NorQuest College

NorQuest College is a public community college in Edmonton, Alberta, and it was established in 1965 (Wikipedia). Its about page says it serves 12,573 full-time and part-time credit students, born in 108 countries.

This profile is for Nepali students who want to study in Canada from Nepal and are considering NorQuest for a certificate or diploma after +2, or a post-diploma certificate after a bachelor’s. It covers why students choose it, where its campuses are, what it costs, when programs start, work rights, scholarships and a few programs open to international students. The programs open to you, with credential, length and campus, are in our NorQuest programs guide. Entry requirements, documents and the application steps are in our NorQuest admissions guide.

Why do Nepali students choose NorQuest College?

NorQuest gives you a downtown Edmonton campus with health, community care and machine learning programs, and many of them include practicums or an optional co-op.

• Health and community care. Practical Nurse, Pharmacy Technician and Social Work are all on NorQuest’s PGWP list. NorQuest calls Practical Nurse one of the largest such programs in Canada.
• If you hold a bachelor’s. NorQuest has no master’s degrees or graduate certificates under that name. It does have Digital Marketing, a two-term post-diploma certificate that asks for a diploma or degree and is on the PGWP list.
• Placements after +2. Social Work includes 700 hours of work experience and Practical Nurse 680 hours. Machine Learning Analyst has two industry projects and an optional paid 640-hour co-op, which you must apply and interview for.
• Edmonton. The campus is in the city centre. NorQuest’s international page quotes average one-bedroom rent of CAD 1,287 a month in Edmonton, against CAD 2,385 in Toronto, using a Rentals.ca report. NorQuest doesn’t run its own residence that we could find, so you rent privately.

Where are NorQuest College’s campuses?

NorQuest has an Edmonton campus of four downtown buildings and a small Wetaskiwin campus, and the programs in our guide list Edmonton as their location.

We found no private partner campuses teaching NorQuest programs, so the curriculum-licensing PGWP rule doesn’t apply here. See NorQuest’s campuses page for maps.

How much does NorQuest College cost for international students?

NorQuest’s program pages estimate about CAD 20,000 to 26,000 for two terms in most international programs, with tuition and college fees together.

That is roughly Rs 22 to 28 lakh a year. To see what these amounts are worth today, use our CAD to Rs forex converter. NorQuest charges tuition per credit, as its tuition and fees page shows, so your total depends on the program. For example, Early Learning and Child Care is CAD 478.40 a credit and Business Administration is CAD 742.20 a credit.

Some programs cost more over their full length. The estimates are about CAD 57,500 for in-person Practical Nurse over five terms, CAD 52,000 for Social Work over six terms, and CAD 32,900 for the two-term Engineering University Transfer Certificate. Each program’s “Costs and courses” page has its own estimate. College fees include a U-Pass for transit at CAD 182.50 a term and a health and dental plan at CAD 401 a year.

The application fee is CAD 155. To accept an offer you pay a CAD 1,000 tuition deposit, which goes toward your first term.

If you cancel at least 30 days before your program starts, you get 50% of the deposit back, and after that it is non-refundable. If your study permit is refused and you tell the Office of the Registrar at least one day before the program starts, NorQuest refunds your fees, less 25% of the deposit. See the refunds page.

Living costs come on top. For your study permit, IRCC asks you to show CAD 23,448 for a year of living expenses plus your first-year tuition. See our proof of funds guide and the cost of studying in Canada page. Our guide to the cost of living in Canada has a monthly budget.

When are NorQuest College’s intakes?

NorQuest lists September, January and May starts for international students, but each program runs on only some of these terms.

International applications usually close in early June for the September intake, mid-October for January and early February for May. Seats go on a first-qualified, first-admitted basis, as the how to apply page explains, so a program can fill before its deadline. The fall term usually starts at the end of August, so check the academic schedule.

Business Administration and Health Care Aide list September, January and May starts. Machine Learning Analyst, Practical Nurse and Pharmacy Technician list September and January. Social Work, Digital Design and Environmental Technician list September only. The program availability page shows the current status of each start date.

Aim to apply 9 to 12 months before your start date so there is time for the offer, the deposit, the PAL, your study permit and housing.

If you track document dates and deadlines in Bikram Sambat, our Nepali date converter turns B.S. dates into A.D. dates. For the full calendar, read our guide to Canada intakes.

Can you work while studying at NorQuest College and after you graduate?

Yes. You can work up to 24 hours a week off campus while classes are on, and many NorQuest programs lead to a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), but not all of them.

