Undergraduate Tuition + Fees Per Credit

Each year, Emily Carr University’s Board of Governors reviews and approves tuition rates.

For domestic students, tuition increases are kept in line with other BC universities and usually range from 0 to 2 per cent per year. For international students, tuition adjustments can vary between 2 to 10 per cent annually. Since tuition may change over time, it’s a good idea to plan ahead for future costs.

All fees are in Canadian dollars, and students pay per term rather than all at once.

Calculating Tuition

A bachelor's degree at ECU requires 120 credits. If you finish in four years, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to pay annually:

Domestic Students:

  • Tuition and mandatory fees: Approximately $6,027.90 per year
  • Total for four-year degree: Approximately $24,111.60

International Students:

  • Tuition and mandatory fees: Approximately $28,632.30 per year
  • Total for four-year degree: Approximately $114,529.20

2022/2023 Academic Year and Earlier Cohort:

  • Tuition and mandatory fees: Approximately $21,544.80 per year
  • Total for four-year degree: Approximately $86,179.20

These estimates do not include optional or additional fees, and exact totals may vary based on individual circumstances, including the number of credits you take per term. The figures are approximations based on the tuition and fees for the 2025-2026 academic year.

  • A 120-credit minimum is required to graduate.
  • ECU follows a Fall Semester (Sept-Dec), Spring Semester (Jan–Apr), and two short Summer Semesters (May–June, July–Aug).
  • Students typically take 12–15 credits per Fall/Spring term:
    • 9–12 studio credits
    • 3–6 critical studies credits

Credit Load Guidelines

  • Minimum:
    • 9 credits are required for BC student loan eligibility.
    • 12 credits needed to maintain a BC Arts Council scholarship.
  • Maximum:
    • Students may take up to 18 credits per term.

Enrolling in more than 12 studio credits requires Studio Overload Access approval.

For more details on financial aid, visit the Financial Aid + Awards page.

Detailed Tuition and Fee Breakdown

For a comprehensive breakdown of tuition and fees based on credit load, please refer to the tables below or download the full tuition and fee schedules.

Undergraduate Degree Tuition + Fees

Domestic Tuition

CreditsTuition + Related FeesOther Mandatory FeesTotal per Term
3$503.04$184.00$687.04
6$1,006.08$184.00$1,190.08
9$1,509.12$184.00$1,693.12
12$2,012.16$184.00$2,196.16
15$2,515.20$184.00$2,699.20
18$2,999.67$184.00$3,183.67

International Tuition

CreditsTuition + Related FeesOther Mandatory FeesTotal per Term
3$2,772.54$184.00$2,956.54
6$5,545.08$184.00$5,729.08
9$8,317.62$184.00$8,501.62
12$11,090.16$184.00$11,274.16
15$13,862.70$184.00$14,046.70
18$16,616.67$184.00$16,800.67

International Tuition (2022/2023 Academic Year and Earlier)

CreditsTuition + Related FeesOther Mandatory FeesTotal per Term
3$2,063.79$184.00$2,247.79
6$4,127.58$184.00$4,311.58
9$6,191.37$184.00$6,375.37
12$8,255.16$184.00$8,439.16
15$10,318.95$184.00$10,502.95
18$12,364.17$184.00$12,548.17

22/23 Academic Year and Earlier Cohort students are defined as those students who are currently working towards a degree and have enrolled in credit-level courses at ECU in any term up to and including Spring 2023.

The mandatory fees includes UPass for all students. For a detailed breakdown, download the full tuition and fee schedule.

Domestic Tuition

Credits

Tuition + Related FeesOther Mandatory FeesTotal per Term
3$513.24$312.90$826.14
6$1,026.48$597.90$1,624.38
9$1,539.72$597.90$2,137.62
12$2,052.96$597.90$2,650.86
15$2,566.20$597.90$3,164.10
18$3,060.36$597.90$3,658.26

International Tuition

CreditsTuition + Related FeesOther Mandatory FeesTotal per Term
3$2,773.68$312.90$3,086.58
6$5,547.36$597.90$6,145.26
9
$8,321.04
$597.90
$8,918.94
12
$11,094.72
$597.90
$11,692.62
15
$13,868.40
$597.90
$14,466.30
18
$16,623.00
$597.90
$17,220.90

International Tuition (2022/2023 Academic Year and Earlier)

CreditsTuition + Related FeesOther Mandatory FeesTotal per Term
3$2,064.93$312.90$2,377.83
6$4,129.86$597.90$4,727.76
9$6,194.79$597.90$6,792.69
12$8,259.72$597.90$8,857.62
15$10,324.65$597.90$10,922.55
18$12,370.50$597.90$12,968.40

22/23 Academic Year and Earlier Cohort students are defined as those students who are currently working towards a degree and have enrolled in credit-level courses at ECU in any term up to and including Spring 2023.

For a detailed breakdown of fees, download the full tuition and fees schedule.

More Tuition + Fees Information

Tuition + Related Fees include Tuition, Learning Access Fee, Students' Union Fee, and BC Federation of Students Fee. 

Other Mandatory Fees include LinkedIn Learning, Adobe Creative Cloud, UPass BC for all students and ECSU Health Plan for students taking over six (6) credits. ECSU Health Plan is paid in the Fall Term only for full-year coverage. Students can opt-out through ECSU.

International Student Temporary Health Insurance

Newly admitted international students will be charged a one-time $208.48 mandatory international health care insurance premium. This provides 4 months of health care coverage until you complete your BC Medical Services Plan (BCMSP) application and are eligible to transition to the mandatory BCMSP. Students who do not have BCMSP in place after 4 months will incur another international health care insurance premium charge the following term. Students with access to other temporary health insurance are eligible to opt out of this fee. However, you must provide proof of insurance to intadvising@ecuad.ca by August 15th (Fall 2025 intake) and December 15th (Spring 2026 intake). For more information on medical coverage visit: International Students Health, Medical + Wellness. Questions about this fee requirement can be directed to inadvising@ecuad.ca.

Application Fees

Applications for admission is completed and paid on Education Planner BC.

    • Domestic Applicants - $71.40 CAD
    • International Applicants - $110 CAD

    Portfolios for applications are submitted on SlideRoom - $12 USD

        For details and help visit EducationPlannerBC.ca and Slideroom.com.

        Visit Admissions to learn how to apply.

        Optional Fees

        These fees are optional, at the choice of the student.

        Locker Rental - see Locker Rentals for Students for more information

        • Per term - $17.00
        • Full academic year - $30.00

          Other Fees

          These fees vary from student to student and are in addition to the tuition and fees in the table above.

          Additional individual course fees may be charged to cover the costs of materials consumed in/or incorporated in the making of student work associated with individual courses.

          Graduation Fee - $85 (Applies to all graduating students in their last year)

          OneCard replacement fee - $15

          See the 2024/25 undergraduate tuition and fees schedule here.

          See the 2023/24 undergraduate tuition and fees schedule here.

          See the 2022/23 undergraduate tuition and fees schedule here.

          See the 2021/22 undergraduate tuition and fees schedule here.

          See the 2020/21 undergraduate tuition and fees schedule here.

          Questions?

          Visit the FAQs below for answers to your questions.

          2024/2025 Tuition Fees FAQ

          General Tuition + Fees FAQ