Studying in the Prairies: University of Manitoba and University of Saskatchewan

The Prairie provinces and their universities

The Prairie provinces are Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. This guide focuses on the leading public research universities in Manitoba and Saskatchewan — the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg) and the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) — which often sit outside the spotlight given to Ontario and British Columbia.

Both are large, comprehensive universities offering a wide spread of undergraduate and graduate programs, and both have agricultural, health and science strengths tied to the region. Their cities are smaller than Toronto or Vancouver, which can mean different living costs and a different student experience. Confirm programs and requirements on each university's official website.

University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba (UM), in Winnipeg, is Manitoba's largest university and a research-intensive institution. It offers programs across health sciences, engineering, agriculture, science, business, arts and architecture, and it provides co-op and work-integrated learning options in several faculties.

UM publishes its admission requirements, English-language requirements, intakes and deadlines on umanitoba.ca. Because requirements differ by faculty and program and change each cycle, check the page for your specific program rather than relying on a general overview.

University of Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan (USask), in Saskatoon, is a comprehensive research university known for programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine, health sciences, engineering and water and food security research. It also offers broad arts, science and business programs.

Application details, program-specific entry requirements, English-language requirements and intakes are published on admissions.usask.ca and usask.ca. Some competitive or professional programs (such as health-related fields) have their own additional requirements — verify these directly on the official program pages.

How Prairie applications differ from Ontario and BC

Ontario uses the centralized OUAC portal and British Columbia uses EducationPlannerBC, but Manitoba and Saskatchewan universities generally accept applications directly through their own admissions systems. Alberta uses ApplyAlberta for many of its institutions — a separate provincial system from the others.

For Manitoba and Saskatchewan, you typically apply on the university's own website, upload documents, pay the application fee, and submit English-test results where required. Fall is the most common intake, with some programs offering Winter or Spring/Summer entry. Always confirm the current portal, deadlines and intakes on the official university site.

• Manitoba and Saskatchewan: apply directly on each university's portal
• Alberta institutions: many use ApplyAlberta (applyalberta.ca)
• Ontario uses OUAC; British Columbia uses EducationPlannerBC
• Confirm the intake and deadline for your specific program

Planning costs and next steps

Smaller Prairie cities such as Winnipeg and Saskatoon can offer lower living costs than the largest metros, though this varies. Tuition is set per program and changes each year, so use the official tuition and fees pages to plan a realistic budget rather than relying on estimates.

After receiving an offer, international students normally apply for a study permit from IRCC. This is general information, not immigration advice — verify the current study-permit requirements, including the Provincial Attestation Letter where it applies, on canada.ca. There are no guarantees of admission or funding; each university sets its own criteria, which change each cycle.