Universities in New Brunswick: Maritime Academia Awaits

Universities in New Brunswick

1. University of New Brunswick
2. Université de Moncton
3. Mount Allison University
4. St. Thomas University
5. Crandall University
6. St. Stephen's University

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1. University of New Brunswick

Acceptance Rate: 67-79%

Average GPA of Admitted Students: 2.7

Minimum GPA to Apply: n/a

First Year Tuition: $9,205 (Canadian); $20,640 (international)

The University of New Brunswick is the province’s main university and has two campuses in the capital, Fredericton and Saint John’s. The school is among the oldest in Canada and its academic offerings reflect this history, as there are over nineteen different faculties with 75+ programs between them for in-province, out-of-province, and international students to apply to. The program you apply to determines what campus you attend, but the choice is a personal one, as both campuses offer the same programs.

The school is well-known for its small class size and its reputation as a “comprehensive” university where you can choose from an array of different programs in different fields from Leaderships Studies to Recreation and Sports Studies. There are up to 60 different degree programs offering everything from undergraduate and graduate degrees to certificates and diplomas in various professional fields and technical trades.

According to Maclean’s Canadian Universities Ranking, UNB currently sits at #1 for the best student-to-faculty ratio for a comprehensive university in Canada with a ratio of 15:3, but other universities in New Brunswick on this list occupy other #1 positions, which we’ll get to later. If you want to apply to UNB, you have to use its in-house application service, and submit materials such as your transcripts and college letters of recommendation.

The general requirements to get into UNB for any program include:

• Minimum 65% grade average
• One English course (minimum 60% grade average)
• Four or five electives 

These are the general requirements for Canadian applicants, although there is some variation between where you live and what program you are applying to. The school does not have any specific requirements for in-province students, so you’ll apply only as a Canadian high school applicant. If you are an international student, you must have graduated high school in your home country or obtained an international baccalaureate to be eligible.

2. Université de Moncton

Acceptance Rate: 67-79%

Average GPA of Admitted Students: n/a

Minimum GPA to Apply: 65%

First Year Tuition: $8,548-$8,639 (Canadian); $15,109-$15,200 (international)

The only Francophone university in New Brunswick, the Université de Moncton is home to a little over 4,600 students in both undergraduate and graduate programs. The school is spread across three campuses - Edmundston, Moncton, and Shippagan – although the Moncton campus is the most populated and where you’ll be studying if you choose a program or degree in the Arts, Sciences, Engineering or any of its professional studies program.

But if you’re interested in studies related to the ocean including shipping and commercial industries then you’ll end up at either Edmundston or Shippagan, which has programs dedicating to sustainable fishing and coastal development, among others.

There are two main pathways you can take to get into the UdeM. If you’re a Canadian applicant, you can apply as either a regular high school graduate or a French immersion graduate from your home province. As UdeM is a Francophone school, all instruction is given exclusively in French. Academically, you must have:

• At least a 65% grade average (applies to all Canadian applicants)
• Have completed a minimum of between three or four Grade 12 courses (province-dependent)
• Have completed at least one English or French language course

But there are various pathways to apply, as you can submit an advanced standing application or apply as a mature student, or submit your R-scores and DEC diploma if you apply as a Quebec resident. The school has seven different faculties across its three campuses, which include a law school, an engineering program, and a health sciences and community services. You apply online by creating an account with the online platform and submitting your transcripts, but you can give supplemental application materials, such as college essays and college recommendation letters in-person, maybe, when you do a campus tour or a student-for-a-day program school hosts every year.

3. Mount Allison University 

Acceptance Rate: 70-80%

Average GPA of Admitted Students: n/a

Minimum GPA to Apply: 65%

First Year Tuition: $27,801 (Canadian; includes one-year of residence); $38,781 (international; includes one-year of residence)

Located in rural Sackville, New Brunswick, Mount Allison University is a small university but is full of surprises. It is often rated as one of the best universities in Canada, again, according to the Maclean’s Canadian Universities rankings (in everything from student satisfaction to research investment), but it also boasts a low student-to-faculty ratio (15:1) and has the most Rhodes scholars of any Canadian university per capita. It is home to a little over 2000 students and is surrounded by forests and marshlands on all sides, making it ideal for you if you want to experience the wilder parts of New Brunswick.

