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1959

Founded

53,974

Students

45

Programmes to choose from

Overview

About York University

York University (York U, YU, or York; French: Université York) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, with approximately 53,500 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and over 375,000 alumni worldwide. It has 11 faculties, including the Lassonde School of Engineering, Schulich School of Business, Osgoode Hall Law School, Glendon College, and 32 research centres.

York University was established in 1959 as a non-denominational institution by the York University Act, which received royal assent in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on 26 March of that year. Its first class was held in September 1960 in Falconer Hall on the St. George campus of the University of Toronto with a total of 76 students. In the fourth quarter of 1961, York moved to its first campus at Glendon Hall (now part of Glendon College), which was leased from the University of Toronto, and began to emphasize liberal arts and part-time adult education. In 1965, the university opened a second campus, the Keele Campus, in North York, within the neighbourhood community now called York University Heights. York opened its Markham Campus to its first full cohort of students in September 2024.

Memberships & networks

  • Association of Commonwealth Universities
  • Universities Canada
  • Agence universitaire de la Francophonie

Programme-level accreditation varies; we confirm recognition for your home country before you apply.

Key facts

Founded

1959

Type

Public research university

Location

Toronto, Canada

Students

53,974

Academic staff

10,709

Reported 2024

Motto

“Tentanda Via”

Programmes with us

45

Programmes

45 programmes to choose from

Health & Life Sciences · Computing & Technology · Engineering · Business & Management · Design, Hospitality & More

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Fees & entry

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Location

Toronto

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Useful links

Overview text adapted from Wikipedia (York University), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine, Public domain