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

Two portals, two timelines

Ontario runs university and college admissions through separate application systems. Universities use the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC). Colleges share a single portal, ontariocolleges.ca. You apply, pay a fee, and submit transcripts through whichever system matches the credential you want, then track offers and confirm your seat once decisions arrive.

Applying to university through OUAC

Current full-time Ontario secondary school students apply through the OUAC 101 application . Everyone else, including students returning after a gap year, students from other provinces, and international applicants, uses the OUAC 105 application. Both let you list several program and university choices on one application, so you rank the ones you want instead of submitting a separate application to each school.

The main deadline to submit for equal consideration lands in mid-January. For Fall 2026 admission, the OUAC deadline was January 15, 2026. Applications submitted after that date still reach universities, though popular programs fill up and individual schools set their own later cutoffs. Universities that received your application by the equal consideration date responded to Fall 2026 applicants by May 28, 2026, and the standard deadline to accept an offer was June 1, 2026. Expect the same mid-January, late-May and June 1 pattern to repeat each admission cycle, with exact dates confirmed on the OUAC site every year.

Grade 12 prerequisites

University admission runs on the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD): 30 credits, 40 hours of community involvement, and a passed literacy requirement. On top of the OSSD itself, universities ask for 6 Grade 12 courses at the U (University) or M (University/College) level, with specific course prerequisites set by each program. English at the 4U level is required almost everywhere. A program like engineering or computer science typically adds Advanced Functions and a lab science. A business program often adds Advanced Functions without the lab science requirement.

Competitive programs, including engineering at some universities, business programs such as Ivey and other Commerce-stream degrees, and creative or performance programs, add a supplementary application, portfolio, audition or interview on top of your grades. Check each program's admission page directly rather than assuming your average alone decides the outcome.

Co-op programs and some competitive faculties set their own internal deadlines for supplementary forms, references or portfolios that land earlier than the general OUAC submission date. Treat the January equal consideration date as a floor, not the only deadline that matters for your specific program.

Applying to college through ontariocolleges.ca

All 24 public colleges share one application system, ontariocolleges.ca . The cycle for a given Fall intake opens the previous September, and the equal consideration date lands on February 1: apply by then for full consideration in competitive programs, then keep applying after that date as long as a program still has open seats.

College programs ask for an OSSD with the right mix of C (College), U or M level Grade 12 courses for that specific program, or equivalent qualifications through mature student status if you are 19 or older and out of secondary school. Once a college makes an offer, accept it and pay the required tuition deposit by that college's own deadline to hold your seat, since deadlines and deposit amounts differ by institution.

If you're waitlisted or want to defer

Some programs place strong applicants on a waitlist instead of an immediate offer, and update it as spots open through the spring. Waitlist movement happens at the university level, not through OUAC. If you already hold an offer and want to start a year later, contact the university's admissions office directly, since OUAC does not process deferrals.

Applying from outside Ontario or after a gap

OUAC 105 covers Canadian applicants from other provinces, students returning after time away from school, and international applicants, all through the same portal. Each group submits different supporting documents: out-of-province transcripts, equivalency assessments for coursework completed outside Ontario, or English proficiency test scores where a program requires them. Confirm exact document requirements on your target university's admissions page, since they vary by applicant category.

Fees and documents

Both OUAC and ontariocolleges.ca charge a non-refundable application fee. Ontario high school transcripts flow to OUAC directly from your school, so you do not request them yourself. Applicants from outside Ontario, other provinces, or with a gap year need to arrange official transcripts from every school attended. Keep copies of everything you submit and check your application portal regularly for document requests or missing-information flags. If you attended a French-language secondary school or apply to a French-language program at a bilingual university such as Ottawa or York's Glendon campus, submit your application through the same OUAC portal and note the language of instruction on your program choice.

After you apply

Watch your application portal and school email account for offers, and respond before the stated deadline, since an unanswered offer usually lapses. If a program auto-considers you for entrance scholarships or bursaries, confirm what additional steps that consideration needs. Keep a backup plan in mind until you hold a confirmed, accepted offer with a paid deposit.