The school has general admissions requirements for its six degree programs within three faculties: Arts; Sciences, and Fine Arts, but have programs as diverse as an Aviation department, and a business school. If you’re a Canadian or New Brunswick resident, you need to complete at least four Grade 12 or equivalent courses, and at least one French or English language course. If you want to apply as an early admission student, you need to have an 80% grade average at a minimum.

But there are other admission pathways you can take depending on your interests and preferences. If you’re a student at any area colleges, such as New Brunswick Community College, you can transfer your earned credits more easily into an undergraduate bachelor or certificate program at MTA. If you are a student in a Francophone school, you can apply for the English language preparatory stream that lets you improve your English in a pre-university course to improve your English proficiency if you want to apply to MTA.

MTA also offers several certificate and diploma programs in vocations such as data management but also for cultural and Indigenous studies. You apply online to all programs, and you’ll also have the opportunity to attach supporting documents to your file, so you should prepare them before you apply, but after you’ve chosen a program or degree, you’re interested in.

4. St. Thomas University

Acceptance Rate: 70%

Average GPA of Admitted Students: n/a

Minimum GPA to Apply: 65%

First Year Tuition: $8,039 (Canadian); $18,068 (international)

One of the smallest universities in New Brunswick, St. Thomas University is a liberal arts school with a Catholic origin. The school continues to uphold its Catholic heritage, although it is public university and accepts applicants of all faiths or none. The school’s small size is one of its main attractions as it has a little under 2000 students in total, and primarily awards undergraduate degrees. The school has three faculties, all of which award a bachelor of Arts degree in either Arts, Social Work or Education.

One unique program for Indigenous applicants is the Mi’kmaq/Maliseet Bachelor of Social Work Program aimed at students with Native backgrounds. The school also offers several Applied Arts program in collaboration with the New Brunswick Community College, where you’ll complete half of your degree in either Criminal Justice and Gerontology at NBCC and half at STU. You can also apply to the post-graduate Bachelor of Education program that will give you hands-on experience and training through placement at local elementary and early childhood care schools.

5. Crandall University

Acceptance Rate: 70-80%

Average GPA of Admitted Students: n/a

Minimum GPA to Apply: 70%

First Year Tuition: $9,200 (Canadian); $10,200 (international)

Crandall University is one of the many private universities in New Brunswick with its mission and origin rooted in the Christian faith. But Crandall also offers a liberal arts education for students who want a bachelor’s degree from any of the school’s seven faculties ranging from Arts and Science, to Organizational Management and Theology.

The school is located in Moncton and also offers a more urban learning environment compared to other universities in New Brunswick. The general requirements for admission to any of the degree programs and faculties is province-based, but you mostly need:

• A 70% grade average
• Completion of high school
• Completion of a minimum five Grade 12 courses

The school also has a Faculty of Education where you can apply for a bachelor’s in two concentrations: elementary or secondary school, but you can also apply for one of Crandall’s unique programs, the Bachelor of Technical Education that gives you advanced training on state-of-the-art teaching methods, and a well-rounded foundation in basic pedagogy. But if you’re interested in more vocational, professional or theological training, you can also apply to certificate programs in fields as varied as Youth Leadership, Teaching English as a Second Language, and mission-oriented program called ClayStone that combines in-class instruction with an outdoor and international component to prepare you for life as a Christian missionary.

6. St. Stephen’s University

Acceptance Rate: 70-79%

Average GPA of Admitted Students: n/a

Minimum GPA to Apply: n/a

First Year Tuition: $8,250

St. Stephen’s University is unique among universities in New Brunswick, as it only offers graduate degrees in two unconventional fields; Theology and Culture; Peace & Justice. What's more, the school offers distance courses or a hybrid model, as it also has a physical campus in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. The school is another institution that takes it mission and values from Christian philosophy but grounds its academic offerings in faith-related teachings. The university is divided into three separate schools:

• SSU School of Theology & Culture 
• Jim Forest Institute for Religion, Peace & Justice
• SSU Centre for Reconciliation Studies

Each school approaches education and faith in different ways, which SSU explains as the difference between “faith-based” (School of Theology & Culture), which has a traditional theological curriculum and subjects; “faith-engaged” (Jim Forest Institute for Religion, Peace & Justice, which seeks to examine abstract concepts of peace and justice through a religious perspective; “faith-affirming” (Centre for Reconciliation Studies), which seeks to find common ground and recondition with Indigenous culture and spiritual practices.

