Cape Breton University , Sydney, Canada

Cape Breton University is a unique place where students who believe that they can actually have an effect in the world discover what that effect is going to be. It is one of Canada’s youngest and most ambitious universities with a comprehensive set of liberal arts, science and professional programs and a unique commitment to community, economic development, aboriginal learning and research into many aspects of environment and culture.

CBU prides itself on providing a personalized undergraduate education that focuses on academic and research excellence, student services, a vibrant campus life and cutting-edge technological tools. The university offers outstanding applied research opportunities to students, and technical assistance to business, industry and community organizations. Home to Canada’s only Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development, CBU is also known as Atlantic Canada’s leader in Aboriginal post-secondary education.

The great thing about a small campus is there’s always something going on, the student body is always involved and there is never a dull moment. Cape Breton University is dedicated to providing students with a variety of physically active choices. Throughout the year, students will be able to participate in: daily and nightly intramurals, the Shinerama Lob Ball Tournament, Yoga and Pilates classes, Super Bowl Flag Football and so much more. The Intramural program promotes an environment of fun, fair play, and athletic competition, through the medium of physical activity. Beside this, it offers numerous student societies like Aboriginal Society, Track and Field Society, Volunteer Society, Save the Children Society, Orange Army etc.

The university is as distinct as the island it’s named after. Cape Breton Island is an amazing backdrop for student’s time at university. From the Bras D’or lakes to the stunning Cabot Trail, there’s a reason that Cape Breton Island is consistently voted one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Located in Sydney, CBU students will have plenty of opportunity to check out the natural beauty of the Island and be back with more than enough time for a night out with friends in the city.

Cape Breton University Rankings

• Maclean’s Magazine ranked CBU 18th in the list of undergraduate universities of the country
• Ranked 67th in the country by uniRank

Cape Breton University Campus:

Main Campus

Nearest City: Halifax

Type: On-campus

Address: 1250 Grand Lake Road, Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 6L2 Canada

Cape Breton University Highlights

• CBU offers about $1.8 million worth of scholarships each year
• $3 million in annual research funding
• It offers the Lowest tuition + fees of any university in Nova Scotia
• CBU makes the largest investment in student services, than any university in Nova Scotia
• Highest percent of Aboriginal student enrollment of any institution in Atlantic Canada
• Entering students with an 85+% average are considered for entrance scholarships

Academic Divisions :

• Arts, Social Sciences and Cultures
• Education
• Health and well-being
• Business
• Engineering and Technology
• Sciences
• Teaching Quality

Cape Breton University’s Centre for Teaching & Learning works to provide guidance and support to all teaching staff, with the ultimate goal of working collaboratively with faculty and staff to support excellence in teaching. The CTL does this through activities such as workshops, information sessions, roundtable discussions and peer-mentoring.

Student-Teacher Ratio:

Some of the smallest class sizes in the country (15:1 student-teacher ratio)

Advantages of Cape Breton University:

• $1.8 Million in scholarships offered each year
• Highest number of Canadian students who enter directly from high school with 95%+
• Largest investment in student services of any Canadian university
• First energy self-sufficient campus in North America
• Degree-granting institution since 1974
• Unique program offerings
• Approximately 5,400 full-time students
• One of the highest student satisfaction rates in Canada*
• Highly ranked in “Teaching Instruction” and “Entire Education Experience”

Cape Breton University Financial Aid

• Financial aids are offered to students based on financial need, academic merit, or other specific criteria
• Every year, 1.8 million CAD worth of scholarships are offered to students entering Cape Breton University through the aids and efforts of donors.
• Freshmen are considered for entrance scholarships primarily based on their academic grades
• Freshmen applicants who wish to be considered for entrance scholarships are required to submit the following in addition to the admission application.
  • Official transcript
  • Financial need application for those interested in bursaries
• Examples of entrance scholarships available to international students include:
  • Chancellor’s Scholarship award worth 30,000 CAD
  • President’s Scholarship award worth 20,000 CAD
  • Deans’ Scholarship award worth 10,000 CAD
  • Fitzgerald Scholarship award worth 20,000 CAD
  • Schwartz Scholarship award worth 14,000 CAD
  • W.M. Reid scholarship award worth 11,500 CAD
  • Orpha Thayer-Scott scholarship award worth 10,000 CAD
• In addition to the entrance scholarships, Cape Breton University also offers a variety of scholarships and bursaries to assist students achieve their educational goals.
• In-course (Program) scholarships are available to students who maintain an overall average of at least 80% after one year of study at Cape Breton University with a minimum of 24 credits
• Application is not required for in-course (program) scholarships as they are awarded solely based on academic grades to students who are not recipients of renewable scholarships
• In addition to the scholarships awarded by CBU, there are numerous external award opportunities students can benefit from. These awards may be from corporate organizations, NGO’s, student’s home country, etc
• Work-study opportunity is also available for international students to help shoulder the financial burden of attending a university
• CBU also offers Emergency Student Relief Fund to assist students with immediate hardship due to COVID-19 pandemic

Cape Breton University Famous Alumni’s:

Of the over 15,000 CBU alumni across the world, some prominent names include:

• Nolan Crouse, mayor of St. Albert, Alberta
• David Dingwall, former Liberal politician, President of Cape Breton University
• Ursula Johnson, multidisciplinary Mi'kmaq artist
• Meshack Lufile, professional basketball player
• Manning MacDonald, former Nova Scotia Liberal MLA Cape Breton South
• Jason Massie, soccer player in League1 Ontario
• Derek Mombourquette, Nova Scotia Liberal MLA Sydney-Whitney Pier
• John W. Morgan, former mayor of Cape Breton Regional Municipality
• Gerald Sampson, former Nova Scotia Liberal MLA Victoria-The Lakes
• Peter Schaale, professional footballer, centre-back for HFX Wanderers
• Richie Wilcox, singer, actor, theatre director, contestant on Canadian Idol

Application Fees – Non-Refundable CAD 103 (Only through Credit Card)

Intakes: January, summer (May-June) & September

Cape Breton University English Proficiency for International Students

International applicants with a native language other than English are required to present TOEFL, IELTS, CAEL, MELAB, PTE-A, CanTest, Duolingo Test scores to demonstrate English Language proficiency.