The Ontario government announced today that Queen’s University will receive $104 million to support 3,604 student seats in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), health care, and education programs, helping prepare graduates for in-demand careers and strengthening Ontario’s future workforce.  

This investment includes the allotment of 2,116 existing seats which were allocated to Queen’s as part of the government’s announcement in the spring. These seats were previously unfunded under Ontario’s enrolment-based funding model, which provides universities with operating grants based on established levels of domestic student enrolment.  

With this announcement, Queen’s will receive funding to support an additional 1,488 undergraduate seats, distributed over several years, until the end of 2027-28.

The total funding of $104 million for 3,604 seats includes:

• 2,496 seats for STEM programs  
• 836 seats for education programs  
• 272 seats for health programs  

“At Queen’s, we are committed to developing the highly skilled talent our province needs, equipping graduates to make meaningful contributions to their communities, advancing innovation, and contributing to Ontario’s long-term prosperity,” says Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. “Queen’s welcomes this significant investment to expand access to post-secondary education and prepare more students for rewarding careers in areas critical to Ontario’s future."

Today's funding announcement will support student seats in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), health care, and education programs.

The seats were allocated through a competitive provincial proposal process that evaluated institutional strengths, regional sector needs and student demand. Institutions worked with employers and community partners to determine where additional capacity could have the greatest impact. Dozens of letters of support from regional employers were included as part of the submission by Queen’s.  

“We are extremely pleased to receive this increased funding which will support our expansion in subjects so critical to Ontario's development," says Matthew Evans, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic). “Our departments have spent a lot of time planning for this growth and incorporating it into our enrolment plans for the future.”

The total allocation provided to Queen’s is part of the Ontario government’s broader $1.7 billion investment to fund 70,000 seats across colleges and universities.

“Our province’s greatest strength is our highly skilled workforce – and those workers are trained at our world-class colleges and universities,” says Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “This investment is supporting the largest seat expansion in Ontario in more than a decade and will ensure more students have the opportunity to train for good-paying careers that protect and strengthen our communities, industries and province.”