I don’t understand why top Canadian universities have such high acceptance rates compared to the U.S.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been comparing the admissions statistics of top Canadian universities with those of similarly prestigious U.S. public institutions, and the differences are striking. When we look at applicant volume, acceptance rates, admitted numbers, first-year enrollments, and total student populations, it becomes even more apparent.

Top Canadian Universities

University of Toronto (U of T)
Applicants: ~60,000–70,000+
Acceptance Rate: ~40–43%
Admitted: ~25,000–30,000
Enrolled Freshmen: ~14,000
Total Student Population: ~90,000+ (across all campuses)

University of British Columbia (UBC)
Applicants: ~40,000–45,000+
Acceptance Rate: ~50%
Admitted: ~20,000–22,000
Enrolled Freshmen: ~8,000–9,000
Total Student Population: ~65,000+

McGill University
Applicants: ~35,000–40,000
Acceptance Rate: ~40–46%
Admitted: ~14,000–18,000
Enrolled Freshmen: ~6,000
Total Student Population: ~40,000

Top U.S. Public Universities

UCLA
Applicants: ~149,700
Acceptance Rate: ~9–10%
Admitted: ~10,000
Enrolled Freshmen: ~6,400
Total Student Population: ~46,000 (undergrad + grad)

UC Berkeley
Applicants: ~128,000+
Acceptance Rate: ~14–15%
Admitted: ~15,000
Enrolled Freshmen: ~6,700
Total Student Population: ~45,000

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
Applicants: ~83,000+
Acceptance Rate: ~18–20%
Admitted: ~15,000
Enrolled Freshmen: ~7,200
Total Student Population: ~51,000

University of Virginia (UVA)

Applicants: ~56,000+
Acceptance Rate: ~19–21%
Admitted: ~9,950
Enrolled Freshmen: ~3,900
Total Student Population: ~25,000
UNC Chapel Hill
Applicants: ~57,000+
Acceptance Rate: ~19%
Admitted: ~10,300+
Enrolled Freshmen: ~4,200
Total Student Population: ~30,000

Looking at these figures side by side, Canadian universities are admitting a significantly larger proportion of their applicants, often 2–4 times the acceptance rate of the U.S. schools listed. Despite these higher acceptance rates, Canadian institutions like U of T, UBC, and McGill still maintain strong academic reputations, appear prominently in global rankings, and consistently produce high-quality research.

It raises the question: Is something off in the way the U.S. system is structured? Are ultra-low acceptance rates in the U.S. more about prestige and scarcity than educational quality or capacity? Meanwhile, Canada seems to strike a balance—large, top-ranked schools admitting a greater share of qualified applicants and still delivering excellence.

What are your thoughts? Is the U.S. higher education model broken or overly exclusive? Could U.S. public universities adopt strategies from Canada—such as more robust infrastructure and funding—to support larger incoming classes without compromising on standards? It’s a puzzling contrast, and I’m curious to hear what others think about it.

[Anonymous]

Canadian universities have application requirements to begin with that are based on test scores and grades, so that limits the number of applicants.

Once you do apply, the process is mostly based just on scores and grades as well.

[Anonymous]

I think you answered your own question.

[Anonymous]

Guessing ucla & cal have a large # of Ca kids w/little chance clicking a box & throwing out prayer hail-mary pass

[Anonymous]

I think Canadian schools tend to have higher acceptance rates, but lower 4-year graduation rates than US schools. There’s less advising and support generally. Please check me on this.

[Anonymous]

I am Canadian and studied at McGill. Canadian universities accept large numbers but there is less support once you are admitted. Large portions of those admitted will drop out, change programs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am Canadian and studied at McGill. Canadian universities accept large numbers but there is less support once you are admitted. Large portions of those admitted will drop out, change programs, etc.

Our son's program had "weed out classes". The University counted on a certain percentage being Christmas graduates.

[Anonymous]

At Canadian universities, you apply directly to the major. And each major will have particular GPA and test score requirements before you can even begin to be considered. A major like engineering will have very high minimum requirements; something like education will be lower. So in practice, only people that meet the scores apply. It becomes self-selecting. If engineering at McGill requires an A- and 1350 minimum, no one with less than those scores applies.

[Anonymous]

The model is easy to get into, hard to graduate. UofT is no joke and has some courses designed to weed out a majority of matriculates. In the US, this is avoided as much as possible, and even the hardest institutions like Caltech have good retention rates.

[Anonymous]

Larger class size.

Lower yield, because students would rather go to college in the US.

[Anonymous]

Canadian colleges don’t look at low acceptance rates as a good thing. Once it gets close to a certain threshold, they increase the seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Canadian colleges don’t look at low acceptance rates as a good thing. Once it gets close to a certain threshold, they increase the seats.

Why is that not the same in the USA? Is there a governing body that requires that? Or is it just cultural

[Anonymous]

Canadian-American here. Canada is a really small country compared to the U.S. It’s also perfectly normal to live at home when you go to university, save for the top students. There isn’t the same breadth of applications and many students don’t apply as widely as they do in the U.S. because there just aren’t as many places to go. Furthermore, the top ranked universities in Canada are quite large, which is the opposite of the U.S. where too students are competing for very few elite spots.

It’s also less of an arms race because you aren’t admitted on a whole resume package. Applications are very straightforward.

Not sure about the PP who said Canadians would rather go to the U.S. That was unusual when I was growing up and still is. The majority of Canadians don’t even consider it due to the expense and the very different way in which applications are reviewed.

[Anonymous]

Population of US is 330 million. Population of Canada is 40 million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Canadian colleges don’t look at low acceptance rates as a good thing. Once it gets close to a certain threshold, they increase the seats.

Why is that not the same in the USA? Is there a governing body that requires that? Or is it just cultural

Cultural. I’m the Canadian-American PP. We actually went to university in the U.S. because we were excited about the different level of competition and energy (for better or for worse, in hindsight). Competition as a societal mindset in Canada is not really the same in the U.S. There are a lot of reasons for it, but there is less pressure on wage earners because of the different way healthcare is structured, mortgages work differently, public schools are funded differently (so there is slightly less pressure to squeeze into the best possible neighborhood), and for a long time elite status was not really accessible through hard work- you were either from certain old families or you weren’t. It’s mostly gone down, but when I was growing up there was still a very commonwealth/British mindset of never standing out and being reserved and collected. Flashy wealth and trying hard were looked down on.