Carleton University
Programs
49
Range spans
74–88
With co-op
35
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World War II veterans. Carleton was chartered as a university by the provincial government in 1952 through The Carleton University Act, which was then amended in 1957, giving the institution its current name. The university is named after the now-dissolved Carleton County, which included the city of Ottawa at the time the university was founded.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
How Carleton actually handles things
From the OUAC’s Guidance Dialogues Resource Guide (Spring 2026), which OUAC publishes for guidance counsellors rather than students. Read the original. Policies change — confirm anything you’re about to act on.
- If you repeat a course
We will use the highest grade to calculate the average.
- Summer school, night school, e-learning and private school
We treat all Ministry-approved high school courses equally.
- Your Grade 11 marks
We use Grade 11 grades as part of the calculation for early offers, in combination with available Grade 12 grades.
- Whether your OUAC ranking matters
The rank of your program choices is important. Your highest ranked program at Carleton will be considered first, but all program choices will be assessed. If you qualify for your first choice, you will receive an offer of admission for that program.
Your offer of admission will include information on the status of your other program choices. If you are eligible for another choice, and if there is space available in that program, you can be given an offer of admission. If a program becomes full, you will not receive an offer of admission, even if you were previously eligible.
- If you don't get your first choice
In early May, we will give an alternate offer of admission to Ontario high school students who are not eligible for their first choice.
We will attempt to give the student an alternate offer that is as close as possible to their original program selection. https://admissions.carleton.ca/alternate-programs
- Supplementary applications
Portfolio required for Architectural Studies, Industrial Design, and Information Technology (Interactive Multimedia and Design). Due: March 5, 2026 (past).
Creative Practice Portfolio required for the Bachelor of Music. Due: March 5, 2026 (past).
Supplementary application required for Nursing with RN Prescribing and Social Work. Due: March 5, 2026 (past).
Applicants with an admission average below 80% who want to be considered for the Bachelor of Humanities should contact Admissions Services for details on how to submit additional documentation in support of their application.
- Automatic entrance scholarships
We will automatically consider admitted high school students who have an admission average of 80% or higher for a renewable Entrance Scholarship.
Entrance Scholarships are renewable over the first 4 years of an undergraduate degree with an A- standing (10.0 annual grade point average).
- Scholarship deadlines
Entrance Scholarships: No deadline • Prestige Scholarships: March 1, 2026 (past) • Leadership Entrance Bursaries: May 1, 2026 • General Entrance Bursaries: June 30, 2026
- Scholarships you have to apply for
Students with a 90% admission average and extracurricular activities are eligible to apply for one of our Prestige Scholarships. https://carleton.ca/awards/awards/scholarships
Awards for Indigenous students: https://carleton.ca/awards/awards/indigenous-students-awards
Awards for students with disabilities: https://carleton.ca/awards/awards/ students-with-disabilities-awards
- Bursaries
https://carleton.ca/awards/bursaries/entrance-bursaries
- Special consideration
Students who experience special circumstances that we should consider when we evaluate their application should submit a letter to Admissions Services outlining their circumstances.
- Deferring your offer
We grant deferrals for most programs. • Some limited enrollment programs require a higher average for a deferral of offer to be approved. • There are no deferrals for programs that require a supplementary application, portfolio or audition. Exception: The Bachelor of Information Technology in Interactive Multimedia and Design will accept a deferral request. • Students may request 1 deferral of their offer of admission. Deferrals are for a maximum of 12 months from the original offer. https://admissions.carleton.ca/admission-deferral-request
- When offers go out
We make offers of admission on a rolling basis. • Each time we receive grades from the OUAC, we reassess to determine eligibility.
- Tuition deposit
Not required for domestic students. • International Students who require a Provincial Attestation Letter must pay a $2,000 deposit.
- AP and IB
AP and IB information: https://admissions.carleton.ca/requirements
- Changing programs
New Bachelor of Commerce streams in International Business, International Management, Information Systems and Marketing.
New Bachelor of Communication and Media Studies optional concentrations in Government and Professional Communication; Media and Entertainment Industries; and Public Engagement and Civic Culture.
New Bachelor of Computer Science stream in User Experience and User Interfaces.
New Bachelor of Engineering in Software Engineering stream in Artificial Intelligence.
Bachelor of Science in Linguistics concentrations in Computer Science, Neuroscience and Psychology.
- Transfer credit
https://admissions.carleton.ca/apply/transfer-credit
- English proficiency
Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate that they can cope with the language demands of an English-language university. | https://admissions.carleton.ca/esl
Which mark they use when you take a course twice.
Whether courses taken outside your regular day school are treated the same.
Whether they look at Grade 11, and when.
Does the order you list programs in change anything?
Whether they'll offer you a related program instead.
Whether this university wants more than marks.
Money you get for your average without applying for it.
Awards beyond the automatic ones.
If something happened that affected your marks.
Taking a year before you start.
Carleton's GPA scale — the 12-point scale you are graded on once you arrive, from the registrar
Carleton acceptance rate — why there isn’t one, and the published bars that decide instead
Carleton entrance scholarships — all 34, and what your average is worth
What you apply to, by subject
Carleton admits into 12 entry points across these 35 subjects. Some are direct entry; for the rest you apply to something broader and choose later.
