Public · Hamilton, Ontario · Canada · CAD
McMaster University total cost
A Canadian degree price starts with the student category. This page separates local and international tuition and compulsory fees in Canadian dollars, then adds the published residence and meal plan basis for 2024-2025.
All figures on this page are in Canadian dollars (CAD).
Domestic and international prices are shown on separate lines. Do not compare a CAD total on this page with a USD total on a United States school page without converting currencies first.
The price at McMaster University, by student category
McMaster prices Arts & Science per unit, and at 30 units the 2024-2025 tuition line is CA$6,042.60 for an Ontario student, CA$7,204.50 for a student from another province, and CA$47,535.30 for an international student, with CA$1,590.67 of calculated compulsory fees on each line. Residence is room-only at CA$6,550 to CA$13,990 before a meal plan of CA$7,280 to CA$7,960, so the Hamilton housing contract is a second five-figure decision that the tuition table never shows.
- Domestic student (Ontario resident): tuition and fees
- CA$7,633 CAD
- Domestic student (outside Ontario): tuition and fees
- CA$8,795 CAD
- International student: tuition and fees
- CA$49,126 CAD
- International minus local tuition and fees
- CA$41,493 CAD per year
Domestic (Ontario) rate in the Arts & Science Level 1 per-unit table.
Domestic out-of-province rate in the Arts & Science Level 1 per-unit table.
International student rate in the Arts & Science Level 1 per-unit table; UHIP not included.
That gap repeats in each year the student keeps the same category, before any fee increase.
Tuition and compulsory fees
Program basis: Arts & Science Level 1, full-time at 30 units. McMaster publishes tuition per unit; the 2025-2026 Calendar labels its per-unit table as 2024-2025 fees, matched here to the Approved 2024/25 compulsory-fee schedule so tuition and fees are the same year.. The same basis is used for every category in this table. Where the university publishes tuition and compulsory fees separately, both lines are shown; where it publishes one combined figure, the split is marked as not published rather than estimated.
| Student category | Tuition (CAD) | Compulsory fees (CAD) | Tuition and fees (CAD) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic student (Ontario resident)Domestic (Ontario) rate in the Arts & Science Level 1 per-unit table. | CA$6,043 | CA$1,591 | CA$7,633Calculated: $201.42 per unit x 30 units = $6,042.60 tuition; compulsory fees of $1,590.67 calculated from the Approved 2024/25 miscellaneous fee schedule components at 30 units. Add $112.92 for the Level 1 orientation fee in first year. | McMaster Undergraduate Calendar, Financial Information (per-unit table labelled 2024-2025)2024-2025; verified 2026-10-05 |
| Domestic student (outside Ontario)Domestic out-of-province rate in the Arts & Science Level 1 per-unit table. | CA$7,205 | CA$1,591 | CA$8,795Calculated: $240.15 per unit x 30 units = $7,204.50 tuition, plus the same calculated compulsory fees. | McMaster Undergraduate Calendar, Financial Information2024-2025; verified 2026-10-05 |
| International studentInternational student rate in the Arts & Science Level 1 per-unit table; UHIP not included. | CA$47,535 | CA$1,591 | CA$49,126Calculated: $1,584.51 per unit x 30 units = $47,535.30 tuition, plus calculated compulsory fees. UHIP is additional and not included. | McMaster Undergraduate Calendar, Financial Information2024-2025; verified 2026-10-05 |
First-year planning total by category
Each total below adds the category tuition and fees to the published residence and meal plan figure. No books and supplies figure is added, because the school does not publish one on the pages we checked; add your own course costs before treating the total as complete. When residence is published as a range, the total is shown as the same range.
| Student category | Tuition and fees (CAD) | Residence and meal plan (CAD) | First-year planning total (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic student (Ontario resident) | CA$7,633 | CA$13,830 to CA$21,950 | CA$21,463 to CA$29,583 |
| Domestic student (outside Ontario) | CA$8,795 | CA$13,830 to CA$21,950 | CA$22,625 to CA$30,745 |
| International student | CA$49,126 | CA$13,830 to CA$21,950 | CA$62,956 to CA$71,076 |
Residence and meal plan
Calculated combination of published components: residence room-only fees of $6,550 to $13,990 plus traditional meal plans of $7,280 to $7,960 (2026-27 meal plan range), giving $13,830 to $21,950. Room and meal plan are published separately, so the billed figure depends on the building and plan chosen.
