Acceptance Rates at MSW Programs in Canada (All Schools)
Master of Social Work applicants often lack clarity about acceptance rates at Master of Social Work (MSW) programs across Canada. So, we compiled information about acceptance rates at each MSW program in Canada. This information was collected from university websites, online forums, and by contacting schools directly.
All numbers are estimations based on data that was collected and these are not official numbers. Students should contact schools directly for the most up-to-date and accurate information.
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MSW Programs in Ontario, Canada
First, we will review acceptance rates at the 10 MSW programs in Ontario (scroll down for schools in other provinces).
The University of Toronto FIFSW MSW Program
The University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work offers both an advanced standing and regular track MSW program.
Regular track MSW program acceptance rate: 17%
The regular-track MSW program at the University of Toronto receives approximately 800 applications per year and has approximately 135 spots available, giving this program an acceptance rate of about 17%.
Advanced standing MSW program acceptance rate: 37%
The one-year advanced standing MSW program at the University of Toronto receives approximately 350 applications per year and has approximately 130 spots available, meaning the advanced standing program has an acceptance rate of approximately 37%.
The acceptance rate for the MSW program at the University of Toronto depends on which program you apply to and is between 17-37%. These numbers may change year to year based on the actual number of applications received.
Applying to UofT? Check out our guide on how to make your University of Toronto MSW application stand out.
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) accepts between 15% and 22% of applicants to their MSW program each year. These numbers vary by type of program, actual number of applications, and available spaces in each program.
Breakdown by program:
● Advanced Standing MSW (in person): The in-person advanced standing program at WLU receives approximately 135-165 applications each year for 28 spots, meaning the Advanced Standing (in person) MSW program has an acceptance rate of 17%.
● Advanced Standing MSW (online): The online advanced standing MSW program at WLU receives approximately 100-200 applications during each intake term (3 per year) and each term accepts 30 applicants. Therefore, the online MSW program for advanced standing students has an acceptance rate between 15% - 30% depending on the number of applicants.
● Regular Track MSW (in person): The regular track MSW program receives approximately 450-500 applications and has approximately 100 seats. Therefore, the regular track, in-person MSW program at WLU has an acceptance rate of approximately 20-22%.
● Regular Track MSW (online): The regular track MSW Program receives approximately 200 applications per semester and has approximately 30 seats available. Therefore, Wilfrid Laurier’s online MSW program for advanced-standing students has an acceptance rate of approximately 15%.
Applying to Laurier? Check out our guide on making your Laurier MSW application stand out.
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo does not provide detailed information about the number of applications received, but a representative from the University of Waterloo claimed that 20-25% of applicants are accepted to the University of Waterloo’s MSW program each year.
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario did not provide information about the number of applications received, but a representative from the University of Western Ontario mentioned that they accept approximately 20 students to the Advanced Standing MSW program and 20 students to the Regular Track MSW program.
Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
TMU offers an advanced standing MSW program for social work students with a BSW degree. They receive approximately 200 applications each year and have 35 spots available, meaning the MSW program acceptance rate at TMU is approximately 17.5%.
York University
York University offers a full-time and part-time MSW program for advanced-standing students. While they do not have information about the number of applications they receive on a yearly basis, York University accepts approximately 40 applicants to their full-time MSW program and 20 students to their part-time MSW program.
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor offers advanced standing and regular track programs in person, as well as online through their working professionals program. While no exact number is available, the University of Windsor receives hundreds of applications to the Master of Social Work program during each intake and they accept approximately 25 applicants to each cohort.
Applying to the University of Windsor? Check out our guide on making your University of Windsor MSW application stand out.
Carleton University
Carleton University’s MSW program accepts between 14% and 31% of applicants depending on which program they are applying to:
Advanced standing MSW: According to their website, Carleton University receives approximately 80 applications each year for their advanced standing MSW program and they accept 25 students to the program, meaning this program has a 31% acceptance rate.
Regular track MSW: For their regular track MSW program, Carleton University receives between 160-180 applications and accepts 25, meaning this program has a 14% acceptance rate.
Lakehead University
Lakehead University offers an advanced standing program at both their Orillia and Barrie campuses. While Lakehead does not provide information about the number of applications they receive, they do accept 14 students to their MSW Program at the Orillia campus and 14 students to their MSW program at the Barrie campus.
Laurentian University
Laurentian University offers an advanced standing MSW program, in which they receive approximately 40-50 applicants per year and accept 8-16 students per year depending on available resources. Therefore, the MSW program at Laurentian University has an acceptance rate between 16% and 40%.
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All other MSW programs in Canada
McGill University – Quebec
McGill University offers an advanced standing MSW program. They receive approximately 100 applications per year and accept 40-50 students, meaning McGill’s MSW program has an acceptance rate of 40-50%.
While this is relatively high compared to other MSW programs, students must have a working knowledge of French to apply to the MSW program at McGill.