- accounting
- architecture
- biochemistry
- biology
- chemistry
- commerce/business
- communications
- computer science
- criminology
- earth science
- economics
- education
- engineering
- english
- environmental science
- finance
- geography
- health sciences
- history
- kinesiology
- languages
- life sciences
- marketing
- mathematics
- medical sciences
- microbiology
- neuroscience
- nursing
- philosophy
- physics
- political science
- psychology
- sociology
- software engineering
- statistics
How Carleton is set up
Not a ranking — the structural facts that shape what a year here feels like, computed from Carleton’s own listings. Universities list at different grain (Carleton lists 49), so read the counts rather than comparing percentages between campuses.
71%
of programs offer co-op
35 of 49 listings. At that share, alternating work terms are the norm — expect your year group to rotate in and out of the city.
10/31
subjects you apply straight into
Most subjects here start with a broader first year — you apply to the faculty and choose the subject later, so 21 of the 31 common majors are declared after you arrive.
Living there
Guaranteed
first-year residence
For secondary school and CEGEP students starting first year in the fall with an offer of admission by May 31, 2027, who accept the residence offer and pay the Residence Advance Payment by June 7, 2027. The guaranteed room is a traditional double.
Over 4,000 students live in residence each year.
Source: admissions.carleton.ca · checked September 11, 2026
19,812
full-time undergraduates
Fall 2025 count, including Dominicain University College.
Source: Council of Ontario Universities (Ministry data, which counts diploma and certificate students too) · checked September 11, 2026
Compare first-year residence at every Ontario campus
Carleton open house 2026
Every Ontario university open house this fall
Ontario Universities’ Fair, September 26–27. The Carleton University talk is in room 715B, Saturday hourly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday hourly from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Plan your day
Where it is
Open in Google Maps · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
All 49 programs
show
- 88–90%Engineering – AerospaceOUAC CEA· co-op
- 88–90%Engineering – MechanicalOUAC CED· co-op
- 82–85%Nursing with RN PrescribingOUAC CN· supp. app
- 80%AccountingOUAC CBA· co-op
- 80%CommerceOUAC CC· co-op
- 80–85%Computer ScienceOUAC COD· co-op
- 80–85%CybersecurityOUAC COA· co-op
- 80–85%Data ScienceOUAC CSD· co-op
- 80–85%Engineering – Biomedical and MechanicalOUAC CEJ· co-op
- 80–85%Engineering – CivilOUAC CEB· co-op
- 80–85%Engineering – ElectricalOUAC CEF· co-op
- 80–85%Engineering – Engineering PhysicsOUAC CEP· co-op
- 80–85%Engineering – MechatronicsOUAC CEM· co-op
- 80–85%Health SciencesOUAC CHS
- 80–82%HumanitiesOUAC CBC
- 80%International BusinessOUAC CBB
- 80–82%Journalism and HumanitiesOUAC CJH
- 80–82%Public Affairs and Policy ManagementOUAC CPX· co-op
- 78%Architectural Studies – Conservation and SustainabilityOUAC CRC· co-op· supp. app
- 78%Information Technology – Network Technology (with Algonquin College)OUAC CIN· co-op
- 78–82%JournalismOUAC CJ
- 78%Mathematics – Honours (4 years)OUAC CMA· co-op
- 78%Mathematics – Non-Honours (3 years)OUAC CMB
- 78%Science – Honours (4 years)OUAC CT· co-op
- 78%Science – Non-Honours (3 years)OUAC CS
- 75–77%Architectural Studies – DesignOUAC CR· co-op· supp. app
- 75–77%Architectural Studies – UrbanismOUAC CRU· co-op· supp. app
- 75%Bachelor of Arts (BA) – Honours (4 years)OUAC CH· co-op
- 75%Bachelor of Arts (BA) – Non-Honours (3 years)OUAC CA
- 75%Certificate in Journalism in Indigenous CommunitiesOUAC CJI
- 75%Cognitive Science – Honours (4 years)OUAC CGS· co-op
- 75%Cognitive Science – Non-Honours (3 years)OUAC CGG
- 75%Communication and Media Studies – Honours (4 years)OUAC CCR· co-op
- 75%EconomicsOUAC CBE· co-op
- 75–80%Engineering – Architectural Conservation and SustainabilityOUAC CEX· co-op
- 75–80%Engineering – Biomedical and ElectricalOUAC CEG· co-op
- 75–80%Engineering – Computer SystemsOUAC CEC· co-op
- 75–80%Engineering – EnvironmentalOUAC CEE· co-op
- 75–80%Engineering – SoftwareOUAC CES· co-op
- 75–80%Engineering – Sustainable Electrical PowerOUAC CEK· co-op
- 75–80%Engineering – TelecommunicationsOUAC CEH· co-op
- 75%Global and International Studies – Honours (4 years)OUAC CGI· co-op
- 75–77%Industrial DesignOUAC CD· co-op· supp. app
- 75%Information Technology – Information Resource Management (with Algonquin College)OUAC CII· co-op
- 75%Information Technology – Interactive Multimedia and Design (with Algonquin College)OUAC CIM· co-op
- 75%Media Production and DesignOUAC CMP· co-op
- 75%MusicOUAC CM· supp. app
- 75–80%Social WorkOUAC CSW· supp. app
- 74–76%Science – Major (4 years)OUAC CK