How to Apply to University and College in Alberta: Steps, Deadlines and Requirements

Start with ApplyAlberta

ApplyAlberta is the shared application and transcript system for Alberta's 26 publicly funded post-secondary institutions. You create one profile, then apply separately to each program you want, inside the same portal. Each institution keeps its own application fee, so applying to three schools means paying three separate fees.

You need a Basic Alberta.ca Account to sign in. If you attended a public or Catholic school in Alberta, the system already holds your Alberta Student Number (ASN) and can pull your high school transcript directly, free of charge, according to ApplyAlberta's application guide . If you never studied in Alberta, or you attended a private or out of province school, you request a new ASN and order transcripts yourself.

Step by step

1. Create your Basic Alberta.ca Account using a personal email address, not a school issued one you lose after graduation.

2. Log in to ApplyAlberta and complete your profile fully. An incomplete profile delays every application you submit afterward.

3. Search for your institution and program, then start a new application. You land on that institution's own application form and pay its fee there.

4. Request transcripts. Alberta high school and prior post-secondary transcripts route through ApplyAlberta automatically. Transcripts from outside Alberta need to be ordered directly from that institution.

5. Track your status and respond to any conditions or supplementary requirements inside your ApplyAlberta account or the institution's own applicant portal.

Grade 12 prerequisites

Alberta's high school diploma structure feeds directly into admission requirements. Most degree programs ask for five courses at the 30 level, and English Language Arts 30-1 (or the applied stream, 30-2, at some institutions) is close to universal. Beyond English, prerequisites depend on your intended program.

• Science, engineering and business programs commonly require Math 30-1 and often a 30-level science such as Chemistry or Physics.

• Arts and social science programs often accept Math 30-2 alongside Social Studies 30-1 or 30-2.

• Fine arts and design programs, such as those at Alberta University of the Arts, may ask for a portfolio in addition to your transcript.

Check the exact course list and admission average for your specific program on the institution's own page, since requirements and cutoffs differ by faculty and change from year to year.

Deadlines vary by institution and program

Alberta has no single, province wide application deadline. Each institution sets its own dates, and many run priority or scholarship deadlines well ahead of the final cutoff. A polytechnic diploma program can fill on a rolling basis months before the term starts, while a competitive university faculty may hold applications open into the spring for a fall start.

Apply as early as your senior year courses allow. An early application gets you into scholarship competitions, gives you first access to limited enrolment programs, and leaves time to sort out a supplementary application, an audition or a portfolio if your program needs one.

After you apply

Once an institution makes a decision, it updates your ApplyAlberta account and its own portal at the same time. Read every condition on a conditional offer carefully. Most conditional offers require you to keep your Grade 12 average above a set threshold through your final courses, and a drop below it can cost you the seat.

Applying with a diploma, transfer credit or IB courses

ApplyAlberta is not only for students coming straight from Grade 12. If you hold a diploma from a comprehensive community college or polytechnic and want to move into a degree program, apply the same way, then ask the receiving institution's admissions office for a transfer credit evaluation against your specific courses. If you completed International Baccalaureate or Advanced Placement courses, list them on your application, since many Alberta institutions grant course credit or advanced standing for qualifying scores.

Studying outside Alberta already, or coming from another province? You still apply through ApplyAlberta for an Alberta institution. Order your out of province transcript directly from your current or most recent school, since ApplyAlberta only pulls Alberta records automatically.

Supplementary applications, portfolios and auditions

Some programs need more than your transcript. Fine arts and design programs at institutions such as Alberta University of the Arts typically ask for a portfolio. Music and theatre programs often require an audition or interview. Competitive programs like nursing, engineering or business sometimes add a supplementary application with short answer questions or a personal statement. Check your program page as soon as you start your application, since these components take longer to prepare than the application form itself and often carry their own, earlier deadline.