EDMONTON — The Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) at the University of Alberta has released the results of its 2025 Graduate Student Cost of Living Survey, revealing significant financial pressures affecting students’ ability to meet basic needs and succeed academically.
The survey, completed by over 1,000 graduate students, provides a snapshot to date of how rising costs, stagnant funding, and possible increased tuition are shaping the lived experiences of graduate students across the university.
The GSA conducted this survey to better understand the real cost of living for graduate students, assess the adequacy of current funding packages, and identify the financial challenges affecting academic progress, health, and overall well-being. Results will inform the GSA’s advocacy to the University of Alberta and to government partners.
The survey was open to all University of Alberta graduate students in Fall 2025.
A total of 1,026 responses were analyzed. Data was cleaned to remove outliers, standardize numeric entries, and categorize open-ended responses.
Findings reflect self-reported monthly expenses, funding levels, employment hours, and the lived experiences of both domestic and international students across all faculties and program types.
Key Findings
1. Graduate funding sits at or below poverty thresholds
The median graduate funding package is $25,000/year before tuition, which is at or below the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) for a single person in a large Canadian city and far below Edmonton’s living wage (~$42,400/year).
2. Most students cannot afford basic needs with their funding
- 74% of students cannot meet basic day-to-day living expenses from their funding alone.
- Only 1 in 4 can survive solely on stipends.
- The median additional amount required to break even is $7,000/year.
3. Housing and food insecurity are widespread
Students report a rent of $1,400/month, with housing as the largest financial burden.
Food insecurity affects both domestic and international students, with international students facing significantly higher rates.
4. Workload and financial pressure impact academic progress
Graduate students report heavy workload hours:
- 35% work 31–50 hours/week on research and coursework
- 13% exceed 50 hours/week
Many rely on side jobs or teaching appointments to make ends meet, with 38% saying employment negatively affects their academic progress.
5. Equity gaps are pronounced
- Course-based Master’s students receive a median of only $5,000/year in scholarships/aid/funding.
- Nearly 19% of graduate students financially support dependents.
- International students face far higher financial strain due to tuition, limited award eligibility, and high living costs.
6. Strong support for funding reform
- 61.6% of students agree that increasing base funding should be the university’s top priority.
- 88% believe funding should be indexed to local cost-of-living metrics.
What This Means
The findings show that many graduate students are living below living-wage standards, and in some cases, within poverty thresholds. Rising tuition, inadequate funding, and increasing living costs are pushing students into greater financial insecurity, jeopardizing academic success and well-being.
This report highlights the need for structural improvements to graduate funding, greater housing support, and institutional measures that ensure students can focus on their research and academic commitments without compromising their basic needs.
Read the Full Report
The full 2025 Cost of Living Survey Report is available below.
It provides detailed analysis, faculty-level breakdowns, data visualizations, and recommendations the GSA will be advocating for in the coming year.
