The University of Toronto is the destination on a lot of GTA students' lists, and its admissions are competitive. But competitive doesn't mean mysterious — U of T publishes what each program requires, and understanding the structure early lets you plan your Grade 11 and 12 courses around it instead of scrambling later.
This is a practical 2026 guide to how U of T admission works for Ontario high-school applicants. One caveat up front: specific requirements and averages change year to year and differ by program, so treat this as a map of how the system works — and always confirm the current details on U of T's official admissions pages before making decisions.
- Meet prerequisites first — a strong average can't replace a missing required Grade 12 course.
- Your admission average is built from top Grade 12 U/M courses, including the program's prerequisites.
- Published minimums aren't the competitive average; the most in-demand programs admit well above them.
- Requirements change yearly and vary by program — always confirm on U of T's official admissions pages.
Start with prerequisites, not just the average
Every U of T program lists required Grade 12 U/M courses, and meeting those prerequisites is non-negotiable — a strong average can't substitute for a missing required course. ENG4U is required for essentially every program. Beyond that, programs specify their own: most science and engineering streams require MHF4U and MCV4U, the sciences require courses like SCH4U, SPH4U, or SBI4U, and commerce programs typically require calculus.
The practical takeaway: identify your target programs early and reverse-engineer your Grade 11 and 12 course selection from their prerequisites. A missing prerequisite discovered in Grade 12 is a hard problem to fix.
How your admission average is built
U of T, like other Ontario universities, calculates an admission average from your top Grade 12 U/M courses — including the program's required courses. Exactly which courses count, and how, can vary by program and faculty, so the average that matters is specific to where you're applying.
Because required courses are part of that average, a strong mark in a prerequisite does double duty: it satisfies the requirement and lifts the number admissions sees. That's why we generally suggest prioritizing prerequisite courses — more on that in our guide to improving your university average.
Competitive vs. minimum — they're not the same
A published minimum is the door; the competitive average is what actually gets students in when a program has more qualified applicants than spots. The most in-demand U of T programs — many in engineering, computer science, and the health sciences — tend to admit well above any stated minimum.
We're deliberately not quoting numbers here, because they shift each cycle. The reliable move is to check the most recent published ranges on U of T's admissions site and through Ontario Universities' Info (OUInfo), rather than trusting a figure a friend mentioned last year.
Supplementary applications and beyond-the-average factors
Some U of T programs — engineering and certain others — ask for more than grades: supplementary applications, short essays, or video components that weigh meaningfully in the decision. These reward genuine reflection and preparation, not last-minute filler.
If a target program has a supplementary component, treat it as seriously as a course and start it early. A thoughtful supplementary application can distinguish two students with similar averages.
Plan the timeline backward from applications
Ontario applicants generally apply through OUAC in the fall and winter of Grade 12, with offers arriving through the spring. That means your Grade 11 marks and early Grade 12 performance shape the picture admissions first sees.
The students who navigate this calmly are the ones who started planning in Grade 11 — course selection, prerequisites, and a realistic shortlist — rather than treating it all as a Grade 12 emergency.
Where focused support pays off
The marks that most often decide a U of T offer are the Grade 11 and 12 prerequisite courses — and those are exactly the courses where targeted tutoring moves the needle. Our tutors each scored 90+ in the course they teach and work the Ontario curriculum by code; see everything we cover on our subjects page, or for downtown students, our Toronto chemistry, physics, and math tutoring pages.
The honest first step is a free consultation — a clear-eyed conversation about where a student stands and what's realistic. And remember the one rule that never changes: confirm current requirements directly with U of T, because programs, prerequisites, and competitive ranges are updated every cycle.