Toronto is the capital city of Ontario, Canada’s largest city, and the country’s largest financial center. Canada’s modern nursing education system grew from hospital-based training, influenced by the Nightingale model of nursing education.
Canada’s first formal hospital training school for nurses was established at the General and Marine Hospital in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1874. The school was later known as the Mack Training School for Nurses, and it helped shape the development of nursing education in Canada. Following World War II, shortages in nursing care contributed to the expansion and modernization of nursing education, and the profession gradually became more open to men.
In Canada, requirements for registered nursing vary by province and program pathway, but registered nurses must complete an approved nursing education program and meet the requirements of their provincial or territorial regulator. Many undergraduate registered nursing pathways are four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, while approved second-entry, bridging, and accelerated pathways are also available for eligible students. In this article, we will look at the top educational institutions in Toronto that offer nursing programs.
Top Schools Offering Nursing Programs in Toronto
1. University of Toronto
E. Kathleen Russell established the University of Toronto’s Department of Public Health Nursing in 1920. In 1933, she founded Canada’s first university-based nursing program at the university. Today, the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing offers an accelerated two-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a two-year full-time Master of Nursing, a Post-Master Nurse Practitioner Diploma, a four-year full-time Ph.D., and a three-year full-time Doctor of Nursing.
As of Fall 2026, Bloomberg Nursing is also expanding its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program to the University of Toronto Mississauga and its Nurse Practitioner program to the University of Toronto Scarborough.
For 2025–2026, the faculty lists total first-year fees of CA$11,480.92 for domestic BScN students and CA$55,142.92 for international BScN students. First-year Master of Nursing Clinical and Health Systems Leadership and Administration fees are CA$14,600.29 for domestic students and CA$36,898.88 for international students. First-year Master of Nursing-Nurse Practitioner fees are CA$15,482.96 for domestic students and CA$37,696.94 for international students. The listed annual Ph.D. totals are CA$8,448.48 for domestic students and CA$9,240.48 for international students, while the Doctor of Nursing totals are CA$17,420.29 for domestic students and CA$36,956.88 for international students. Students should confirm exact charges with the faculty or ACORN.
2. York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto. Its School of Nursing is part of the Faculty of Health and is located at the Keele Campus. The school offers undergraduate and graduate nursing pathways and emphasizes inclusive, respectful learning environments.
Students can apply to a full-time, in-person four-year Direct Entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing or a full-time, in-person two-year 2nd Entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing for applicants with prior university credits. Both programs are approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario, and graduates are eligible to write the nursing registration examination after meeting regulatory requirements.
At the graduate level, York offers Master of Science in Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, and Ph.D. options. The graduate program page lists full-time Master of Science in Nursing and Nurse Practitioner study as two years, with part-time options, and the Ph.D. as four years full-time. For Fall/Winter 2026–2027, York estimates full-time undergraduate tuition for most programs at about CA$6,200 for domestic students and CA$40,000 for international students. Actual nursing course and program fees may vary, so students should confirm the latest fees on York’s official fee pages.
3. Seneca College, Toronto
Seneca College is now branded as Seneca Polytechnic. It opened in 1967 and has campuses and learning locations in Toronto, York Region, and Peterborough, not the United States. One of its major expansions was the opening of Seneca@York in 1999, a college campus located on York University grounds.
Seneca’s Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing is a hybrid, full-time BScN at King Campus that runs for eight semesters over four years. Its Practical Nursing diploma is a hybrid Ontario College Diploma offered at King and Newnham campuses over five semesters. Seneca states that its Practical Nursing program is approved by the College of Nurses of Ontario and that its Honours BScN streams have preliminary approval from the College of Nurses of Ontario, with graduates eligible to apply for registration after meeting regulatory requirements.
For the September 2026–August 2027 academic year, Seneca lists BScN tuition and ancillary fees per semester at CA$4,072.02 for domestic students and CA$12,534.02 for international students, before books and supplies. Practical Nursing tuition and ancillary fees per semester are listed at CA$2,217.52 for domestic students and CA$9,766.52 for international students, before books and supplies.
4. Centennial College
Centennial College was founded in 1966 as Ontario’s first public college. Its Toronto-area campuses and learning sites include Ashtonbee, Downsview, Morningside, Progress, and the Story Arts Centre.
Nursing is offered through Centennial’s School of Collaborative Nursing at Morningside Campus. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Collaborative Nursing Degree is a four-year, eight-semester bachelor’s program offered in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University and George Brown College. Students spend the first two years at Centennial and the final two years at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Centennial’s Morningside Campus is home to the School of Community and Health Studies and includes state-of-the-art labs and clinics, including facilities used for large-scale disaster simulation exercises. For the BScN, Fall 2025 estimated fees were CA$7,702.97 for Canadian students and CA$38,157.83 for international students for two semesters.
Centennial also offers Bridging to University Nursing for registered practical nurses as a one-year, two-semester Ontario College Graduate Certificate. The college notes that completing the bridging program does not guarantee admission to a university nursing program.
5. Toronto Metropolitan University
The Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at Toronto Metropolitan University became Canada’s first university nursing school named for a nurse in 2008. It offers undergraduate nursing pathways, including the Collaborative Nursing BScN, the Post-Diploma Degree Completion Program, and the Nursing Advanced Entry Program, which allows eligible students to earn a BScN in 2.5 years. Graduate options include the Master of Nursing, the Combined Master of Nursing/Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate, the Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Certificate, and the Urban Health Ph.D.
For 2025–2026, Toronto Metropolitan University lists total annual fees for Ontario students in the four-year TMU-site Collaborative Nursing program at CA$7,397.72 in years one through three and CA$7,486.48 in year four. International students are listed at CA$38,146.63 per year. The Master of Nursing Course Stream lists approximate total tuition of CA$12,500 for domestic students and CA$33,000 for international students, plus ancillary fees.
If you want to study and build a nursing career in Toronto, these institutions offer several pathways, from practical nursing diplomas and bridging programs to bachelor’s, master’s, nurse practitioner, and doctoral options. Check each school’s official program page for admissions requirements, availability, clinical placement requirements, and the most current tuition.
We hope this article on the Best Nursing Schools in Toronto was helpful. Visit our Study in Canada page for more information and the Available Courses for International Students.