Dalhousie University – Nova Scotia
Dalhousie University offers an in-person and online MSW Program for both advanced standing and regular track MSW students.
Online MSW: According to a representative, Dalhousie University receives “hundreds” of applications for their online MSW program and accepts around 100.
In-Person MSW: Dalhousie university also receives approximately 150 applications for their in-person MSW programs and they accept around 85.
Interestingly, According to their website, Dalhousie University receives approximately 250 applications for their in-person BSW programs, and they accept around 90. Therefore, Dalhousie’s in-person BSW program has an acceptance rate of about 36%.
They also receive approximately 260 applications for their online BSW programs and have 80 spots available, meaning their online BSW programs have an acceptance rate of approximately 31%.
University of Manitoba
According to the University of Manitoba’s website, the School of Social Work accepts approximately 60 students (30 for the 1 Year Advanced MSW and 30 for the 2 Year Foundation MSW). They typically receive about 150 applications for the 1 Year Advanced MSW program and about 300-400 applications for the 2-year Foundation MSW program. Therefore, the acceptance rate for the MSW program at the University of Manitoba is approximately 20% for the advanced standing program and between 7-10% for the 2-year foundation program.
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary offers both an advanced standing and regular track MSW program, and acceptance rates range from 17.5% to 25%.
The advanced standing program receives approximately 200 applications each application cycle, and they accept approximately 35 into their program. Therefore, the University of Calgary’s advanced-standing MSW Program has an acceptance rate of approximately 17.5%.
The University of Calgary does not provide exact numbers about their regular track MSW program, but a representative said that about 1 in 4 applicants get accepted. Therefore, it is assumed that the regular track program has an acceptance rate of approximately 25%. (However, this seems high given that the advanced standing program has an acceptance rate of 17.5% and regular track programs tend to be more competitive.)
Applying to the University of Calgary? Check out our guide on making your UCalgary MSW Application stand out.
University of Victoria
During their most recent intake, the University of Victoria received 180 applications, split between the two program streams that were open (MSWA/MSWI). UBC’s MSWA and MSWI program streams both intake 20 students, and their MSW Foundation stream for non-BSW applicants has an intake of 35 seats.
Therefore, the University of Victoria’s Master of Social Work program has an acceptance rate of approximately 41%.
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) offers an advanced standing and regular track MSW program at their Okanagan campus. Each year they receive approximately 200 applications to their programs, and they accept 60 applicants to their regular track program and 20 applicants to their advanced standing program. Therefore, UBC’s MSW program has an acceptance rate of approximately 40%.
Applying to the University of British Columbia? Check out these tips for your UBCO MSW Application.
89% of MSW applicants who worked with an Application Advisor at MSW Helper got accepted to an MSW program last year. Learn more about MSW Helper.
Advanced Standing vs. Regular Track Programs:
Below, we have separated acceptance rates by advanced standing vs. regular track.
It appears that advanced-standing MSW programs are slightly less competitive than regular-track MSW programs. This makes sense because the only applicants who qualify for the advanced standing MSW program are students who have a BSW degree, while all other degree holders must apply to the regular track MSW program. In addition to having a smaller pool of competitors, advanced-standing applicants have more MSW programs to choose from than regular track MSW applicants.
Is it Easier to get into Online or In-Person MSW Programs?
It appears that it is easier to get accepted to in-person MSW programs compared to online MSW programs.
For example, the acceptance rate for Laurier’s online MSW programs is between 17-22%, and their in-person programs have an acceptance rate of 15-30%.
In addition, Dalhousie’s online social work programs have an acceptance rate of 31%, and their in-person programs have an acceptance rate of 36%.
It makes sense that online programs would be more competitive than in-person programs because applicants are not stopped by geographical barriers. Applicants from around the country (and even around the world) can easily apply to online programs, which means there are often a significantly greater number of applications for these programs.
Most Competitive MSW Programs in Canada
The hardest MSW programs to get accepted to in Canada are the Regular track MSW programs at the University of Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier University, Carleton University, and the University of Manitoba, which only accept between 10-24% of applicants.
However, 89% of MSW applicants who used MSW Helper got accepted to MSW programs last year. If you are applying to a competitive MSW program MSW Helper can help increase your chances of acceptance.
Easiest MSW Programs to Get into in Canada
The easiest MSW Programs to get accepted to in Canada are the Advanced Standing MSW programs at the University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Laurentian University, and McGill University. These schools accept between 40-50% of applicants to their MSW programs.
Related: Does Ranking Matter When Applying to MSW Programs?
In summary: Acceptance rates at MSW Programs in Canada
It appears that, on average, MSW programs in Canada have an acceptance rate of approximately 16% - 30%. Advanced standing programs yield higher acceptance rates than the regular track program, and in-person programs are less competitive than online programs.
Last year 89% of applicants who worked with an Application Advisor at MSW Helper got accepted to their MSW program. MSW Helper is a platform designed to help social work students get accepted to their dream MSW programs. Learn more about our services here.
