Published plans and annual reports 2025–2026: Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security

Ministry overview

Ministry’s vision

Ontario’s postsecondary system prepares students and job seekers with the high-quality education, skills and opportunities needed to get in-demand jobs in key industries, providing Ontario’s businesses with the skilled workforce and talent they need to thrive and prosper. The postsecondary system is a critical part of the province's social and economic fabric, contributing to stronger and healthier communities. The ministry also supports research and innovation to help the province build a stronger, more resilient economy, while protecting its valuable intellectual property and security interest.

The ministry ensures that high-quality postsecondary education is accessible to all qualified students through tuition policy, student financial assistance, targeted funding (including funding for French-language and bilingual programs), accountability mechanisms, quality assurance of degree programs offered by private institutions and digital and experiential learning opportunities.

The ministry provides operating funding to publicly assisted colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes, manages equipment and renewal programs in the postsecondary sector, establishes provincial objectives for the use of public funds and designs frameworks for achieving these objectives. In addition, the ministry regulates career colleges who play an important role in Ontario’s postsecondary landscape, providing learners with the knowledge and skills they need to get a job in today’s workplace.

Ontario’s science and research sector plays a vital role in cementing the province as a global leader and innovator in critical sectors. It also fuels the province’s economic growth and addresses challenges facing Ontario by protecting the province’s workers, innovation, and well-being. The ministry funds world-class research in Ontario universities, colleges, research institutes and academic hospitals. Ontario’s competitive research funding programs, and support for research institutes drive commercialization, innovation and help attract and retain world-class talent. The ministry’s focus on the Intellectual Property (IP) Action Plan prioritizes the generation, protection, management and commercialization of IP in the postsecondary and innovation sectors to maximize the value of Ontario-grown research and innovation.

Supporting postsecondary education, research and innovation helps Ontario compete and thrive in the global economy and are more important than ever as drivers of protecting people’s health and building a more competitive, more resilient and more self-reliant economy.

Ministry programs

Helping students succeed

Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)

OSAP continues to provide financial assistance to eligible students in postsecondary studies who need it most, including grants, loans, and other supports. Ontario has also expanded OSAP to students in eligible, independently delivered programs at Indigenous Institutes as well as students enrolled in more than 2,000 eligible micro-credential programs at both public and private institutions.

Support for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Students and Workforce

Ontario is investing $750 million in STEM programs at publicly assisted colleges and universities over the next five years. The funding will be delivered as part of the new five-year Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMAs) for 2025–30 that the ministry recently signed with all 45 publicly-assisted institutions, linking funding to performance. This STEM investment and other initiatives in the recently signed SMA will support up to 20,500 STEM seats per year in Ontario and prepare thousands of university and college students for critical jobs.

College degree expansion – three-year degrees and additional four-year degrees

In April 2022, the government expanded degree granting at publicly assisted colleges. This included introducing three-year college degrees in applied areas of study and increasing degree cap limits at colleges to offer greater flexibility to design and deliver programs that will provide more options for students to meet labour market needs. The government increased the degree cap for the five Institutes of Technology and Advanced Learning to 20% and 10% for all other colleges. This allows Ontario’s colleges to offer a greater proportion of their program activity as degrees.

With a focus on key in‐demand sectors, these new, three‐year applied degrees and additional four‐year degree programs support Ontario’s commitment to increasing choices and reducing barriers to high‐quality, local education for students.

Some examples of three‐year applied degree programs that have been approved include a Bachelor of Data Analytics and a Bachelor of Computer Science.

Micro-credentials

Micro-credentials help prepare workers for in-demand jobs through rapid training at Ontario’s public and career colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes. These short-duration programs are recognized by many employers and are convenient ways for people to retrain and upgrade their skills, giving them more opportunities in the job market. Not only does this help workers find new employment, but it also helps respond to regional labour market needs and the needs of specific employers.

Since 2020, the Ontario government has announced over $60 million in Ontario’s Micro-credentials Strategy, including $5 million from the 2023 Ontario Budget for a second round of the Micro-credentials Challenge Fund to support the creation of more micro-credential projects. The first round helped create over 300 new micro-credentials across the province while the second round funded 36 postsecondary institutions for project activities that began in Spring 2024.

There are over 2,000 micro-credentials that are currently eligible for funding through the Ontario Student Assistance Program for Micro-credentials offered at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions across Ontario, with more being added regularly.

College applied Master’s Degrees

In 2024, the Post-secondary Choice and Excellence Act, 2000, was amended to allow publicly assisted colleges to apply for consent to offer master’s degrees in applied areas of study. Per the amendments, college applied master's degree programs must meet a number of conditions when applying for consent such as offering a current bachelor’s degree in the same area to allow for laddering.

This change will help students graduate with in-demand skills, expertise, and credentials, providing employers access to more industry-ready employees that meet labor market needs in specialized fields.

Some examples of college applied master’s degree programs that are being considered include a Master of Artificial Intelligence Design and Development, a Master of Engineering in Advanced Manufacturing, and a Master of Animation, Games and Immersive Experiences.

Investing in construction skilled trades

Skilled trades and professional workers are essential to the success of Ontario’s infrastructure plan and its goal to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. The province is providing $75 million over three years starting in 2025–26 to create up to 2,600 new seats annually in priority construction-related postsecondary programs. This investment will increase the supply of students for in-demand jobs to meet current and projected labour demand in sectors that are critical to deliver Ontario’s ambitious infrastructure plan.

Creating resource development scholarships for First Nation Students

As announced in the 2025 Ontario Budget, the government is investing $10 million over three years to create new scholarship opportunities for First Nation students interested in pursuing careers in resource development. Ontario’s colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes play a key role in ensuring Ontario’s mining sector has a highly skilled workforce to drive its economy.

Protecting the health care workforce

The government of Ontario is continuing its mission to build a stronger health care workforce so that well-trained and well-supported doctors, nurses, personal support workers (PSWs) and other health care professionals are there to provide quality care to the people of Ontario.

The ministry works closely with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care to deliver nursing and medical education in Ontario. In 2023, the Ontario government introduced the Your Health Plan for Connected and Convenient Care. A key pillar of the Plan includes hiring more health care professionals by increasing training seats for students.

