The College System

The College System

St. Michael’s College is one of three federated colleges in the University of Toronto, alongside Victoria and Trinity Colleges. With a college system modeled on that of Cambridge and Oxford, the University of Toronto provides its 40,000+ undergraduates with both the resources of an elite global research university and the experience of a smaller undergraduate community.

St. Mike’s is a university in its own right as outlined in the Province of Ontario’s University of St. Michael’s College Act (2005). It is governed by two bodies: the Collegium, responsible for the school’s resources and overall administration, and the Senate, responsible for academic and faculty-related matters.

The College sought federation with the University of Toronto in the late 19th century and achieved federated status in 1910. Through federation, St. Mike’s gained access to the larger institution’s resources, including the prestigious faculties, state-of-the-art facilities, and roughly 700 undergraduate programs of Canada’s leading university. Undergraduate students enrolled through St. Mike’s are University of Toronto students and graduate with University of Toronto degrees.

As a federated college, St. Mike’s offers its students a unique experience in the larger world of the University of Toronto. Students will find the school’s Catholic identity reflected in programs such as Christianity & Culture and the Gilson Seminar in Faith and Ideas, and in campus life. St. Mike’s attracts students of all background interested in the intersections of religious faith and modern life.

Together, St. Michael’s College and the University of Toronto provide students with an educational experience unlike any other in North America.