Last checked: 12 Oct 2026
International undergraduates pay between 2.6 and 5.2 times what local students pay in Canada and England in 2026-27 (Statistics Canada; Office for Students; University of Reading).
In Canada, the average international undergraduate pays C$42,062 a year in tuition, against C$8,021 for Canadian students, according to Statistics Canada figures released on 16 September 2026. That is a national average across all programs and provinces.
In England, fees for local (“home”) undergraduates are capped by law at £9,790 a year in 2026-27 for universities with a Teaching Excellence Framework award, which the University of Reading charges. Fees for international students have no cap: each university sets its own. At Reading they are £25,850 a year for classroom-based courses and £30,650 for courses with significant lab or workshop work. These are one university’s fees, not a national average.
| Country, course | International, per year | Local, per year | International ÷ local | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada, national average undergraduate (2026/27) | C$42,062 | C$8,021 | 5.2x | Statistics Canada, table 37-10-0045-01 ↗ |
| England, lab-based course, University of Reading (2026/27) | £30,650 | £9,790 | 3.1x | University of Reading fee rates ↗; Office for Students fee limits ↗ |
| England, classroom course, University of Reading (2026/27) | £25,850 | £9,790 | 2.6x | Same as above |
Tuition is only part of the bill. For visa fees, the money you must show for a student visa and living costs, see Cost comparisons. American families can compare a whole degree abroad with a US college in the degree-abroad calculator.
Coming next: Australia, where local students pay only their share of a government-supported place (A$4,738 a year for education, A$17,399 for law in 2026) while international fees are set by each university.
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