Published figure: CA$13,830 to CA$21,950 CAD. Source: McMaster Housing, Residence fees; McMaster Hospitality, Residence meal plans, 2026-2027, verified 2026-10-05. A residence range is not a promise of the lowest-cost room; placement, room type, and meal plan tier decide the billed amount.
Scholarships and aid
No published average aid figure: McMaster publishes named entrance awards, not a reliable average grant per student on the pages checked.
| Published award | Eligibility | Amount (CAD) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| McMaster Award of ExcellencePublished entrance award for domestic students. | Domestic | CA$3,000 | McMaster University, Entrance awardsVerified 2026-10-05 |
| International entrance awardsMcMaster publishes international entrance awards up to this maximum; individual values vary by award. | International | Up to CA$200,000 over 4 years (published maximum) | McMaster University, International awardsVerified 2026-10-05 |
Only a written offer from McMaster University confirms an award for a specific student. An entrance award headline does not reduce the planning total until its amount, eligibility, and renewal rule are in that offer.
City context
No city unemployment or rent figure is published on this page yet. Canada has no single federal file that matches the United States school data groups field for field, so this page does not borrow a figure from a rental listing site or a national average and present it as local fact. Budget off-campus rent from current listings near Hamilton and confirm the lease term before comparing it with residence.
A worksheet before borrowing
- Choose the student category first. At McMaster University, the local tuition and fees line is CA$7,633 CAD and the international line is CA$49,126 CAD for 2024-2025; the category decision is worth CA$41,493 CAD per year before housing.
- Add the residence and meal plan figure that matches the room you would actually accept, not only the lowest published room.
- Subtract only awards named in a written offer. Published entrance awards above are possibilities to investigate, not deductions.
- Price four years by repeating the first-year planning total, then test a yearly increase as your own scenario. The university has not forecast your later-year fees on this page.
- Keep the currency pinned: every figure in the worksheet for this school is CAD.
Before you treat this as your price
- Confirm the academic year and the program. Professional and deregulated programs can carry different fees.
- Confirm residency status with the university. Citizenship, permanent residence, and provincial residence are separate questions.
- Check the housing tier and meal plan behind the residence figure.
- Use only a written aid offer as a confirmed scholarship amount.
Record notes
- Annual totals are calculated from published per-unit rates at 30 units and the published 2024/25 compulsory-fee components; the inputs are the published figures.
- International totals exclude UHIP and residence; McMaster had not published a 2025-2026 per-unit tuition table on the pages checked.
Common questions
How much does McMaster University cost in Canadian dollars?
For 2024-2025, the local tuition and fees line is CA$7,633 CAD and the international line is CA$49,126 CAD on the program basis named on this page. Residence and meal plan costs are shown separately because the billed amount depends on room and plan.
Who counts as a domestic or local student?
Domestic student (Ontario resident): Domestic (Ontario) rate in the Arts & Science Level 1 per-unit table. The university decides the category from citizenship, permanent residence, and provincial residence documents. Confirm your category before using a total.
Can I compare this page with a United States school page directly?
Not without a currency step. This page is in Canadian dollars (CAD). United States pages are in US dollars (USD). Convert with a dated exchange rate or compare the structure of the budgets first: tuition category, residence, books, and time to degree.
Are scholarships subtracted from these totals?
No. This page lists awards the university itself publishes and names their eligibility, but only a written offer from McMaster University confirms an amount for a specific student.