Studying Commerce/Business in Ontario
You can’t always apply to commerce/business directly. Some universities admit you straight into it; others admit you into a broad first-year category and you choose commerce/business later. That difference is why searching for a major by name can make it look like a university doesn’t offer it.
Apply broad, choose commerce/business later
University of Toronto — Mississauga
Apply to Commerce & Management (TMG)
You choose commerce/business You apply broadly to the Commerce & Management category (TMG) in Grade 12. Once at UTM, you enrol in a specific "Subject POSt" — such as the Commerce Specialist (BCom), Commerce Major, Accounting Specialist, Finance Specialist, Marketing Specialist, or the Management Specialist/Major (BBA/HBA) — during the normal program enrolment period after first year, based on meeting each program's specific course/GPA requirements..
UTM merged its old separate "Commerce" and "Management" admission categories into one single OUAC code, TMG, for 2026‑27 entry — every business-related stream (Commerce Specialist/BCom, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management BBA/HBA) is admitted under this one code, so you do not pick the specific business major on the OUAC application itself. Watch the prerequisites: ENG4U and MHF4U are required (some program pages list MCV4U too, but UTM's own OUInfo listing explicitly says that's a viewbook error and only MHF4U is required, with MCV4U merely recommended). The competitive average for TMG is listed as mid-80s. Note that the separate "Business, Science, and Entrepreneurship" combined program under the same TMG code is only open to students already enrolled in a Science Specialist/Major, so that specific stream is not a first-entry option.
https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/future-students/programs/human-resource-management
Apply straight to commerce/business
DAN Management & Organizational Studies (ED)
Western has two business routes and neither works the way students expect. (1) DAN MOS (ED) is the direct-entry business degree from Grade 12 — a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies (BMOS), needing ENG4U plus two of MHF4U/MCV4U/MDM4U. You still cannot pick your discipline on OUAC; you apply to a module after first year. (2) Ivey HBA is a 2+2 and has no OUAC code: Ivey states 'AEO is not a program choice, it is a status.' You apply to any Western faculty, tick the Ivey Advanced Entry Opportunity radio button on OUAC, and submit a separate Ivey AEO application with two 500-word essays and a Kira Talent video interview. HBA itself starts in Year 3, and holding AEO requires a full 5.0-course load each year plus an 80% two-year average and at least 70% in Business 2257.
Verified verbatim on Queen's requirements table: "English 4U, Calculus and Vectors 4U, and one additional 4U Mathematics course, with minimum grades of 80% in these three prerequisite courses." ONE 4U math is not enough — this is the single most common disqualifier. A Supplementary Application (one written response, one video response) is required; for Commerce it opens the first week of March and is due June 15.
Direct entry to the DeGroote Bachelor of Commerce. McMaster lists the Business supplementary as an optional submission, not a requirement — but it is how you get assessed on more than grades, and its deadline is much later (mid-April) than the January ones. Integrated Business & Humanities is a separate, smaller OUAC choice with its own mandatory supplementary; applying to Business does not cover it.
Rotman Commerce is a direct-entry BCom you apply to from Grade 12 with a supplemental application and MCV4U; range roughly mid-to-high 80s. It is the one Arts & Science category you cannot join after first year, so it must be on your OUAC application now.
BBA. Requires a supplementary application (SAF, possible interview), Advanced Functions and Calculus & Vectors, mid 80s (mid-to-high 80s for co-op). You do not pick a business stream on OUAC — accounting, finance, marketing, HR, IT and strategic management are specialists declared later, and every BBA specialist is limited-enrolment.
Accounting and Financial Management
Waterloo has no BComm or BBA of its own, which surprises most people searching "business at Waterloo." AFM is the closest flagship business degree — School of Accounting and Finance, Faculty of Arts, co-op only, English/Advanced Functions/Calculus and Vectors all at 75%, admission average mid-80s. The other real business-side admission programs are Honours Arts and Business, Mathematics/Business Administration, the two Laurier double degrees where the BBA is granted by Laurier (one with Mathematics, one with Computer Science), Global Business and Digital Arts, Science and Business, Environment and Business, Science and Financial Management, and Sustainability and Financial Management.
Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) Undeclared, first year only (GBU)
GBU is for students who want Commerce but have not picked a specialisation; it only exists for first year. Every named BComm programme has its own code instead: Accounting GBK, Marketing Management GBE, Management GBF, Management Economics and Finance GBD, Real Estate GHR, Hospitality and Tourism GHT, Sport and Event Management GBX, Food and Agricultural Business GBB, Government Economics and Management GBJ.
