Welcome To Ridgetown Campus

President's Welcome

Welcome to the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown Campus. In choosing U of G, you are joining an innovative institution known as one of Canada’s leading comprehensive universities that is both learner-centred and research-intensive.

At the University of Guelph, we are committed to turning knowledge into action.

At Ridgetown Campus, you will acquire the tools you’ll need to continue learning and adapting to an ever-changing world, and you will gain inspiration to apply what you learn to improve life for yourself and for others, here and around the world.

As a Ridgetown student, you are part of the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College, which draws on a long tradition of innovative learning and research. You will work and learn with outstanding faculty and staff who bring fresh ideas to the classroom and whose research finds real-world applications that benefit us all.

We look forward to welcoming you to our U of G community and to helping you find ways to use your education to improve life.

At the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, we strive to improve the lives of all who study at Ridgetown Campus and in turn, the lives of those that encounter our current students and alumni.

At Ridgetown Campus, we provide top-quality diploma and certificate programs. Whether your interests are in agriculture, horticulture, the environment, animal care, or the equine industry, you can be assured that you will receive a first-class education from excellent instructors and world-class researchers.

We are proud that our campus offers a wide range of applied research and academic programs addressing food, agriculture, rural communities, and the environment. Our instructors bring practical experiences and expertise to the classroom and future careers, that provides students with a strong basis for successful program completion. Students graduating from Ridgetown Campus are hired in various skills-based, industry-related careers or continue to pursue additional studies.

Our campus is a great place to learn, make lifelong connections, and develop your skills in a small, rural campus setting. This friendly and effective learning environment gives you a first-rate student experience that helps you grow personally, academically, and professionally. We look forward to welcoming you to our campus or answering any questions you might have.

• 650 students

• Only college level programming!

• ½ of the students belong to the agriculture program

• 450 acres of research (farm style) and campus grounds

• Residences are guaranteed to all first year; reasonably affordable; kitchenette in residence, cafeteria not open on weekends; all yu can eat residence style that is based off of the numbers of meals, not the cost of each item

• Not every student has a farm or wants to farm

• Pathways:

  • Diplomas (two or three year programs): agriculture; environmental management; equine care and management; horticulture; veterinary technology (conventional & alternate delivery)

  • Certificates: performance horse handler; veterinary office administration

  • Apprenticeship Program: dairy herdsperson

• Unique Programs:

  • Environmental Management: less than 50 people

  • Horticulture: 91% of grads are employed; landscape design; parks & recreation

  • Vet Tech: very popular; conventional stream (2 years / 4 semesters) versus alternative stream (3 years BUT only over the summers!)

  • Vet Office Administration: 1 year/8 months

  • Equine: no cap to the program; know horses but want to be a vet tech? then be sure to ALSO APPLY to this program; solid employment rates; equine care & management; beginning a riding program for students this October with average boarding costs

• Experiential learning opportunities (exchanges, trips etc) count as a class and earn you credits!

• Can earn 2 diplomas in 3 years for some of the programs

• Want to be a Vet Tech?

  • This is a completely different program than Veterinarian

  • Only 44 spots in each of the two streams – be sure to apply to BOTH the streams

  • Applications are ranked using a points system that is based on grades – pathways don’t give you extra points, just the final grades

  • Must have 40 hours of documented time with a vet