed on that basis instead.

University of Toronto: supplementary applications

Some computer science admission routes at Toronto, including Engineering Science, require a supplementary application beyond your academic average, asking about your activities, experiences and interests. Meeting a published average range does not guarantee an offer on these routes, since the supplementary component factors into the final decision alongside your grades.

Direct entry versus internal competitive entry

A published admission average only tells the full story at schools where you apply straight into computer science from high school, and where nothing else limits your seat once you clear the bar. Several Canadian universities work differently: you enter a general first year, then apply internally to declare a computer science major, with the competition based on your university grades from that first year rather than your original high school average. A strong high school average gets you in the door. It does not guarantee you a seat in the program once internal competition for a limited number of spots kicks in a year later.

Ask directly whether your target program is a direct-entry admission or an internal competitive one, since the two structures need completely different planning. A direct-entry average tells you what you need before you apply. An internal competitive average tells you almost nothing about first-year admission and instead tells you how hard you need to work once you arrive.

Co-op adds another layer

Several Canadian computer science programs run an optional or built-in co-op stream alongside the regular degree, with its own application and selection process layered on top of general program admission. A published admission average for the degree overall does not automatically tell you the bar for co-op specifically. Check each school's co-op office page separately if paid work terms are part of why you want the program.

How to actually compare programs

Pull the current admission-average page directly from each university you are considering, rather than an aggregator or forum post, since the numbers move every admission cycle and third-party lists go stale fast. Ontario applicants can also cross-check program-level admission information through OUInfo , the province's own guide to university programs and admission requirements.

Note whether each program uses a supplementary application, a personal profile, or a provincial scale like the R-score, alongside the average. Two programs with the same published percentage range can have very different actual selection processes once you account for these extra components. Build your target list around program structure first, then use the average as a rough gauge of how large and strong the applicant pool tends to be, not as a single guaranteed cutoff.