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

CEGEP applications go through a regional service, not the college

Quebec splits CEGEP admissions into three regional services instead of one national portal. SRAM , the Service régional d'admission du Montréal métropolitain, handles Montreal-area CEGEPs. SRACQ covers Quebec City, and SRASL covers the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. You submit one application through the regional service that covers the CEGEPs you want, ranking your program choices in order of preference.

Two schools skip the regional system entirely. Champlain Regional College and Dawson College take applications directly on their own websites, so check with the specific college before you assume a regional service covers it.

Deadlines for fall and winter entry

The Quebec government's admission page sets the standard deadline at March 1 for fall-term entry and November 1 for winter-term entry, whichever regional service or college you apply through. Apply early where you can. Competitive programs fill their seats from the applicant pool before the deadline closes, and some CEGEPs run supplementary steps like interviews or portfolio review for specific programs.

What you need to apply to CEGEP

You need a Secondary School Diploma to enter a pre-university or technical DEC program. A Diploma of Vocational Studies with the right completed courses also qualifies you for some technical programs, and colleges accept equivalent secondary instruction on a case-by-case basis. Specific programs add their own prerequisites, science programs typically want Secondary V math and science courses, so check the program page for the CEGEP you are targeting.

Rank your program choices honestly. Regional services place you into your highest-ranked choice that still has room once your file is reviewed, so listing only one program as your single choice risks an empty offer if that program fills up.

Applying to university: no shared portal

Once you have a CEGEP DEC, or if you are applying to a Quebec university straight from another province's Grade 12 or from a foreign system, you apply directly through each university's own website. Quebec does not run a shared application centre for university admission the way Ontario runs OUAC or British Columbia runs EducationPlannerBC. Expect to create a separate account and pay a separate application fee for every Quebec university on your list.

Each university sets its own deadlines and its own required documents, generally your CEGEP transcript, your R score once it is available, and any program-specific requirements like a portfolio, audition or supplementary questionnaire. Competitive programs such as medicine, law and some engineering streams close earlier than general arts and science programs, often in December or January for the following fall, so start checking individual university deadlines well before your CEGEP's final year begins.

Programs with extra selection steps

Competitive CEGEP and university programs add steps beyond your transcript. Nursing, some technical CEGEP programs and pre-university health science streams sometimes require a motivation letter or an interview. University programs in areas like medicine, physiotherapy, social work and some fine arts streams commonly add a personal statement, an interview or a portfolio on top of your academic file. Build extra time into your application timeline for these steps, they often run on their own separate deadline ahead of the main admission deadline.

If you are coming from outside Quebec

Students finishing Grade 12 in another province, or a high school program outside Canada, apply to Quebec universities the same way as CEGEP graduates, directly through each university's website. You will not have an R score, so universities assess you on your high school transcript and any standardized requirements the specific program lists instead. Expect a longer bachelor's degree, typically 4 years, since you skip the CEGEP pre-university year that Quebec-educated students complete before starting university.

Application fees and required documents

Budget for a fee at every step. Regional CEGEP services charge an application fee to process your file, and each Quebec university charges its own separate fee on top. Amounts vary by institution and change yearly, so check the exact fee listed on your target school's own application page before you submit. Gather your Secondary School transcript, your CEGEP transcript once it is available, and any program-specific documents, a statement of intent, a portfolio or reference letters, well before your deadline.

Timing your application around your DEC

Most students apply to university during their final CEGEP year, before their DEC is finished. Universities issue conditional offers based on your grades to date and your projected R score, then confirm the offer once your final CEGEP transcript and completed DEC arrive over the summer. Keep your grades steady through your last CEGEP semester. A conditional offer gets withdrawn if your final results drop below what the university expected.

Confirm your seat once an offer arrives. Quebec universities set their own confirmation deadlines and usually require a deposit or a formal acceptance click through your applicant portal. Missing that step forfeits your spot even after you were accepted.