TRU Open Learning vs Athabasca University: Comparing Canada's Open Universities
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published May 11, 2026 • Canadian Universities & Colleges
TRU Open Learning and Athabasca University are Canada's two public open universities. TRU gives BC residents a lower per-credit rate, while Athabasca runs a full self-paced and paced course system open to any Canadian.
💵 TRU BC/Yukon residents pay an average $183.04 per credit versus $220.12 for other Canadian residents
🎓 Athabasca has open, year-round admission with no minimum grades
TRU offers Arts, Business, Education, Nursing, Science, Technology, and Tourism programs plus Adult Basic Education
Athabasca runs over 850 online courses across undergraduate and graduate levels
Both accept transfer credit case by case, so confirm with your target program first
Two different open universities
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Open Learning and Athabasca University (AU) both let you complete a Canadian credential entirely online, on a flexible schedule, without moving to a campus. TRU Open Learning is a division of TRU, a public university based in Kamloops, BC. AU is a standalone public university based in Athabasca, Alberta, built around distance delivery from the ground up. The distinction matters for tuition, admission, and how your credit transfers elsewhere.
Tuition compared
TRU Open Learning publishes a clear resident and non-resident tuition split . BC and Yukon residents pay an average of $183.04 per credit, while students from other provinces pay an average of $220.12 per credit, effective for registrations starting September 1, 2026. On top of tuition, budget for a $111.34 course administration fee and a $7.33 per-credit technology fee, plus small student union charges.
AU calculates cost through an interactive fee calculator rather than a single published rate table, since tuition is billed per course and varies with your program and course load. Run your specific course selection through the calculator before registering to get an exact number.
| TRU Open Learning | Athabasca University | |
|---|---|---|
| Home province | British Columbia | Alberta |
| Resident discount | Yes, BC/Yukon residents pay a lower average rate | Not published as a separate flat rate, use the fee calculator |
| Billing unit | Per credit | Per course |
Admission requirements
AU runs fully open admission for undergraduate programs: no deadlines, no minimum grade point average, and enrollment at any point in the year. TRU Open Learning also supports flexible enrollment for many of its courses, letting you register outside a fixed September or January intake, though specific programs, particularly Nursing and Education, carry their own entry requirements. Check the individual program page at TRU before assuming open entry applies.
Program breadth
TRU Open Learning covers Adult Basic Education plus certificates, diplomas, and bachelor's degrees in Arts, Business, Education, Nursing, Science, Technology, and Tourism. AU offers more than 850 online courses across its undergraduate and graduate catalogue, spanning general studies, business, computing, human services, health, and nursing post-RN pathways.
If your goal is a specific vocational or applied credential such as tourism management or adult upgrading, TRU's catalogue leans more applied. If you want a broad academic degree with maximum course choice, AU's larger course bank gives you more room to build a custom program.
| TRU Open Learning examples | Credits |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Tourism Management | 120 |
| Bachelor of Computing Science | 120 |
| Health Care Assistant Certificate | 26 |
| Master of Business Administration | graduate level |
TRU Open Learning's program list also includes a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, a Bachelor of Health Science, an Accounting Technician Diploma, an Anesthesia Assistant Diploma, and a Master of Education, so the applied label undersells how much health, business, and graduate-level content it carries.
Admission age and financial aid
AU sets a minimum age of 16 for most first-year undergraduate programs, and both universities let you apply for government student loans and financial aid alongside their own institutional awards and bursaries . How you apply, and which awards you qualify for, depends on whether you register full-time or part-time at either school.
Course delivery format
AU splits its catalogue clearly into self-paced individualized study and paced group study , and tells you upfront which format a course uses. Most AU courses are self-paced, meaning you set your own start date and move at your own speed within the program deadline. TRU Open Learning also supports flexible study, but delivery format is listed course by course, so confirm whether a specific TRU course is self-paced or runs on a fixed schedule before you register.
Transfer credit
Both universities publish transfer credit resources. TRU runs a dedicated transfer credit pathways process along with Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), letting you convert work and life experience into course credit. AU courses show up in provincial transfer guides and are broadly recognized by other Canadian institutions, but final acceptance rests with the receiving school. Neither university guarantees automatic transfer, so confirm with your destination program before you commit to a course.
Which one fits you
Choose TRU Open Learning if you live in BC or Yukon and want the resident tuition rate, or if you need an applied credential like tourism or adult upgrading
Choose Athabasca University if you want the widest course selection, a clear self-paced format, and admission with no waiting period
Compare both if you plan to transfer credit elsewhere, since acceptance depends on your destination program, not on which open university you pick
Run the numbers for your specific course load through each school's tuition page before deciding, since your total cost depends on how many courses you take and which province you live in
Neither school requires you to commit exclusively. Some students take a course or two at each, using TRU Open Learning for an applied credential and AU to fill in a broader academic requirement, since both accept students from any province and neither locks you into a single institution for your entire program.