The university offers two accredited master’s degree program in the subjects we mentioned, but also has a major/minor option so you can combine another discipline into your studies. But it also offers undergraduate certificates in these same programs, so you can advance into the master’s program after taking either the Certificate in Theology & Culture; Certificate in Religion, Peace & Justice; or a Certificate in Reconciliation Studies.

How to Apply to Universities in New Brunswick

If you want to study at any of the universities in New Brunswick, you must apply directly to the school. Each of the universities listed here have an online application form, where you can upload your transcripts and any additional application materials, such as essays, personal statement, college letter of interest or recommendation letters.

Why Study at Universities in New Brunswick

Universities in New Brunswick are attractive for many reasons. New Brunswick is the second-smallest province in Canada behind only Prince Edward Island, so it has a university-town feel at most of the schools in the province. Being so close to the ocean is what draws so many students to universities in Nova Scotia, as well as universities in BC, and the same applies to universities in New Brunswick, as many of the school campuses are located in pristine natural surroundings.

The quality of education is another important deciding factor for most students. The small size of the province and, by extension, universities in New Brunswick means there are small class size, smaller overall student populations, but the experience, knowledge and training-levels of faculty are still world-class. For example, St. Thomas University has an average class size of 25 for first-year courses, which is on par for other class sizes for other universities in Canada.

How to Get into Universities in New Brunswick

1. Start Researching Programs Early

The sooner you read-up on admissions requirements and required application materials, the more time you’ll have to refine your application. For example, if you want to apply to a program that has a minimum grade average of 70%, you need to start taking steps to increase your GPA, or get college admissions help so they can give you more personalized advice based on your transcripts and high school resume. They’ll also counsel you on how to get into college with a low GPA, such as expanding extracurriculars for college or take extra credit course during the summer. But that only comes after you’ve done your research on the particular programs you want to apply to and what they require.

2. Familiarize Yourself with the School’s Mission/Values

A few of the universities in New Brunswick are steeped in the Christin tradition and offer academic programs that are reflection of that foundation. But a school such as St. Thomas is both based in Catholic values and liberal, which is something you might be fine with, along with the fact that St. Thomas has small class sizes and a scenic campus. You need to review all the mission statements, and values of these schools to get an idea of whether you connect with them or not. This can help you write a “why this college?” essay that you can send along with your general application. It’s fine if you are not enthusiastic about attending an openly Christian school, but they also have features that are not always available at the big, public universities such as online or distance education, lower tuition fees, and unique degrees in non-traditional disciplines.

3. Take a Campus Tour

All universities encourage you to take a campus tour either in-person or virtually and it is something that you should absolutely do. Schools such as the University of New Brunswick, and the Université de Moncton, all offer to give you a taste of what it would be like to be an enrolled student and what better way to prepare you for the experience than living it, for a day, at least. But the campus visit also allows you to ask questions directly of other students, faculty members and alumni, if applicable, which can help you decide whether the school is right for you. When you meet people, try to take contact information in case you have any follow up questions and also to be memorable when faculty or administrators are reviewing your application.

4. Strive to Get Good Grades

You need a minimum 70% grade average to get into most universities in New Brunswick, but as we’ve said before, you don’t want to apply by achieving on the minimum. You should try to exceed those requirements since, unless you submit supplemental application materials (which you should do), your grades will be the only thing that the admissions committee knows about you. If you have grades that are well above the minimum and stand out on their own, the likelihood of having to write additional essays and statements decrease, although you should cover all your bases and submit at least a few letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

5. Take the Opportunity to Write College Entry Essays

In Canada, college essays, personal statements and other materials are not usually required for how to get accepted into Canadian universities. Unlike colleges and universities in the US, most post-secondary institutions in Canada are non-competitive - although there are some competitive programs that have limited spaces - so you do not have to spend hundreds of dollars on college application help or college admissions consulting services to have a great application. However, you can take the initiative and write essays and recommendation letters to bolster your application, which is an option that most universities in New Brunswick give you.

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To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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