Cost of Studying in Quebec: Tuition, Ancillary Fees and Living Expenses
By Muntasir • Published May 13, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • Money & Budgeting, Canadian Universities & Colleges
Quebec charges no tuition to residents in a CEGEP DEC program. At university, the province sets one base rate for Quebec residents, $103.92 per credit for 2026-27, about $3,118 for a 30-credit year before other fees. Add mandatory institutional fees and a full budget lands between $22,000-$26,000 a year once housing and food are in.
💵 Base tuition for Quebec-resident undergraduates: $103.92 per credit in 2026-27
A 30-credit undergraduate year costs about $3,118 in base tuition alone
Mandatory ancillary fees add roughly $1,000-$2,000 a year on top
🏠 Total annual budget for a Quebec undergraduate: $22,000-$26,000 including housing and food
CEGEP: no tuition, university: a per-credit rate
Quebec charges no tuition to Quebec residents enrolled in a CEGEP DEC or AEC program. You still pay administrative fees, a student association fee and the cost of your own books and supplies, but the province covers the instructional cost itself. University works differently, tuition applies from your first credit.
Base tuition: one rate the province sets
Quebec sets a single base tuition rate for Quebec-resident undergraduates across every public university in the province, the droits de scolarité de base. For 2026-27, that rate is $103.92 per credit . A standard 30-credit undergraduate year comes to about $3,118 in base tuition before any other fee gets added.
The base rate rises most years in line with the province's indexation formula, so budget for a small annual increase rather than a flat number across your whole degree. Confirm the current rate on your own university's fee schedule each year you register. The amount changes on the same government-set schedule everywhere but gets published separately by each school.
What a full course load actually costs
Université Laval publishes a combined tuition and fees total of $4,256.06 for a Quebec-resident undergraduate taking 30 credits in 2026-27, and $3,542.72 for a Quebec-resident master's or doctoral student taking 24 credits. Those totals sit above the base rate above because they already include institutional and ancillary fees, not just the government-set base tuition.
| Item | 2026-27 amount |
|---|---|
| Base tuition, Quebec resident (per credit) | $103.92 |
| Base tuition, 30-credit undergraduate year | about $3,118 |
| Université Laval, Quebec-resident undergraduate, full tuition and fees (30 credits) | $4,256.06 |
| Université Laval, Quebec-resident master's or doctoral (24 credits) | $3,542.72 |
Why Quebec tuition stays low
Quebec has held undergraduate tuition for its own residents among the lowest in Canada since a wave of student protests in 2012 pushed the government away from steep increases. The province now raises its base rate through an indexation formula tied to growth in average family income, rather than large one-time jumps, which keeps year-over-year increases small and predictable.
Ancillary and institutional fees
ÉTS Montréal breaks its mandatory fees down by category for 2026-27: general fees of $79.07 a session, a student association fee of $50, an office of student life fee of $48.91 plus $1.44 per credit, sports services at $43.93 for full-time students, a technology fee of $8.97 per credit, and a copyright fee of $103.55. Group health and dental insurance through the student association adds $113.90 in the fall session or $227.80 in the winter session, unless you opt out with proof of existing coverage.
These categories repeat at most Quebec universities under different names and different amounts. Pull up your own school's published fee schedule before you register. Ancillary fees alone add $1,000-$2,000 to your yearly total.
Living costs: housing, food and everyday expenses
Université Laval's own budget estimate for a Quebec-resident undergraduate, based on a modest lifestyle, runs $21,986-$26,226 a year including tuition. Housing accounts for $5,400-$9,640 depending on whether you live in residence or share an apartment, groceries run about $6,160, and other expenses, course materials, health costs and personal spending, add roughly $6,170. Transit is included in tuition at Laval through a universal transit pass, a common arrangement at Quebec universities located in cities with student transit deals.
First-year students should budget for one-time setup costs on top of the annual figure. Laval estimates about $2,285 for application fees, moving costs, furniture and a computer if you need one.
Books, supplies and program-specific costs
Textbooks, lab equipment and program materials sit outside your tuition bill and vary widely by program. A humanities program runs light on required materials, while engineering, science and health programs add lab coats, specialized software, field trips or clinical placement costs on top of the numbers in this article. Check your specific program's page for a materials estimate before you finalize your budget.
Health coverage adds to your budget
Quebec requires every resident, including students, to carry health insurance, either through the province's public plan, RAMQ , or an equivalent private plan. Most CEGEPs and universities bundle a student health and dental plan into your ancillary fees by default, the ÉTS insurance figures above are one example, and let you opt out only if you show proof of other coverage. Budget for this line item even if a family plan already covers you, since opting out usually requires paperwork before a set deadline each term.
Financial aid lowers your net cost
The tuition, fee and living cost numbers in this article are sticker prices before aid. Quebec residents with financial need lower their real out-of-pocket cost through the province's Aide financière aux études loans and bursaries program, which assesses your income, assets and family situation and covers part of your tuition and living costs directly.
Build your own number
Your real cost depends on your program, your university and your city. Check your target school's official tuition and fees page for the exact per-credit rate and ancillary fee schedule, then check its student services page for a published cost-of-living estimate specific to that campus. Montreal, Quebec City and smaller university towns carry different rent levels, so a Laval or ÉTS estimate will not match a Montreal apartment budget exactly.