For the PGWP, the rules depend on your credential:

• Bachelor’s and master’s degrees have no field-of-study requirement. Degree graduates need an English result of at least CLB 7. A master’s degree can lead to a PGWP of up to 3 years.
• Diplomas, advanced diplomas and graduate certificates must be in an eligible field of study if you applied for your study permit on or after 1 November 2024. NorQuest’s PGWP list, accurate as of 17 June 2026, names 21 programs with their CIP codes.
• College graduates also need an English test result of at least CLB 5 in all four skills when they apply for the PGWP.

At least half of the program must be taken in class, and online study doesn’t count. NorQuest says more than 50% of your courses must be in person each term, so watch this in blended programs. Business Administration, Accounting Technician and Justice are not on the list. Our PGWP guide for Nepali students explains each rule, and our list of part-time jobs in Canada shows the work students usually find.

NorQuest’s working while studying page says the 24 hours applies to full-time students in a program of at least six months, and that you can’t start before your program does. Since 1 April 2026, practicums and co-ops no longer need a separate co-op work permit, as long as your study permit has the right work condition.

Which scholarships can Nepali students get at NorQuest College?

NorQuest’s main entrance award is the New Questers International Entrance Scholarship of CAD 1,000, and you apply for it after you enrol.

How the entrance scholarship works:

• Amount: CAD 1,000, paid once you have completed half of the term.
• Who can get it: International students with a valid study permit, in a full-time credit program that has an entrance grade, with an admission average of 70% or higher to Alberta standards. Post-diploma programs aren’t eligible.
• What you have to do: Enrol first, then apply when NorQuest notifies you that applications are open.
• When: Usually in late August to mid-September for fall starts, and mid-December to late January for winter starts.

NorQuest International also lists academic excellence scholarships, an international student bursary and other awards for students already studying there. International students can also use the general application, which matches you to awards you qualify for. Details are on NorQuest’s scholarships page. Our Canada scholarships guide lists other awards that Nepali students can apply for.

What do you need to get into NorQuest College from Nepal?

Each program sets its own grades in Alberta course terms, and most diplomas ask for IELTS 6.5 with no band under 6.0, while Business Administration asks for 6.0 with no band under 5.5.

Most programs accept PTE 59 with no section under 56, and Business Administration accepts PTE 54. Practical Nurse is stricter, with IELTS 7.5 in listening, 7 in speaking, 6.5 in reading and 7 in writing, and it lists no PTE option.

To see where your +2 grades stand, convert your NEB GPA to a percentage with our NEB GPA calculator. Documents and the application steps are in our NorQuest admissions guide.

What can you study at NorQuest College?

NorQuest offers certificates, diplomas and post-diploma certificates, and its international program filter shows 35 of these, along with upgrading and short courses, but no bachelor’s degrees.

The programs below are a selection open to international students in health, community care, technology and business, each checked on NorQuest’s own program pages. Popular programs that are not on the PGWP list include Business Administration, Accounting Technician and the Arts and Sciences Diploma.

Our NorQuest programs guide lists more programs with their credential, length and campus. For each type of program, see our guides to studying artificial intelligence and the bachelor of nursing, which you can compare with a practical nursing diploma.

Program Details

Where do NorQuest College students live?

We found no NorQuest residence on its site, so most students rent privately, and NorQuest’s settlement team shares a chart of housing options near campus.

NorQuest’s accommodations chart lists private apartments, shared rooms and homestay, and marks which ones are within a 15-minute walk. NorQuest says it doesn’t inspect these places and isn’t responsible for them, so check each one yourself. Landlords may ask for proof of funds, a credit check, tenant insurance and a reference. See NorQuest’s housing page, and don’t travel before you have somewhere to stay.

Still deciding between a college and a university? Read college vs university in Canada. Goreto’s counselors in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara can check your documents and help you apply; contact your nearest Goreto branch. If you are still comparing advisers, see how to choose the best consultancy for Canada.

Also comparing other Canadian colleges? See our Douglas College profile, Sheridan College profile.

Also comparing western Canadian colleges? See our Langara College profile.

Official NorQuest College links

• International students at NorQuest
• How to apply (Virtual Admission System)
• Tuition and fees
• English language requirements
• PGWP-eligible programs and the programs for international students
• Campuses and locations
• Confirm NorQuest’s designated learning institution (DLI) number on IRCC’s DLI list

Frequently asked questions about NorQuest College