Program-specific requirements
View the Admission Requirement Chart for program-specific prerequisites:
Apply at ontariocolleges.ca
Apply to St. Lawrence College using the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) at ontariocolleges.ca.
You’ll be required to submit transcripts and pay an application fee to OCAS to complete your online application. Applications are considered complete once all application fees and related documents are received. This is important for programs that are ranked.
Applications for highly competitive programs starting in the fall must be complete by February 1.
Apply to St. Lawrence College using the Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) at ontariocolleges.ca as soon as the application is available in October.
Applications received on or before the February 1 Equal Consideration Date will be given equal consideration. This is particularly important if you are applying to a highly competitive program, that is, a program for which the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of seats available. After the Equal Consideration Date, applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
International Students are invited to apply year-round, depending on what is most suitable for them. Learn more about applying to St. Lawrence College as an international student.
Note: If you are a resident of Canada without Canadian citizenship, you must provide proof of your status in Canada. If you do not reside in Canada and are not a Canadian citizen, you must obtain a student visa valid for the academic year you plan to attend.
The 2025-2026 Programs Equal Consideration Date is February 1.
View a detailed chart of 2025 highly competitive programs and their prerequisites.
Although each year is different, the following programs are highly competitive and may be subject to our ranking procedures:
- Bachelor of Science - Nursing (Honours) (Kingston | Brockville | Cornwall)
- Communicative Disorders Assistant
- Honours Bachelor of Behavioural Psychology
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Paramedic
- Practical Nursing (Kingston | Brockville | Cornwall)
- Veterinary Technology
To be considered for admission into these programs, you must apply for these programs before the February 1 Equal Consideration Date.
The Office of the Registrar reserves the right to update the list of highly competitive programs at any time based on applicant demand.
Meeting the minimum admission requirements doesn't guarantee admission to highly competitive programs, and applicants may be ranked. Seats will be offered in order of ranking, and some applicants will be placed on a waitlist or denied entrance to the program.
Learn more about highly competitive programs. Applicants who apply to highly competitive programs by February 1 are considered equally, providing their applications are complete (e.g., all transcripts have been received). The ranking is based on an applicant’s previous academic experience, including any prerequisite courses required for the program choice and overall achievement.
An applicant must have a minimum of two prerequisite courses completed by February 1 to be considered in the ranking. In some instances, additional admission testing may be used. If the program prerequisites include specific course requirements, grades from a minimum of two completed courses are required. Remember that you must complete all requirements and any minimum grade requirements by the due date shown in your slc.me portal for the Fall 2025 semester.
Please visit individual program pages for specific prerequisite information.
Applicants from outside Ontario should review the residency priority guidelines below.
You must have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, with the majority of Grade 11 and 12 courses at the College or University preparation levels (C/U/M), including Grade 12 English at the C/U/M level and a Grade 11 Math, before your college program begins. You must also meet all of the admission requirements listed for your program of choice.
The Academic and Career Entrance Certificate (ACE), the Basic Training and Skills Development - Level 5 (BTSD), or the Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate (GED) are all considered equivalent to the Ontario high school diploma for entrance to college certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma programs. They do not prepare applicants for entrance to degree programs.
This pathway for Indigenous students will consider applications to highly competitive programs, placing less weight on background academic performance. Applicants in this pathway must meet the minimum entrance requirements for their program choice(s) to be considered for a highly competitive program. Admission requirements vary across post-secondary programs at St. Lawrence College.
Application Process
Applicants in this pathway must:
- Meet the minimum entrance requirements for their program choice(s) to be considered for a highly competitive program
- Complete the Facilitated Admission for Indigenous Student form by February 1
- Complete their application to St. Lawrence College with all transcripts and proof of enrollment through ontariocolleges.ca by February 1
- Proof of Indigenous ancestry required documentation (one of the following):
- Status card
- Band Membership card
- Red card (Haudenosaunee Identification Card)
- Certificate of Aboriginal Status Membership card from the provincial affiliate of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
- Citizenship card issued by a Métis National Council governing member (for example, Métis Nation of Ontario, Métis Nation of Saskatchewan)
- Land claim beneficiary card
- American Indian, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian citizenship document from tribes that are state or federally recognized or recognized by the National Congress of American Indians. SLC promises to waive the international student tuition differential for students who are verified members of Indigenous nations in the United States of America. This commitment is part of the College’s recognition of the spirit of the Jay Treaty of 1794.
If you are over 19 years of age by the first day of college and do not have an Ontario high school diploma or equivalent, you may be admitted as a mature applicant. You must provide proof that you have credits for Grade 12 English and Grade 11 math as required by the program to which you are applying, or equivalent. An entrance exam is available for mature applicants to demonstrate this equivalency. You must also meet all of the admission requirements listed for your program of choice.
The following one-year certificate programs will accept applicants whose Ontario Secondary School Diploma was (or will be) earned with workplace preparation level credits:
- Carpentry Techniques (0141)
- Computer Programming (1135)
- Culinary Skills (1004)
- General Construction Carpentry Techniques (1071)
- Hairstyling (Accelerated) (0503)
- Hairstyling (1143)
St. Lawrence College evaluates applications from home-schooled students on an individual basis. Applicants should supply detailed information, including curriculum, course outlines, examination results, and certification by the school board. The College may require further pre-admission testing. Applicants will need to demonstrate equivalency to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or be at least 19 years of age and provide proof of credits for Grade 12 English at the College or University preparation levels (C/U/M) and a Grade 11 Math.
St. Lawrence College recognizes diplomas and GEDs from other provinces and territories equivalent to the Ontario Secondary. School Diploma. Secondary V is considered equivalent for applicants from Quebec. Grade 12 English at the College or University preparation levels(C/U/M) and a Grade 11 Math are required. You must also meet all of the admission requirements listed for your program of choice.
St. Lawrence College welcomes all applicants educated in other countries. You must have the equivalent to the Ontario curriculum prerequisites for your program of choice and documented proficiency in English. Learn more about applying to St. Lawrence College.
All applicants must be fluent enough in English to understand instructors and the technical language used in their subject area. View a list of English proficiency assessments recognized for admission to our programs.
The Admission Policy of St. Lawrence College requires:
(a) the acceptance of all who are qualified within established program seat limits;
(b) the use of a ranking procedure where the number of qualified applicants exceeds that limit;
(c) a clear statement to all unsuccessful applicants as to why they were not admitted.
Please see the Academic Policy for more detailed information.
Per ministry guidelines, applicants are to be offered admission into highly competitive programs according to the following order of preference:
- Permanent residents of Ontario
- Permanent residents of other provinces and territories in Canada
- Applicants from other countries