Commerce (BCom, CC) is direct entry at 80%, regular or co-op, with concentrations including Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, Supply Chain Management, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship and Information Systems chosen inside the degree. International Business (CBB) and the Bachelor of Entrepreneurship are separate direct-entry degrees.
Business Administration (BBA) (UB)
Laurier's BBA is one of the most applied-to business programmes in Ontario, direct entry at high-80s. Laurier's page lists three required courses: Advanced Functions at 70%, English at 70%, and one of Calculus and Vectors or Data Management at 60%. No supplementary application. Several double-degree variants exist with their own codes: BBA + Computer Science with UWaterloo (UWB, mid-90s), BBA + Mathematics with UWaterloo (UWW, low-90s), BBA + Financial Mathematics (UBF) and BBA + Computer Science at Laurier (UXA), both high-80s.
Business Administration (BBA) - Schulich (YBA)
York has two business degrees at very different ranges. The Schulich BBA (YBA) is high-80s to low-90s and is one of the most selective business programmes in the country. The Bachelor of Commerce (YFB) in Liberal Arts & Professional Studies is low-80s with co-op — a full business degree at a materially lower bar. Know which one you are applying to.
The Goodman BBA is direct entry at low-80s. Brock also runs a Business Administration Co-op International Dual Degree (BND, high-80s), and separate named business degrees: Accounting (BK, mid-80s), Business Economics (BE), Business Communication (BUD), Computing and Business (BCB) and Sport Management (BSM, high-80s).
Business Management is the Ted Rogers School's general business degree, direct entry at 70-75%, co-op available. Accounting & Finance (SBO, 80-85%) and Business Technology Management (SBB, 70-75%) are separate codes.
The Odette BComm is direct entry at a 73% minimum, or 78% for the co-op version. Concentrations including accounting, finance and marketing are chosen inside the degree. Windsor publishes a minimum average rather than a range, and its own pages show the minimum is a floor for consideration, not the bar: Nursing is listed at 70% but Windsor recommends 85%, and Concurrent Education lists 75% while the admitted mean is 86%. For limited-enrolment programmes, treat the published number as the lowest you can apply with, not what gets you in.
Commerce is direct entry at low-70s (DCC co-op), with separate named business codes for Accounting (DBG), Finance (DBF), Marketing (DBM), Entrepreneurship (DBE), Organizational Behaviour and HR (DBH), Business Analytics and AI (DBI) and Technology Management (DBT). Ontario Tech publishes nearly every major twice, a base code and a co-op code, usually at the same range.
Business Administration (Honours) (RD)
Business Administration is direct entry at a 70% minimum — but the co-op version (RDL) is published at 90-95%, the highest range at Trent by a wide margin. Trent also pairs business with almost every arts subject under separate '... and Business' codes (RJA-RJW), all at 70%. Trent publishes a minimum, and its own admissions FAQ says 'meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission'. The safety net is real: if you are not admitted to a competitive programme, Trent automatically assesses you for an alternate offer into a similar one, with no second application.
The Honours Bachelor of Commerce is direct entry at 70% at both campuses, with majors declared after admission. Business - International Dual Degree (ATV) is a separate code at the same range.
Business Administration is direct entry at 70% (LOR in French), and Laurentian also publishes each stream as its own code — Accounting, Finance, Marketing, HR, Entrepreneurship, International Management. Sports Administration (LOE, 75%) is a separate degree. Laurentian is bilingual and publishes most programmes twice — an English code and a French code, usually at the same range. Apply to the language you will study in.
Bachelor of Business Administration (PBA)
The BBA is direct entry at a 70% minimum. Nipissing also offers a combined BA/BCom (PAB), a BSc/BCom (PSS) and a distance BCom (PCO).
Business Administration (BBA 4 year) (JDA)
The BBA is direct entry at 70%+ (JDB at Brampton), with named streams as their own codes: Accounting, Economics, Human Resources, Marketing, Aviation Management and The Business of Esports. Algoma has three campuses — Sault Ste. Marie, Brampton and Timmins — and publishes separate OUAC codes for Brampton. Check the code's campus before you apply; the Brampton versions carry '(Brampton)' in the name.
Bachelor of Business Administration (RDO)
Business Administration (RDO), direct entry at a 70% minimum. Science and Business (ROO), Supply Chain Management (RAE, 75%) and the subject-and-Business pairings are separate Durham codes.
Read off each university’s own admissions pages, and covering the seven campuses Ontario students apply to most. Entry structures change — confirm with the university before you build a timetable around one. Search all programs.