SchoolRegistry Pathways · Stricter rules
Study in Canada from Nigeria: what it costs, what the visa officer checks, how to apply
Study permits are capped and most applications need a provincial attestation letter; Nigerian approval rates are low. Only worth an application with a strong file and funds well above the minimum.
The numbers, in naira
Typical bands for 2026 intakes, converted at today's rate (CAD 1 = ₦949). Planning figures, not offers; every university sets its own fee.
Undergraduate, per year
₦31,315,020 to ₦47,447,000
Tuition C$18,000 to C$35,000 plus living C$15,000
Master's, per year
₦31,315,020 to ₦47,447,000
Tuition C$18,000 to C$35,000 plus living C$15,000
Proof of funds
₦38,806,901 and up
C$22,895 living plus first-year tuition
- Refusal band for Nigerian applicants
- high
- English
- IELTS 6.0 to 6.5
- Intakes
- September, January, May
- Dependants
- Restricted since 2024; spousal permits mainly for master's and doctoral students.
- After graduation
- Post-graduation work permit, tied to the programme and institution type.
What the file needs
Passport valid well past the course end; WAEC or NECO with the scratch-card result, or the transcript and certificate for a master's; two references on letterhead; a personal statement that explains the course, the country and the plan after; six months of bank statements from the sponsor showing the funds above, plus a sponsor letter and ID; an English result or the WAEC grade where accepted. Start with the references and the statements, they take longest.
The visa application is the family's own, prepared with our checklist. Nobody at SchoolRegistry lodges it in your name, and nobody can tell you the outcome in advance. What we can tell you is the refusal band above and the points a visa officer will question on your particular file, which the Pathfinder prints before any money moves.
How Pathways is paid, and what we never promise
Placement is free to families. Universities pay SchoolRegistry a fee when a student we place enrols. It never changes your fee and it never changes which programme we recommend: the shortlist is ordered by fit, then refusal risk, then cost to you, and that rule is printed with every list. We do not promise admission or a visa, to anyone.
Questions families ask about Canada
How much does it cost to study in Canada from Nigeria?
For an undergraduate, tuition of C$18,000 to C$35,000 a year plus about C$15,000 for living, which is ₦31,315,020 to ₦47,447,000 at today's rate. A master's runs ₦31,315,020 to ₦47,447,000. These are typical bands for 2026 intakes, not offers.
What proof of funds does Canada ask for?
About C$22,895 for living costs, on top of the first year's tuition, so around ₦38,806,901 in the sponsor's account at the low end. The money should be traceable and genuinely the family's; borrowed lump sums are the commonest reason a file fails.
Do I need IELTS for Canada?
IELTS 6.0 to 6.5.
Can I bring my family to Canada as a student?
Restricted since 2024; spousal permits mainly for master's and doctoral students.
What happens after graduation in Canada?
Post-graduation work permit, tied to the programme and institution type.
What does SchoolRegistry Pathways charge?
Nothing to the family. Universities pay SchoolRegistry when a student we place enrols, and that never changes which programme we recommend. We do not promise admission or a visa.