Centennial College Toronto

• Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
• Year of foundation: 1966,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of studying: mixed.

Centennial College Toronto is Ontario's first public college. It has several campuses located throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

Valentina Nikitina

Senior Marketing and Recruitment Manager at Kaplan Pathways with a focus on students from Russia and the CIS.

What are the most popular majors among students currently?

Business remains popular, but engineering and IT are quickly gaining ground. STEM fields are seen as advantageous not only for education in Canada but also for gaining professional experience, especially with the post-study work opportunities they offer. The pandemic has also sparked increased interest in biological and chemical sciences.

The educational process at Centennial College Toronto is structured flexibly and depends on the chosen program. Classes can be held in person, in a hybrid format, or partially online. Most programs have already returned to on-campus learning, but in some fields, such as business, engineering, and technology, a blended format is still used: some classes are held in classrooms, while others are conducted remotely.

• Centennial College Toronto became the first publicly funded college in Ontario and was founded as the first community college in the province. Today it is considered one of the most culturally diverse educational institutions in Canada — approximately 100 ethnocultural groups and 80+ languages are represented here.
• It is the only college in Canada that has a campus outside the country — in China.
• Famous movies and TV series have been filmed on its grounds, including Degrassi High, Robocop, and Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
• Among former students — actor John Candy.

Centennial College Toronto offers several housing options: student residence, off-campus rentals, and other accommodation formats. The main goal is to help students find safe, comfortable and affordable housing while studying in Toronto.

A special Centennial Housing Service helps to sort out the search: it advises on all issues related to accommodation, suggests where to look for housing, explains the specifics of the rental market and makes recommendations.

The main residence option on campus is the Centennial Place Residence, a modern building with fully equipped rooms and common spaces for study and recreation. The atmosphere here is created under the motto "Home away from home", so that foreign students have the support of staff and an active student life. Even the youngest students in such conditions easily adapt to life in Canada.

Everything is convenient with meals too: there are cafes and small eateries on the college grounds — you can have a quick snack between classes without wasting time on trips around the city. During the day, students can buy hot food, drinks or light snacks.

Subject list: International Development, Accounting, Advertising and PR, Aerospace technology, animation, Architecture, Art, Automotive Service Technician, Aviation and management, Baking & Pastry Arts, Biomedical Sciences, biotechnology, Biotechnology - Advanced (Co-op) (Fast-Track), Building technology, business, Business and management, Career development course, Caring for people, Communication Studies, communications, Community Development, Construction Management, cosmetology, Culinary skills, Cybersecurity, Dance, design, Developmental Services Worker, Early Childhood Education, Electrical engineering, Electrical Techniques, Environmental Technician, Environmental Technology, Filmmaking, finance, Financial services, fine arts, Fire Services, Food and nutrition, Health & Fitness, Health and food, health and human sciences, Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician, Hospitality Foundations, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Hotel business, Human Resource Management, Information Technology, insurance, International Business, journalism, law, Law Clerk, Legal practice, letter, Liberal Arts, logistics, marketing, Massage Therapy, Mechanical Engineering Technician, media, medical technologies, Museum Science and Management, Nursing, Paralegal, Paramedic, Personal Support Worker, Pharmacy Technician, PHOTOGRAPHY, planning, Police Foundations, Public relations and PR, Recreation and Leisure Services, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems, robotics, social sciencies, Social Service Worker, tourism, Visual & Game Programming

At Centennial College Toronto, trips and events are regularly held to help students get to know Canada better. For example, during Student Engagement Week, off-campus outings are organized: students can visit the Toronto Zoo, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Little Canada, and Niagara Falls.

Life on campus is also vibrant: throughout the academic year, there are meetups, game days, cultural events, and various themed activities. They often take place right in the student centers — for example, at Progress Campus, and provide an opportunity to socialize, relax, and feel part of the student community. Student clubs, managed by the Centennial College Student Association, play a special role. New students can join existing communities or create their own. The clubs cover a wide range of interests: from culture and academics to sports and socializing.  

• They focus on practice here: students not only study theory, but also gain real professional skills. Many programs include internships, Co-ops, laboratory classes, and work on real industrial projects.
• The Canadian college cooperates with 1000+ partner organizations: they participate in the development of programs, provide students with opportunities for practice and further employment. Academic courses are regularly updated with the participation of partners, which makes them always relevant, and graduates have a better chance of finding a job.
• Centennial College Toronto has a well-developed support system: students can count on academic help, tutors, counseling, and psychological support. There is access to modern libraries and convenient learning spaces to make studying comfortable and stress-free.

Centennial College Toronto has several campuses, and each of them is focused on its own areas.

