Most Popular Majors in Canada + Tuition Costs and Potential Jobs

The most popular majors in Canada are the majors with the most employability and highest salaries. This article ranks the top ten bachelor’s degrees based on the highest average wages and the most recent available tuition costs at three leading Canadian universities.

There were over two million students in Canada in 2020. In an era of technological change and a volatile economy, these students will have to apply principles and skills to meet employer needs and succeed in their fields.

Education lessens the challenges people will face in life. The more knowledge we obtain, the more opportunities will open up to achieve better career and personal growth possibilities. University education is one of the best steps to adapt to a rapidly evolving global workforce and launch career success.

Canadian universities continue to enjoy a substantial international prestige with employers. Nine universities emerged on the Global University Employability Ranking 2020 report, and the University of Toronto is the top recruitment choice for employers.

1-Management Sciences

Management Sciences (MS) or Business is more tied to math than commerce. It will teach students about theories and models in statistics and programming. It also teaches how to apply them to various business problems.

Potential occupations include administrative services, budget, and management analysts, and marketing managers. The average pay for these jobs is about $110000 to $115000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada based Statistics Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $6800
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $5400
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

2- Petroleum and Chemical Engineering

Government, energy companies, and research institutes employ petroleum and chemical engineers. Chemical engineering students will take the same math and science courses as students in other engineering disciplines in their first and second years.

They will then learn about fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, and process modeling to design operations that will modify raw material into designated products for the different industries they may employ, such as gas and oil pharmaceuticals or energy.

The average salary for the jobs in these fields is about $104000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $16000
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $6300
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

3-Finance Course, One of the Most Popular Majors in Canada

After two years of business courses, students who practice finance will learn how to plan, manage, and analyze businesses, banks, and other organizations’ financial regards.

Upon graduation, they will be equipped to work in various financial roles such as security analyst, market research analyst, bank manager, portfolio manager, or mortgage broker.

The medium salary for these jobs is about $104000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $6800
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $5400
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

4-Pharmacology

A bachelor’s in pharmacology is only the start of your path toward becoming a pharmacist, but the payoff may be relatively high. The Government of Canada projects a deficit of pharmacists until 2024, so employment chances are high.

Upon earning a degree, you will also have to take an exam with the Pharmacy Examination Board of Canada (PEBC), complete an apprenticeship, and become registered with the province’s college.

The average pay for the jobs in this field is about $103000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $20000 (PharmD)
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $16800 (Entry-to-Practice PharmD)
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

5-Geosciences

A bachelor’s in geosciences can lead to mineral and petroleum exploration, environmental consulting, and urban projects. It’s one of the most popular majors in Canada and the US.

These skills are highly appreciated in Canada’s mining industry, which has lately experienced some weakness amid lower commodity prices. However, it’s expected to extend significantly with the recent increase in exploration over the next several years.

The average salary for jobs in this field is about $100000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $6800
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $5800
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

6-Software Engineering, One of the Most Popular Majors in Canada

The amount of computer engineers needed is expected to grow in the next several years and result from high business investment in the technology sector. However, there are some differences between a software engineering (SE), a computer science (CS), and a computer engineering (CE) degree.

Software engineers deal with creating and maintaining software systems. Computer scientists work with data transformation and algorithms. Computer engineers make and operate computer systems.

All are highly relevant degrees with usually big salaries. The number of software engineering employees has grown by nearly half during the past five years. The average pay for these jobs is about $90000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $15800
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $6300
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

7-Business Administration

There are many opportunities for those who graduated with a bachelor of business administration (BBA). Their pay will differ depending on the position. Business services management including a range of firms like market research and legal.

Accounting is one field of business administration that remains a common spot for many students, and the number of graduates has risen in recent years. According to Canadian Occupational Projection System or COPS, the job market has enough openings to accommodate graduates until 2024.

The average wage for jobs in business administration is about $86000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $6800
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $5400
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

8-Specialized Engineering

Specialized engineers work in professions like agriculture, textiles, and biomedicine, but the work is typical of an engineer, managing processes, building equipment, supervising the installation, etc.

The average salary is projected to rise, but remember that it can vary considerably across different disciplines in this field. For instance, an agricultural engineer’s compensation is less than an engineer working in biomedicine.

The average salary for jobs in specialized engineering is about $85000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $15800
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $6300
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

9- Nursing, One of the Most Popular Majors in Canada

Nurse practitioners can have more responsibility than listed nurses but less than physicians. If you want to become a nurse practitioner, you should have a bachelor’s degree in nursing and additional training.

Alternatively, you could gain a master’s in nursing, but either way, you need some years’ experience as a registered nurse. Job markets in healthcare are predicted to settle, particularly given Canada’s aging population.

The average salary for nursing is about $85000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $9100
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $5400
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

10-Civil Engineering

In the following few years, Canada’s residential construction division will temper. The impulse for employment and investment will shift to large-scale complex engineering projects, according to a 2018 forecast by Building Solutions.

Civil engineers are involved with various steps of building projects, from design to construction. They may work on a range of infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, towers, buildings, and water supply systems.

The average salary for civil engineering is about $80000 in Canada. The tuition fees for the first year in three major universities in Canada are as follow:

• First-year tuition in University of Toronto for 2019-2020: $15800
• First-year tuition in University of British Columbia for 2019-2020: $6300
• First-year tuition in McGill University for 2019-2020: $7700

Conclusion

This article ranks the top ten of most popular majors in Canada based on the highest average salaries and the most recent available tuition costs at three leading Canadian universities to get an idea of their education’s path.

The most popular majors in Canada are management sciences, petroleum and chemical engineering, finance, pharmacology, geosciences, software engineering, business administration, specialized engineering, nursing, and civil engineering.