Nursing education

The government is investing $56.8 million over the next three years to support an enrolment increase of nursing spaces at publicly assisted colleges and universities by over 2,200 registered and registered practical nurses and nurse practitioners. In addition, this funding will support continued investments in innovative, flexible, online nursing pathways.

Since 2018, Ontario has seen a record-breaking number of new health-care professionals join the workforce, adding nearly 100,000 new nurses with another 30,000 nurses currently studying at Ontario colleges and universities.

The ministry is also supporting the modernization of clinical education for Practical Nursing (PN) and Bachelor of Science – Nursing (BScN) students by investing an additional $124.2 million over three years and extended for a fourth year, beginning in 2022–23 ($41.4 million annually). This investment has enabled publicly assisted colleges and universities to expand laboratory capacity supports and hands-on learning for nursing students, supporting opportunities for learners to demonstrate their knowledge of theories and principles in practical setting.

By continuing to boost the number of spaces available to educate nursing students and enhancing their education opportunities, the government is making sure there are enough trained health care workers to support Ontario’s growing population for years to come.

Medical education

Ontario needs more doctors. This is why Ontario continues to expand undergraduate and postgraduate medical training seats across the province.

Since 2022–23, the government announced several rounds of expansions of medical school education in Ontario, adding a combined 340 undergraduate seats and 549 postgraduate positions. This is the largest expansion of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in over 10 years.

By 2028, these new medical expansions will bring the total number of undergraduate seats to 1,292 and postgraduate training seats to 1,737.

As announced in the 2024 Budget, the government is addressing the need for family physicians and improving the province’s primary care capacity by expanding medical training and supporting York University in establishing a new medical school in Vaughan. This will be the first medical school in Canada primarily focused on training family doctors.

This $9 million investment builds on other existing medical education and training expansions within Ontario, including the establishment of a medical school at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). In 2023–24, the ministry provided $9.4 million to support operating costs for TMU’s planning activities including curriculum and accreditation of the medical program, equipment and supplies, as well as organizational readiness.

These investments bolster Ontario’s health workforce, ensuring that people can easily and conveniently connect to the care they need where and when they need it.

Paramedicine education

Ontario announced funding for more than 300 additional spaces in primary care paramedic programs at publicly assisted colleges across Ontario in 2023–24. In the first year of the first expansion, $1.01 million was allocated to 13 publicly assisted colleges that increased first year paramedic enrolment by 169 students. A second round of expansion was launched in 2024–25; 16 publicly assisted colleges aim to increase first year enrolment by up to 383 students in fall 2024 and winter 2025. The total allocated funding is $2.34 million.

More student spaces in primary care paramedic programs will make it easier for future paramedics to access education and training closer to home. Expanding the pipeline of talent for the future will also help bolster the paramedic workforce and make sure emergency services are available to respond to emergencies when and where Ontarians need them.

Allied health professions

To address labour market shortages in allied health professions, Ontario committed funding of up to $1.52 million for up to 234 additional spaces in Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) and Medical Radiation Technology (MRT) programs at publicly assisted colleges in the 2024–25 academic year. Ontario committed up to $1 million to support the expansion of Confederation College’s Medical Laboratory Technician program.

Ontario Learn and Stay Grant

The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant (OLSG) launched in the spring of 2023. For the 2023–24 and 2024–25 academic years, OLSG has supported building health human resource workforce capacity (in eligible nursing, paramedic or medical laboratory technology/medical laboratory science programs and institutions) in underserved Ontario communities.

The grant provides full, upfront funding for tuition, books and other direct educational costs to students in return for a term of service commitment in the region where they studied after they graduate. The program is designed to incentivize students to learn and stay in the regions where they studied, thus helping to bring in-demand health care workers to communities that need them most.

Since its creation, OLSG has provided over $90 million in funding to over 8,000 students.

Ontario is investing $159.6 million over three years, beginning in 2026–27, to expand OLSG to a total of four cohorts of medical school students to help improve access to primary care across the province. The grant will cover 100% of direct educational costs, including tuition and fees, starting with those who entered medical school in 2024–25, and who commit to working in the community for a term of service as family medicine physicians after completing residency anywhere in the province.

Protecting postsecondary education

Ontario is committed to supporting the quality, accessibility and sustainability of the postsecondary education system now and into the future, so learners continue to get the skills and education needed to get good jobs and meet labour market needs.

Financial sustainability in the postsecondary education sector

Ontario supports stability and accountability in the postsecondary sector through 5-year Strategic Mandate Agreements that are signed between the ministry and 45 public colleges and universities, which govern around $4.8 billion per year (about 90% of ongoing operating funding). Through these agreements, the ministry provides colleges and universities with performance targets to ensure institutions are meeting the needs of students and equipping them to succeed in rewarding careers.

The ministry recently signed a new round of interim agreements (SMA4) that will provide stability for institutional funding in coming years. SMA4 also included the new $750 million over 5 years to support STEM programs at colleges and universities across the province.

Additionally, in 2024 the ministry announced an investment of nearly $1.3 billion in new funding over three years to support financial sustainability, capital renewal, research and innovation, and mental health.

Postsecondary education sustainability fund

The government is providing $903 million over three years, starting in 2024–25, through a Postsecondary Education Sustainability Fund, with $700 million in broad-based support for all institutions and $203 million in additional top-up funding for institutions with the greatest financial need.

This will help institutions to address their immediate, critical needs so they can continue delivering high-quality education to students.

Small, Northern and Rural Grant for colleges and Northern Ontario Grant for universities

The government recognizes that northern and smaller postsecondary institutions face unique financial challenges. That is why the province is continuing to provide an additional $10 million in funding in 2025–26 to provide targeted support to eligible publicly assisted postsecondary institutions based on need.

This funding will support financially vulnerable institutions while the government works with them on efficiency initiatives.

Efficiency and accountability fund

In February 2024, to support publicly assisted colleges and universities in delivering a high-quality education and experience to students in an efficient, accountable and transparent manner, the government created an Efficiency and Accountability Fund. The fund supports third-party reviews that will identify actions institutions can take to drive long-term cost-savings and positive outcomes for students and communities. These reviews will target structural issues as well as operational policies in order to improve sustainability and student experiences.

Facilities renewal program funding

The Ontario government spent nearly $200 million in 2024–25 to renew postsecondary campuses and will continue to invest over $1 billion over the next five years, starting in 2025–26 for critical maintenance, repairs, upgrades and renewal of Ontario’s universities and colleges.

In the 2022 budget, the government announced the Indigenous Institutes Facilities Renewal Program, the first program of its kind for Indigenous Institutes which provides the nine Indigenous Institutes in Ontario with $8.5 million over five years (starting in 2022–23) including $2.0 million in 2025–26 and 2026–27, vital funding to support safe and accessible facilities for Indigenous learners.

These investments will allow institutions to address their deferred maintenance backlog, undertake critical repairs, modernize classrooms, upgrade technology, and improve their environmental sustainability, while continuing to deliver a safe experience for students on campus.

Expanding Ontario’s teaching workforce

The government is addressing the need for qualified teachers by ensuring the public education system has a stable supply of English- and French-language teachers across the province to support and improve student outcomes. Ontario is investing $55.8 million over two years to train 2,600 new teachers by 2027. These efforts will provide a steady stream of qualified teachers to support students’ academic achievement and future career success.

Supporting access to college and university education in French

Nine colleges and universities currently offer French-language and bilingual programs to more than 33,000 students. Ontario provides special purpose funding to support the additional costs of offering these programs and recently supported the establishment of Université de l’Ontario français and the transition of Université de Hearst as autonomous, francophone universities.

Of the $134 million provided to French-language postsecondary institutions in 2024–25, $91 million was contributed by the province and $43 million was contributed by the federal government, through the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority Language Education and Second Official Language Instruction and the Canada-Ontario Agreement on the Establishment of the Université de l’Ontario français 2019–20 to 2026–27.

In December 2023, the ministry launched roundtable discussions with Ontario’s French-language and bilingual postsecondary institutions to ensure a sustained platform for collaborative conversations.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the ministry has implemented Ontario’s French Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (2021–2025), a four-year, multi-pronged strategy that aims to address the French-language and French as a second language teacher shortage in both the French and English school systems. Multiple projects are underway to increase the number of French teachers available and ready to support Ontario students and families.

The ministry also collaborates with the Ministry of Francophone Affairs to support and monitor institutions designated under the French Language Services Act, and to support government priorities related to francophone education and economic development.

Protecting the economy through research and innovation

Supporting research is critical to protecting Ontario’s long-term economic growth. The province recognizes that it is foundational to commercialization and innovation and to attracting and retaining world-class talent in the province. That is why the government will continue to invest in research and ensure an innovative environment that builds capacity and creates jobs, opportunity and growth.

Investing in research infrastructure to support economic growth

The government is investing an additional $207 million over three years through the Ontario Research Fund – Research Infrastructure, starting in 2025–26, to provide Ontario institutions with funding to acquire infrastructure and engage in global research and development. This will help support Ontario’s competitiveness in attracting, retaining and developing leading talent by ensuring researchers continue to have the state-of-the art facilities and equipment needed to make groundbreaking discoveries, drive the economy and improve the lives of people in Ontario. This investment will also leverage federal investments towards infrastructure projects in the province.

Phase 2 of Ontario’s Life Sciences Strategy

In October 2024, Ontario announced the next phase of Ontario’s Life Sciences Strategy, investing an additional $146 million.

The funding supports tools and programs to help establish Ontario as a global biomanufacturing and life sciences hub. This all-of-government strategy includes the following ministry programs:

• $46 million through the Ontario Research Fund – Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund Stage 2 to strengthen Ontario’s research, innovation and biomanufacturing capacity; and,
• $5 million for Clinical Trials Ontario and the innovative QuickSTART program, which reduces barriers and helps speed up clinical trial start-up times.

Mitacs

As announced in the 2023 Ontario Budget, the ministry is investing an additional $32.4 million over three years to support about 6,500 high-quality research internships through Mitacs, an organization that builds research partnerships between postsecondary institutions and industry.

By helping to fund these partnerships through Mitacs, the government is continuing to support thousands of research internships for undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows to help them gain the skills they need for in-demand jobs after graduation.

These internships support high-quality research and range widely in discipline, with support for key provincial priorities like critical minerals, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.

Expansion of the McMaster Nuclear Reactor

In the 2023 Ontario Budget, the Ontario government announced investing $6.8 million over three years to support the expansion of the McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR). The MNR is the largest research reactor in Canada and has been in operation since 1959. Scientists use the MNR for research and development in medical isotopes, radiopharmaceuticals, advanced materials and more. The MNR supports Ontario industries including nuclear medicine, nuclear fuel production, natural resource exploration and chemical manufacturing through significant commercial contracts.

As announced in Budget 2025, the government is investing an additional $15.5 million over three years, starting in 2025–26, to increase the reactor’s production of medical isotopes to a 24-hour-per-day, seven-day-per-week schedule, which will expand the supply and diversity of isotopes produced to help spur new discoveries.

The investment will help create 16 new jobs by 2030, enable the creation of a commercial spinoff and joint venture for medical isotopes, and establish additional nuclear and neutron beam research and development capabilities, as well as develop and commercialize new medical treatments.

Supporting the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

The Ontario government is investing $14 million over two years, starting in 2024–25, to continue to support and expand the operations of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory SNOLAB) – an underground science laboratory located in Sudbury. This investment will ensure the province remains a leader in advanced science, technology and innovation and continues to be a jurisdiction of choice for scientific research in the field of fundamental physics.

At two kilometers below the Earth’s surface, SNOLAB is the deepest underground lab in North America, providing ideal conditions for physicists studying dark matter and neutrinos. Ontario's investment in SNOLAB will:

• Open the door to new discoveries in fundamental science;
• Provide a unique training environment to attract, develop and retain the next generation of scientists and engineers;
• Help maintain Ontario's leadership in this field and attract international research and investment partnerships; and
• Support technology development and promote mobilization of knowledge and transfer of technology to society.

Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON)

The Ontario Intellectual Property (IP) Action Plan aims to enhance the generation, protection, management, and commercialization of intellectual property.The pillars of the IP Action Plan include:

• Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) – the first agency in Canada devoted to working with innovators, businesses and researchers to increase the value of their intellectual property
• Basic and advanced IP curricula
• The Commercialization Mandate Policy Framework
• A new governance framework for Regional Innovation Centres

IPON is a key pillar of the IP Action plan. The agency supports the province’s innovators, including researchers and entrepreneurs, to maximize the value of and protect their IP, gain a competitive advantage in the global market, and support long-term economic growth. The Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security is the lead oversight ministry for the agency, working in close partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Perimeter institute

Ontario’s investments in the Perimeter Institute have helped to solidify Ontario’s status as a top jurisdiction for research excellence, world-leading talent, and innovation. The Perimeter Institute is a global centre of research excellence in theoretical physics that was created to advance knowledge and realize the opportunities of the quantum revolution.

Ontario is continuing its support of the Perimeter Institute through an investment of up to $36 million over three years starting in 2024–25. The renewed funding will support Perimeter’s efforts to conduct research in key research areas such as quantum science that will keep Ontario globally competitive, grow our quantum industries and support economic growth in Ontario. The new investment will also support Perimeter’s continued efforts to attract, develop and retain talent in Ontario while strengthening the STEM pipeline in Ontario.

Ontario collaborative innovation platform

Ontario is working to help businesses and innovators engage in world-class research, development and commercialization, and to provide Ontario postsecondary students with real-world, hands-on experience.

The Ontario government is making an investment of $2.31 million over three years starting in 2024–25 to support greater collaboration between industry and the postsecondary education and research sectors, to create well-paying jobs in local communities and help build a resilient economy. This investment is supporting the operation of the Ontario Collaborative Innovation Platform, an online portal that matches industry professionals with R&D partners in the postsecondary sector, streamlining access to available funding, and addressing the many points of friction and red tape that have historically impeded these types of commercialization partnerships.

2025–2026 strategic plan

The Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security promotes excellence and equity in higher education, life-long learning and research.

The Ministry helps provide employers with a skilled workforce ready to support Ontario’s strategic priorities. It drives change in the college and university system to ensure students receive an affordable, high-quality education.

Ontario’s postsecondary system is a critical part of the province’s social and economic fabric, contributing to stronger and healthier communities while supporting research and innovation that helps the province grow and compete globally.

A plan for the future

To protect workers and students, Ontario’s plan for the future of higher education and advanced research will:

• Improve labour market alignment– provide funding to support programs that produce job-ready graduates for employers in priority sectors such as Health Human Resources, education, electric vehicles and construction.
• Put students first– keep education affordable and prioritize supports for student mental health, accessibility, well-being, and safety on campus.
• Support financial sustainability in the sector– strengthen efficiency, accountability, and performance-based incentives within existing funding arrangements.
• Drive innovation and economic growth– invest in research and the development and commercialization of intellectual property in key sectors like electric vehicles, life sciences, agri-tech, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

Key issues and risks impacting delivery of ministry programs and/or the sector

Sector sustainability:

• Sector sustainability is impacted by a number of factors, including international students, inflation and rising labour costs. Since the tabling of the 2025 Budget, some postsecondary education stakeholders have publicly welcomed the investments but stated they do not go far enough to support the needs of the postsecondary sector.
• The ministry plays a role through accountability agreements that tie funding to key performance measures, as well as setting policy on tuition and other fees.
• Indigenous Institutes are calling for increased funding to support day-to-day operations, build capacity and deliver independent programs to ensure their schools remain sustainable.

International students:

• Federal policy related to admission of international students has made a major impact on the sector. Canada’s “brand” among key countries has suffered following recent policy changes and will take years to recover.
• The ministry continues to engage with the federal government and sector partners to mitigate the impact of these changes.

Key performance indicators

The ministry is committed to increasing access to postsecondary education. As a result, Ontario has become a leader in postsecondary attainment in Canada. In 2024, about 75% of Ontarians between the ages of 25 and 64 have a postsecondary credential, the highest of any province.

The ministry is also focused on ensuring that employers in Ontario have access to a skilled workforce. To do this, the ministry is improving alignment between postsecondary systems and labour market needs. The ministry is measuring its progress related to this by tracking the proportion of domestic college and university graduates employed full-time in a field related or partially-related to their studies.

For the 2023–24 reporting year, about 81% of domestic college graduates were employed full-time in a field related or partially-related to their studies (based on the number of respondents employed in full-time jobs six months after graduating).

For the 2023–24 reporting year, about 91% of university graduates were employed in a field related or partially related to their studies (based on the number of respondents employed in full-time jobs two years after graduating).

Year-over-year growth is not always possible and the metric is affected by the local economic conditions for each institution and the overall province. Hence, the ministry is implementing a conservative estimate for target setting leveraging the performance-based funding target-setting methodology from the ministry’s Strategic Mandate Agreement process.

Note: Total amount includes Statutory Appropriations and Consolidations. Operating and Capital Assets are not included.

Detailed financial information

Table 2: Combined operating and capital summary by vote

Historic trend table

Actuals 2022–23 vs. Actuals 2023–24

• Increase primarily due to higher college spending related to increased enrolment levels and
  operating costs, as well as higher spending on student financial assistance.

Actuals 2023–24 vs. Estimates 2024–25

• Decrease primarily due to lower forecasted college sector spending, as a result of the federal
  government announcement to cap international student study permit applications beginning
  in 2024, partially offset by additional funding to support financial sustainability for the
  postsecondary education sector.

Estimates 2024–25 vs. Estimates 2025–26

• Increase primarily due to investments in Research Infrastructure, Ontario Learn and Stay Grant,
  STEM related programs and financial sustainability for the postsecondary education sector.

Agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs)

Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO)

HEQCO assists the Minister in improving all aspects of the postsecondary education sector, including improving the quality of education provided in the sector, access to postsecondary education and accountability of postsecondary educational institutions.

Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (PEQAB)

PEQAB makes recommendations to the Minister on applications for the Minister’s consent to offer degree programs and/or use the term “university” from new and existing private Ontario degree-granting institutions, out-of-province institutions, Ontario colleges and all others not authorized to award degrees by an Ontario statute.

Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON)*

IPON provides expert IP advice and access to IP resources to help researchers and companies to maximize the value of IP, strengthen their capacity to grow, compete in the market, and enhance research and commercialization outcomes.

*Prior to 2025-26, IPON was also funded by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade. In 2025-26, MCURES will be the sole funder of IPON. Prior fiscal years are re-stated to reflect this change.

Ontario Research Fund Advisory Board (ORFAB)

ORFAB reviews research proposals submitted to the Ontario Research Fund and Early Researcher Award program that have been assessed by a Review Panel and makes funding recommendations to the Minister. The board also provides strategic advice to the Minister on the research agenda to keep Ontario competitive and prosperous.

Ministry organization chart

• Minister: Nolan Quinn
  • Deputy Minister: David Wai
    • Executive Assistant: Sarah Robb
    • Communications — Director: Jonathan Leigh (A)
    • Operations Division — Assistant Deputy Minister: Jeff Butler
      • Executive Assistant: Shenique Turner (A)
      • Career Colleges  — Director: Charlotte Smaglinski
      • Student Financial Assistance: — Saba Ferdinands
      • Science and Research — Director: Colleen Hogan
      • Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment: — Director: James Brown
    • Financial Sustainability, Performance and Oversight Division — Assistant Deputy Minister: Josh Paul
      • Executive Assistant: Angie Leung (A)
      • Financial Policy — Director: Kayla VanWyck
      • Strategic Mandate and Performance — Director: Lindsey Harrold (A)
      • Capital and Financial Accountability — Director: Sam Andrey (A)
    • Strategic Policy and Planning Division — Assistant Deputy Minister: Zoe Kroeker
      • Executive Assistant: Anika Bhatti (A)
      • Postsecondary Education Policy — Director: Kinney Butterfield (A)
      • Postsecondary Education Programs — Director: Seetha Kumaresh (A)
      • Indigenous Education — Director: Hilary Blain
      • Strategic Policy Coordination — Director: Laura Belfie (A)
    • Corporate Management  and Services Division — Assistant Deputy Minister: Jason Arandjelovic
      • Executive Assistant: Matthew Casselman (A)
      • Corporate Finance  and Services — Director: Konrad Stypka
      • Strategic Human Resources (Reports to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security and the Ministry of Education) — Director: Nadine Ramdial
      • Corporate Coordination (Reports to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security and the Ministry of Education (with exception of Corporate Priorities and Engagement Unit dedicated only to MCURES)) — Director: Vanessa Bennett (A)
      • Legal Services (Reports to the Ministry of Attorney General (MAG)) — Director: Amyn Hadibhai (A)
      • Ontario Internal Audit Education Audit Service Team (Reports to Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS)) — Director: Anne Piattella (A)
    • French-Language Education Division (Reports to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security and the Ministry of Education) — Assistant Deputy Minister: Didier Pomerleau
      • Executive Assistant: Sarah Evans (A)
      • MCURES French-Language Priorities — Director: Elizabeth Hoerath
    • Community Services I&IT Cluster (Reports to the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement (MPBSDP)) — Chief Information Officer/ Assistant Deputy Minister: Rocco Passero

Annual report: 2025–2026

2024–2025 results

Postsecondary education is a critical part of preparing Ontario students for the future. Ontario’s internationally acclaimed postsecondary sector plays a key role in creating a pipeline of talented workers, making sure people get the skills and education they need so they are qualified and ready to fill jobs and address the skills gap.

Supporting research in Ontario is foundational to commercialization and innovation and to attract and retain world-class talent in the province. This activity creates highly skilled jobs and enhances the global competitiveness for Ontario’s companies and research institutions. That is why the government will continue to work with research institutions, research organizations and academic hospitals to ensure an innovative environment that builds capacity and creates jobs, opportunity and growth.

Key initiatives and results

In 2024-2025, the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security delivered on many key government priorities that support driving Ontario’s economic growth and prosperity and building a better and brighter future for families, workers and businesses in Ontario.

Meet the needs of all students and equip them to succeed in rewarding careers

Supporting education and career planning

In 2025, Ontario launched My Career Journey, an online tool to help students understand labour market needs and make informed decisions on postsecondary education. This one-stop source of information will help students, job-seekers, and newcomers access education and careers in Ontario.

Supporting careers in health care

Ontario Learn and Stay Grant

Since its creation in 2023, the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant (OLSG) has provided more than $90 million in funding to over 8,000 students in health human resources programs. By providing targeted financial support that incentivizes students to learn and stay in priority regions, the Ontario government is helping communities get the workers they need for in-demand professions while also putting students first.

Rural and northern communities continue to see shortages of health care workers, and the government is working to ensure that they have the required staff to respond to the needs of patients and our health care system. As such, for the 2025–2026 academic year, Ontario announced OLSG will continue to support specific health human resources programs, including:

• nursing programs in northern, eastern and southwestern Ontario
• medical laboratory technology/medical laboratory science programs in northern and southwestern Ontario
• paramedic programs in northern Ontario

Nursing education

As announced in the 2024 Ontario Budget, the province is strengthening the health care workforce by providing $128 million over the next three years to support the sustained enrolment increases of 2,000 additional spaces in Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs and 1,000 additional spaces in Practical Nursing education programs at publicly assisted colleges and universities.

As part of the Your Health plan, the province is adding an additional 150 nurse practitioner education spots. In 2023–2024 and 2024–2025, the government invested $17.1 million to operationalize 101 spaces through a consortium of universities (9 universities) and 20 additional spaces at the University of Toronto funded through MOH for an amount of $238,743 in 2023–2024 and $477,486 in 2024–2025, As of November 2024, universities operationalized 350 total seats.

As of April 2025, 15 publicly assisted universities and all 24 publicly assisted colleges offer some form of nursing education.

In 2024–2025, the ministry also supported the clinical education component in nursing education programs through an investment of $41.4 million.

Personal Support Worker training

As part of the province’s Your Health plan, in November 2023, the government announced new expansion initiatives to continue to recruit and retain personal support workers (PSWs) with an investment of more than $300 million over three years. As of April 2025, all 24 publicly assisted colleges, approximately 131 career colleges (operating approximately 193 campuses), six Indigenous Institutes, and 25 district school boards offer PSWs training.

Enhancing personal support worker and nursing training at Indigenous Institutes

In 2024, funding was approved for an additional $34 million from 2024-2028 across seven participating Indigenous Institutes to expand existing nursing and personal support worker programs or create new ones to support the training of about 265 registered practical nurses, 48 registered nurses and 237 PSWs over four years.

Funding is helping Indigenous Institutes provide culturally responsive education and training pathways for learners to prepare for careers as registered nurses (RNs), registered practical nurses (RPNs) or PSWs. This investment has enabled Indigenous Institutes to expand partnerships with community health care providers and long-term care homes, as well as upgrade labs and equipment and provide more wraparound supports for students to help with retention.

French-language nursing programs

In June 2023, the government also announced that it would be expanding French-language nursing education with the launch of Collège Boréal’s new stand-alone four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at its Sudbury and Toronto campuses. Nursing Enrolment Expansion 3 includes an investment of up to $630,000 to support an additional 70 practical nursing spaces at Collège Boréal for the 2023–2024 school year. With this investment, the government is ensuring that Ontario’s French-speaking population can have access to French-speaking health care providers, allowing for better communication between provider and patient and ultimately better health care outcomes.

Ontario Student Assistance Program

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) provided financial aid to approximately 494,000 full-time students in the 2024–2025 fiscal year and about 140,000 students accessed repayment supports.

The postsecondary programs that OSAP supports have also expanded—students can now apply for OSAP for more than 2,000 eligible micro-credentials programs at both public and private institutions.

Virtual learning

The government provided over $70 million from 2020 to 2024 to support Ontario’s inaugural Virtual Learning Strategy (VLS).  To date, the investments in the VLS continue to support:

• Over 450 projects across the province, led by Ontario’s publicly assisted colleges, universities, and Indigenous Institutes that resulted in more than 600 digital resources that support Ontario’s institutions, students, faculty and staff as they teach and learn online. Projects were aimed at expanding options for traditional and life-long learning through the accelerated use of both online and hybrid learning, and expand the capacity and quality of virtual learning in Ontario’s postsecondary education sector.
• Laptop loaner program to make over 1,900 laptops available for eligible Ontarians living in small, rural, remote, Indigenous and francophone communities without direct/physical access to educational and training opportunities.
• About 500 short courses/modules transitioned online, the creation of over 400 new short online courses/modules, and over 200 open educational resources developed at Indigenous Institutes.

Ontario is also increasing access to French-language digital teaching and learning resources, made possible by the financial support of the Government of Canada under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority Language Education and Second Official Language Instruction. With a $1.5 million in 2024–2025, Ontario made digital teaching and learning resources for the postsecondary education sector more widely available in French by providing eCampusOntario with funding to:

• Expand the Ontario Extend Program to include targeted French-language professional development and learning resources.
• Increase access and expand French-language open education resources.
• Engage the sector, particularly French-language and bilingual postsecondary institutions, by establishing and developing professional communities of practice that will help to enhance and encourage institutional, educator and learner connections.

Supporting safe and respectful learning environments for postsecondary students

In May 2024, the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024, received Royal Assent. The Act requires publicly assisted colleges and universities to have policies and rules to address and combat racism and hate, including but not limited to, anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia. It also requires colleges and universities to provide information to students about ancillary fees and other educational costs, including costs for textbooks or other learning materials.

Further to the legislation, in September 2024, the minister issued an anti-racism/anti-hate directive, requiring all publicly assisted colleges and universities to have publicly available anti-racism/anti-hate policies by January 31, 2025.

In 2024-25, Ontario invested $6.1 million to support sexual violence prevention and campus safety efforts at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions through the Campus Safety Grant. The Grant helps institutions support all campus safety initiatives in the areas of awareness and education and supports and services for students, including safe walk programs, awareness programs, and safety training.

Supporting student housing

The ministry continues to work with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) and the postsecondary education sector to support student housing solutions. Over the last year the government has taken several actions, including:

• Requiring all colleges and universities to publish their student housing policies and guarantee that housing options are available for incoming international students. This could mean providing a student housing office/resource person or making housing information easily accessible on a housing resource website (for example, tenant resource guides, off-campus housing options).
• Collecting data on existing and planned student housing to better understand the student housing landscape and to support counting student housing towards provincially set targets for municipalities through the Building Faster Fund.
• Passing the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, which streamlines approvals for student housing for universities. This includes exempting universities from the Planning Act to address student housing needs and free up affordable homes.
• Released a new Provincial Planning Statement (PPS) which includes provisions to support new student housing. This includes encouraging collaboration between municipalities and postsecondary institutions as well as acknowledging land around postsecondary institutions as ‘strategic growth areas.’

Indigenous Learning

In 2024–2025, Ontario invested $26.4 million in the Indigenous Institutes Operating Grant to support the nine Indigenous Institutes in the province that provide access for nearly 1,880 postsecondary education learners. Total ministry funding for the Indigenous Institutes has increased from $20 million in 2017–2018 to over $55 million in 2024–2025.

In 2024–2025, Ontario also invested nearly $10 million in special purpose grants for Indigenous Institutes. The ministry also provided $2.1 million in funding to the Indigenous Advanced Education and Skills Council, which is recognized under the Indigenous Institutes Act, 2017, and has key legislated roles with respect to quality assurance and student protection in the Indigenous Institutes pillar.

Indigenous Student Bursary

The ministry continued to provide supports for Indigenous students in financial need, through the Indigenous Student Bursary grant to colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes. Through this bursary, $1.5 million was disbursed to Indigenous learners in 2024–2025:

• $710,200 to universities
• $660,300 to colleges
• $129,500 to Indigenous Institutes

Indigenous Student Success Fund

The Indigenous Student Success Fund continues to provide $18.2 million in funding annually to colleges and universities. This funding helps institutions develop and deliver programs and services for Indigenous students, reducing barriers that prevent Indigenous people from accessing postsecondary education and increasing the involvement of the Indigenous community in institutional governance and program development.

French-language education

Ontario provided about $91 million in 2024–2025 to support more than 33,000 postsecondary students enrolled in French-language and bilingual programs in Ontario.

The Université de l’Ontario français (UOF), Ontario’s first French-language university that is governed by – and for – francophones, will begin its fifth academic year in September 2025. In 2023–2024, it had an enrolment of 225 students, up from 29 in fall 2021 and about 100 in 2022–2023. In September 2023, (UOF) began offering an Initial Teacher Education Program on a full-time basis. In April 2024, UOF’s Bachelor in Mental Health was approved, thus expanding the UOF's program offerings even more.

Ontario also expanded funded spaces for French-language teacher education programs, notably by funding 70 additional spaces at the University of Ottawa in 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 and by increasing UOF's enrolment limit to 160 full-time equivalent students per academic year, starting in 2024 2025.

Students with Disabilities

In 2024–2025, the ministry invested about $56.8 million through a number of grants to support publicly assisted colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes in meeting their legal requirements to provide academic accommodations to students with disabilities, ensuring all students have the tools and resources to achieve their full potential.

Supporting Mental Health

In 2024–2025, the ministry invested $35.6 million in mental health supports for postsecondary students at publicly assisted colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes. These funds help bolster mental health supports at institutions by supporting a range of initiatives, including the Mental Health Services Grant, Mental Health Workers Grant, and the Indigenous Institutes Mental Health Grant.

In February 2024, the Ontario government announced an investment of $23 million to enhance mental health supports for postsecondary students, including $8 million for the Postsecondary Mental Health Action Plan Grant over three years (2024–2027).

The province also introduced the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024, to require colleges and universities to have policies in place relating to student mental health supports and services.

Special student scholarships

Ontario Remembrance Scholarship

The government renewed the Ontario Remembrance Scholarship in 2024–2025, which was created in memory of the 57 Canadians who perished in the 2020 Ukrainian International Airline crash (Flight PS752) in Iran. Many of the victims of this tragedy were part of Ontario’s postsecondary community. The fund provided $10,000 scholarships to 57 eligible students, one in memory of each victim, to support their studies during the 2024–2025 academic year.

Ontario-Ukraine Solidarity Scholarship

The $1.9 million Ontario-Ukraine Solidarity Scholarship was renewed in 2024–2025 to assist students impacted by the Ukrainian conflict first, followed by supports for students impacted by other conflicts. Each $10,000 scholarship is awarded to four individual students at each publicly assisted college and university in Ontario—adding up to 188 scholarships in total. Scholarships were based on merit and financial need in the 2024–2025 academic year.

eSports Scholarship

The Ontario eSports Scholarship provides financial assistance to high-achieving students with financial need enrolled in video gaming and related programs at participating institutions that may lead to a career in the video-gaming or eSports fields. The scholarship has an annual allocation of $500,000 in 2024–2025 and 2025–2026, for a total of $1,000,000 over two years, distributed among eligible postsecondary institutions through a competitive process.

Institutions are then responsible for conducting an application and review process for selecting eligible students.

Career colleges

Ontario is reducing administrative burden for career colleges to ensure that they can continue to deliver valuable training to students by cutting red tape, while at the same time maintaining important student protections and choice. In September 2024, the ministry initiated a review of the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005, to consult with sector stakeholders and ensure the Act continues to meet these goals. The review will continue into 2025.

Public College – Private Partnership Policy

On January 22, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that students who are enrolled in study programs through curriculum licencing agreements, that is, Public College-Private Partnerships (PCPPs), on or after May 15, 2024, are no longer eligible to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Students who enrolled at PCPPs before this effective date remain eligible for the PGWP. On January 26, 2024, the ministry announced a moratorium on new and renewal PCPP applications.

The 15 colleges with approved PCPPs are working with their partners to continue providing existing students with a high-quality postsecondary education and experience as PCPPs are wound down. Thirteen partnerships will wind down in 2025, and the remaining two will be wound down in 2026. 

Facilities Renewal Programs

Ontario invested nearly $200 million in postsecondary infrastructure in 2024–2025. This investment included:

• $196 million through the Facilities Renewal Program to help publicly assisted colleges and universities with the critical maintenance, repairs, upgrades and renewal of existing facilities.
• $1.5 million through the Indigenous Institutes Facilities Renewal Program to help Indigenous Institutes address their priority maintenance and repair projects to ensure that their facilities are in good repair, and provide a safe environment for faculty, staff, and students.

These investments will allow institutions to address their deferred maintenance backlog, undertake critical repairs, modernize classrooms, and improve their environmental sustainability, while continuing to deliver a safe experience for students on campus.

Major Capacity Expansion

Under the Major Capacity Expansion Policy Framework, the ministry announced support for the operations of the new Markham Campus for York University that opened in spring 2024 and a new Milton campus for Wilfrid  Laurier University and Conestoga College opening in fall 2028.

Execute a tuition fee policy that keeps education affordable for lower and middle-income families

Tuition Fee policy

For the 2024–2025 academic year, tuition fees remained frozen at the 2019–2020 levels for most Ontario residents. Institutions were able to increase tuition fees up to 5% for domestic out-of-province students and up to 7.5% annually on a multi-year basis in a limited number of programs previously approved with tuition fees below the sector average of comparable programs

Work-integrated learning and training options

Through partnerships with eCampusOntario and Contact North | Nord – organizations that support the growth and delivery of digital learning in Ontario – the government has created opportunities for virtual or technology-enhanced immersive learning experiences.

The government is also supporting student internships to help businesses, start-ups and new entrepreneurial companies grow and protect “Ontario made” innovations, ideas and products, making Ontario a national leader in experiential learning.

In 2024–2025, an additional $2.7 million in funding was provided to software company, Riipen, to support another 1,000 virtual, micro-internships focused on real-world projects.

In addition, the government is driving better labour market outcomes for all students across all programs through performance-based funding under the Strategic Mandate Agreement Framework that measures results in the share of students that graduate having engaged in a ‘work integrated’ or real-world learning experience, such as co-operative programs, during their studies. As of 2024–2025, 75% of college students and 72% of university students take part in experiential or ‘real-world’ learning during their studies.

Providing historic funding for the postsecondary sector

In February 2024, the Ontario government introduced a suite of measures to stabilize the province’s colleges and universities, including nearly $1.3 billion in new funding, while maintaining the tuition fee freeze to keep costs down for Ontario students and parents.

Strategic Mandate Agreements and performance-based funding

Through the 2020–2025 Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMA3), the ministry linked operating funding to enrolment levels and performance on metrics that measure student and economic/community outcomes. In 2024–2025, performance-based funding was set at a system-wide total of 25% of total ongoing operating funding.

Throughout SMA3, an increased focus on performance has resulted in positive outcomes, with colleges and universities demonstrating stable performance or improvement across all sector-wide metrics throughout the first four years of SMA3. The positive performance reinforces the sectors’ commitment to student outcomes and labour market alignment.

During 2024–2025 the ministry engaged with the sector on the next round of five-year agreements (SMA4). The ministry signed interim SMA4 agreements with all institutions in late-March/early-April 2025, with technical appendices to be completed by June 2025.

Financial Accountability Frameworks

In 2024, the ministry collaborated with public colleges to strengthen the financial accountability framework in place for colleges to better capture current and future financial risk. The ministry also further strengthened the framework for universities to include additional forward-looking indicators.

The frameworks use financial information to measure the financial health risk of universities and colleges to determine the appropriate course of action for the ministry and institutions. The results of the health risk assessments help inform and outline next steps for both the ministry and institutions to remedy and improve the financial health of the institutions, supporting the sector’s commitment of financial transparency.

Enhanced Collection Tools (ECTs)

As part of the 2023 fall economic statement package, Ontario made legislative amendments to support more efficient loan collection tools and processes to secure a greater amount of debt earlier from borrowers who have defaulted on their OSAP loan repayments. This change responds to a finding by the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario that large amounts of student loans remain uncollected, totaling approximately $1 billion since the inception of OSAP in 1975. The Ministry of Finance began a phased implementation of ECTs in Q1 2025–2026, on defaulted provincial OSAP, Micro Credentials and Medical Resident Loans, and outstanding Administrative Monetary Penalties under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005.

Laurentian University

Since Laurentian University initiated its restructuring process, the Ontario government has remained committed to collaborating with the university and providing ongoing support for sustainable operations to ensure its ability to serve students, parents, faculty, staff, and the community.

Laurentian University, as part of their Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act plan implementation, entered into a long-term loan agreement with the province. This agreement imposes stringent conditions to uphold accountability, transparency, and financial discipline. The government is also acquiring real estate assets, which will help Laurentian implement its Plan of Arrangement. The province’s acquisition of the first property, the Vale Living with Lakes Centre, was completed in January 2025. The Living with Lakes Centre will continue to serve as Laurentian University’s research centre, as Laurentian will be leasing the property for their use. Ownership of the land will change, but the activities and programs will remain.

International Students

In response to the federal government’s changes to the International Student Program (ISP) and Post-Graduation Work Program (PGWP), Ontario is continuing to prioritize international applications in postsecondary programs that will help prepare graduates for in-demand jobs that support Ontario’s labour market needs.

In 2024 and 2025, Ontario allocated 96% of applications to publicly assisted colleges and universities, and the remaining 4% to the province’s private universities, language schools, and other institutions. Career colleges that do not have PGWP-eligible programs will not receive any applications in 2025. All public institutions will receive at least the same number of applications in 2025 as they used in 2024.

Research Institutes

As a demonstration of the Ontario government’s support for research excellence and commercialization, the ministry provides funding support to several research institutes. These institutes are internationally recognized centres of excellence, each with a unique mandate.

In 2024–2025, the Ontario government invested $135.77 million to support ground-breaking work at leading research institutes and universities across the province.

Ontario Research Fund and Early Researcher Awards

In 2024–2025, the Ontario government provided over $148 million in research projects at colleges, universities, research institutes and research hospitals across the province. This funding is being delivered through the Ontario Research Fund and Early Researcher Awards and supports 284 research projects.

These funds cover the costs of research operations and infrastructure, including building, renovating and equipping research facilities with the latest technology, and supporting researchers to attract and retain research talent.

Intellectual Property and commercialization

Through Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), the ministry has delivered the following results in support of intellectual property and commercialization:

• IPON completed its Scale-Up Phase of activity, exceeding its key performance by 365% with over 540 net new small-medium-enterprise clients in 2024–2025.
• Provided over 370 companies with IP training, exceeding their target by 190%
• Protected 1,337 IP assets (industrial designs, IP-centric agreements, trademarks and patents) from SME and post-secondary institute origins.
• Supported 20 post secondary institutions to enhance their commercialization capacity, providing $4.6 million in 2024–2025, totalling over $6.6 million since 2023–2024.
• Expanded priority sectors to include agri-tech and cleantech clients, and broadened existing health tech and mining sectors to increase client reach.
• Developed 5 new memorandums of understanding with innovation ecosystem partners.

Through the 2024–2025 Annual Commercialization Plan (ACP) process, the ministry received reports from Ontario’s publicly funded post secondary institutions, on the implementation of their required commercialization policies and insights into challenges and opportunities to enhance commercialization and IP activities. 

The ministry also worked with IPON and the sector to receive recommendations on a standard set of commercialization and IP metrics, to inform annual output and outcome monitoring of Postsecondary Education commercialization and IP activities.

Key Performance Indicators

The ministry is committed to increasing access to postsecondary education. As a result, Ontario has become a leader in postsecondary attainment in Canada. In 2024, about 75% of Ontarians between the ages of 25 and 64 have a postsecondary credential, the highest of any province.

The ministry is also focused on ensuring that employers in Ontario have access to a skilled workforce. To do this, the ministry is improving alignment between postsecondary systems and labour market needs. The ministry is measuring its progress related to this by tracking the proportion of domestic college and university graduates employed full-time in a field related or partially-related to their studies.

For the 2023–2024 reporting year, 80.97% of domestic college graduates were employed full-time in a field related or partially-related to their studies (based on the number of respondents employed in full-time jobs six months after graduating).

For the 2023–2024 reporting year, 90.66%  of university graduates became employed in a field related or partially related to their studies (based on the number of respondents employed in full-time jobs two years after graduating).

Year over year growth may not steadily increase and is impacted by the overall economic conditions of the province and trends within the economic cycle. Hence, ministry is implementing a conservative estimate for target setting leveraging the Strategic Mandate Agreement performance-based funding target-setting methodology.

Footnote:
Data source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey. Frequency of data collection is annual.
Ranking excludes Quebec which follows a different statistical method that includes 'CEGEP' diploma –  a unique feature of Quebec education system.

Footnote: Metric is based on the number of respondents employed in full-time jobs six months after graduating who also indicated that their jobs were related or partially related to the program they graduated from.

Metric is based on the number of respondents employed in full-time jobs two years after graduating who also indicated that their jobs were closely related or somewhat related to skills developed at university.