• Progress is the largest: business, hospitality and technology programs are taught here, there is a library, sports grounds, student spaces and the Centennial Place residence.
• Morningside is more focused on healthcare and engineering, so it has specialized laboratories, a gym and service centers.
• Ashtonbee is considered one of the largest transportation and automotive studying centers in Canada, with workshops and technical laboratories located there.
• There are other venues in conjunction with the college, such as the Story Arts Centre and Downsview, which support separate academic and practical areas.

The college is well equipped: there are many modern learning spaces, computer labs and multimedia classrooms. Technology is actively used in teaching, so students work with up-to-date software and equipment, and several thousand Windows and Mac computers are available on campuses.  Students connect to the college's internal services: the Internet, online platforms, and cloud storage for educational materials (all resources can be used both on campus and remotely). All campuses have libraries and convenient areas for independent work, including rooms for group classes and access to educational and digital resources.

Additional costs for Centennial College Toronto students include:

• Accommodation,
• Meals,
• Educational materials,
• Technology fees,
• Club fees,
• Excursions,
• Souvenirs,
• Personal expenses,
• Mobile communications,
• Transportation,
• Travel to neighboring cities and countries,
• Insurance.

Admission to Centennial College Toronto is a step-by-step process and is generally quite straightforward.

1. First, applicants choose a program — if desired, they can apply to several programs at once.
2. Then an online application is submitted through ApplyCentennial: personal and academic information is entered, and required documents are uploaded, such as a translated diploma or certificate and a passport.
3. After that, the registration fee is paid, and the application is sent for review.
4. If everything is in order, the college sends a Letter of Acceptance. To secure a spot, a tuition deposit must be paid.
5. After that, students receive a Provincial Attestation Letter, which is needed to apply for a student visa.

In some cases, the college may offer placement tests, for example in English or mathematics, to determine the level of preparation. After that, access to course registration and the headSTART platform becomes available.

At every stage, it is convenient to track the application status through the online system, where updates and next steps are displayed.

Centennial College Toronto emphasizes ensuring that students are ready to work immediately after graduation, both in Canada and beyond. After completing a program, international students can apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit — this permit allows them to legally work in Canada and gain professional experience.

Job search support begins while students are still studying. Career services help with resume writing, interview preparation, and career direction guidance. Many programs include Co-op, internships, and practical projects, so students gain real work experience at Canadian companies before graduation.

After graduating from the college, alumni retain access to the Experience Centennial system — a career platform where they can search for job openings, receive consultations, and participate in professional events. Thanks to connections with employers in the Greater Toronto Area, graduates have better chances of finding work in fields such as business, engineering, ICT, healthcare, and transportation.

The requirements depend on the Centennial College Toronto program, but in general, the admission logic is the same.

1. For most directions, you need a secondary school certificate or its equivalent.
2. If we are talking about more advanced programs, you may need a degree from another college or university. Sometimes there are additional conditions: specialized school subjects, a portfolio, an interview or entrance tests — especially for those applicants who enroll in design, technology courses and programs in the field of healthcare.
3. In some cases, the college conducts placement tests to determine the level of students and select suitable courses.

For foreign students, it is mandatory to confirm the English language through exams and tests.:

• CAEL- CE and CAEL- Online — from 60 points.
• TOEFL iBT — from 67.
• Michigan English Test — from 56-57.
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) — from 51+.
• International Test of English Proficiency — from 3.7+.
• Cambridge English Exams: Proficiency (CPE), Advanced (CAE), First (FCE) — from 167 – 169.
• Language Cert Academic — from 65-69.
• Duolingo — from 105-114.

When applying, you need to collect a standard set of documents: a certificate or diploma with an English translation, passport and other necessary materials. All of this is served through the official college system. It is important to keep in mind that the requirements may vary significantly depending on the program and the year of admission, and some directions are considered more competitive and have additional selection stag

Centennial College Toronto offers students various financial assistance options — these include scholarships, entrance scholarships (entrance scholarships), and academic awards. They are granted for strong academic performance, and sometimes for active participation in college life. Some of these opportunities are available to all students, but there are also separate programs for foreign students, such as Entrance Scholarships for International Students.

Applications must be submitted independently through the myCentennial system. It has a tool called Scholarships and Bursaries Finder, which selects suitable options based on the student's program, academic performance, and profile. After filling out the application, recommendations appear, and you can apply for specific scholarships.

All financial grants are awarded on a competitive basis: typically a high GPA or meeting other program requirements is needed. They generally cannot fully cover all tuition and living expenses, but they help significantly reduce the overall cost of education.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision