Capilano University
- Last Updated on: July 17, 2025 by
- Sridhar Kongara
Capilano University was first formed in 1968, located in North Vancouver, British Columbia, and the institution was called Capilano College, it was a small institution in size with an enrolment of just 784 students. Today it has over 10,000 students, a quarter of whom are international and come from 92 countries. The main campus is in North Vancouver, close to the Marine Drive SkyTrain station and houses over 7,000 students with smaller campuses throughout the sea-to-sky corridor and the Westshore of metro Vancouver including Squamish (CapU Squamish), Lonsdale (CapU Lonsdale) and the kálax-ay | Sunshine Coast Campus. Its 16 bachelor’s degrees and 140 programs and postgraduate-level programs offer students one of the lowest rates of tuition at a university in British Columbia.
Courses Offered
** Fees mentioned here are approximate and are per year, Unless specified otherwise
Why Choose Capilano University
Career-Focused Curriculum: With programs relevant to today’s job market in business, animation, music and film production, tourism, and early childhood education, Capua is focused on teaching excellence and student success. This is even the case with those that have work integrated learning elements like practicums, internships, or co-ops.
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Internationally Oriented: Capua’s student body is composed of international learners from all over the world and as a result, the campus is quite diverse. The university provides international student advisors and peer mentoring program to help new arrivals settle in.
Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation: The university is intentionally integrating the Indigenous science into their policies and learning methods. Centres for Indigenous students and for culturally sensitive learning throughout the Indigenous Student Centre.
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Campus Facilities at Capilano University
State-of-the-Art Learning Spaces: The university buildings feature labs, media production suites and collaborative rooms. Designed under an innovative education model, facilities satisfy practice standards for arts and media professionals in delivery of programs and services.
Library and Study Spaces: They refurbished and expanded the current Capua Library, and the new library contains both digital and physical resources of all kinds. Campus also has study rooms and group rooms at school where students can study and relax.
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Sports and Wellness: The Centre for Sport & Wellness (also including a gym, workout space and health clinic facilities). They are eligible to play competitive or recreational sports in the college (including the Capilano Blues varsity teams).
Childcare and Family Support: Fulmer Family Centre for Childhood Studies (2025) houses classrooms, day care facilities and child research labs for early childhood education. It also has 74 new childcare spaces for the students’ and faculty members’ children.
Performing Arts and Events: Blue Shore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts, with a seating capacity of 372, for music, other types of cultural performance and drama. It is also a school and a community cultural centre.
Student Services Offered by Capilano University
Academic Advising and Tutoring: The on-campus assistance offered to students is by program advisers, writing centre, Math lab, peer tutoring. Sunshine Coast Campus also provides free tutors with support of Nation through Nimbus Learning.
Career Development: CapU’s Career Services can help with resume writing and interview preparation and job searches. Their students benefit from frequent career-fairs and meet-and-greets that connect their interests to local industry.
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Accessibility and Well-being: The mandate of Accessibility Services is to provide equitable access for all students with disabilities to their university education. The university also provides wellness programs, campus health clinics, and counselling.
Residence and Housing Support: On-campus housing is available in all the university’s residences. staff member help students make the transition to college with the support of start-up events, mentors, and around-the-clock support.
Indigenous Services: Capua, provide culturally appropriate spaces, scholarships, elder-in residence programming and pathways to other levels of education to help our Indigenous students.
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Student Life at Capilano University
Events and Celebrations: Campus is home to Cap Fest and Cap Rocks. Students get everything from live music and performances to food festivals all year.
Student Housing Community: Living on campus also means regular social programming like movie nights, culture dinners and group activities.
Athletics and Recreation: Recreational sports leagues, fitness groups and varsity teams are also available for students. The national stage is set on the brand-new FIFA-turf pitch at Capua Squamish, which will also host the 2024 CCAA Women’s Soccer Championship.
Art and Expression: There is a lively roar of public murals, drama shows and live music events to make sure that Capua stays a place where creative doors swing open. Art festivals, open mic nights, and gallery shows are commonplace through the university.
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Capua North Vancouver (Main Campus): The biggest and original campus is located at 2055 Purcell Way8 and is 34 acres. Most of UBC’s teaching and learning facilities are located here, such as the Library, Bosa Centre, Blue Shore Theatre and the new Fulmer Family Centre.
Capua Squamish: This newest campus caters to students in the Sea-to-Sky region. The complex features include dormitories, outdoor sports fields, and academies, and is built upon the idea of community integration as well as regional expansion.
Sunshine Coast Campus: Preparatory and community education programs, such as literacy, early childhood education, and academic upgrading, are offered at the Sechelt area campus. It provides small class sizes and hands-on, applied learning in conjunction with the Shíshálh Nation.
Capua Lonsdale: Shipyards – Lower Lonsdale Located at Shipyards District in Lower Lonsdale, we provide business and continuing education programs seeking a vibrant urban campus. It is great for busy career folks who do not have time for traditional class and for students who have a full agenda and are looking for some flexibility.
Virtual and Online Learning: Capua also provides distance education and mixed-mode learning opportunities. These programs allow students to alter their schedules — “work their schedule around school or school around their schedule, especially in high-demand programs in business and health.
Scholarships Offered by Capilano University
Capua Entrance Awards: The award of the scholarship is between $1,000 -$5,000 and is available to both domestic and international students with outstanding grades. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and submit a personal statement.
Capua International Student Award: For NEW incoming international students only, who have applied to full-time programs Maximum value: $3000. You must have a minimum 75% average and be involved in the community or a leader.
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Blue Shore Financial Business Leadership Award: Value: $2,500 Eligibility: Business majors demonstrating leadership and community involvement. 3.5 minimum GPA; Two letters of recommendation required.
The Mary Lou Owen Education Assistance Fund: In its second year, the bursary is accessible for Sunshine Coast students and can award up to $2,000 per student each year. The applicant must provide both the need-based form and an essay.
Capilano Excellence Scholarship: Capua’s most prestigious entrance scholarship – provided the recipient maintains a 3.5 CGPA, up to 80% of tuition is covered for up four years. High School, Academic: Outstanding academic achievement (95 average & above) and leadership in multiple extracurricular activities.
Internship and Placement at Capilano University
Work-Integrated Learning: Capua bridges academic and experiential learning throughout all its programs. Applied experience: Internships, co-ops, and practicums The real-world application of what is taught in the classroom is also an option for the students to pursue through internships, co-ops, and practicums. Tourism, film, and business sectors are thankful for these examples.
Film and Animation Projects: Experiential learning opportunities exist in the vibrant media industry of Vancouver working in the film environment.
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Business and Marketing Placements: Business student’s co-op with BC companies. Some of these may result in full-time employment after your graduate.
Childhood Education Practicums: Preschool children are educated in on or off-campus childcare settings. They give students a chance to work with young people in the real world, and to build confidence in a classroom before embarking on a career.
Career Launch Programs: Local employers collaborate with Career Services for end-of-term internships with students in their senior year. These internships also incorporate career-readiness preparation and feedback from the employer.
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Entry Requirements at Capilano University
Undergraduate Requirements for International Students: Applicants will be required to have graduated from British Columbia Grade 12. Successful completion of English 12, with a C Grade or better, and 2 other academic courses.
English Language Proficiency: Test scores are also required for international applicants who wish to study in English. The approved test scores are ILETS (minimum not less than 6.5 overall and one band not less than 6.0), or TOEFL iBT (minimum not less than 83) or equivalent. If you are not in Grade 12 advanced English, Applicants may need to write the Capua English Diagnostic.
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Program-Specific Requirements: Some programs including animation, design, and music — will also need a portfolio, interview, or audition, beside the student’s academic records. Resumes for business and early childhood education programs are also required.
Advanced Standing and Transfer: Students may receive credit for post-secondary study elsewhere. * CapU will assess transfer applicants by request and has articulation agreements.
Rankings and Awards at Capilano University
National Recognition: Art and applied programs in recent years, Capua has developed a reputation as one of the top schools in Canada for arts and applied programs (as of October 2010). It is ranked as one of the best colleges in British Columbia and is consistently a top institution in quality of teaching and overall student satisfaction.
NWCCU Accreditation: The North Vancouver institution, which achieved U.S.-based global accreditation in 2012 from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, was B.C.’s first university to obtain international recognition that its programs meet ambitious standards.
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Top Employer Recognition: For over a decade, Capua has been selected as one of BC’s Top Employers, but this is just a testament to how much we care about our most important asset – our people – and for the Role is offering flexible work arrangements.
Cultural and Community Leadership: The university was also commended for its 50 the anniversary legacy canoe project that serves as a symbol of its commitment to Indigenous engagement and as a journey towards reconciliation.
Blue Shore Theatre Awards: Blue Shore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts is known for excellence in arts education and professional and community programming, as well as its commitment to leading the cultural scene.
Acceptance Rate: Capilano University offers enrolment in many undergraduate and diploma programs. Cut-off for admissions varies from faculty to faculty and from year to year.
Estimated Acceptance Range: Capilano University does not publish official admission rates; however, estimates range from 23% to 72% based on the course. These numbers are based on general trends from the 2017–18 academic year and are not exact.
Program-Specific Competitiveness: Some of Cap’s programs (e.g., Animation, Film Studies, and Design) are competitive and space-limited, meaning they receive a high number of applications relative to available seats. These programs typically have lower admission rates compared to more general or open-enrolment programs.
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