Saint-Paul University

What Saint-Paul University does

Saint-Paul University (Université Saint-Paul) is a private bilingual Catholic university in Ottawa, Canada, founded in 1848 as Collège de Bytown — the first post-secondary institution in Ottawa. It specializes in humanities and social sciences through four faculties (Canon Law, Human Sciences, Philosophy, and Theology) and six schools covering communications, counselling/psychotherapy/spirituality, conflict studies, social innovation, leadership/ecology/equity, and ethics/public affairs. The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate maintain a historical governance role, and the institution holds apostolic authority from Pope Leo XIII (1889) to confer ecclesiastical degrees, a status reaffirmed by the Congregation for Catholic Education on February 16, 2026.

Name

Saint-Paul University

Legal name

Université Saint-Paul

Website

https://ustpaul.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1848

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Saint-Paul University is a private bilingual Catholic university in Ottawa, Canada, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in humanities, social sciences, philosophy, theology, and canon law, federated with the University of Ottawa since 1965.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Humanities and Social Sciences)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Theological Universities & Pontifical Universities (EDAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF), Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ), Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Humanities higher education
• Canon law programs
• Theology and philosophy
• Social sciences university
• Bilingual post-secondary

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Domestic Student Tuition: Tuition fees from Canadian students for undergraduate and graduate programs in humanities and social sciences.
2. International Student Tuition: Higher tuition fees from international students - $19,955 for undergraduate and up to $29,965 for graduate studies. With French-language scholarship, reduced to $16,955 and $25,465 respectively.
3. Scholarships and Financial Aid: $1,000,000 in scholarships granted annually to students based on admission averages. Additional internal competitions and external scholarships available.
4. Student Services Fees: Mandatory fees including U-Pass for public transit ($469), health insurance (RAMU $792 annually), and student association fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Saint-Paul University offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and continuing education programs in humanities, social sciences, theology, philosophy, canon law, counselling, conflict studies, ethics, and social innovation, delivered in French and English on its Ottawa campus and through online/hybrid formats. In addition to academic credentials, it provides student support services (counselling, library, internships, pastoral care) and on-campus residence, all anchored by a federation agreement with the University of Ottawa granting jointly conferred degrees.

Product overview

Saint Paul University (Université Saint-Paul) is a specialized university in humanities and social sciences located in Ottawa, Canada. Founded in 1848, it is the founding college of the University of Ottawa with a federation agreement since 1965. The university operates through four faculties (Human Sciences, Philosophy, Theology, and Canon Law) and six schools (Communications, Counselling/Psychotherapy/Spirituality, Conflict Studies, Social Innovation, Leadership/Ecology/Equity, and Ethics/Public Affairs). It offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs from certificates to PhDs, complemented by student support services (counselling centre, library, internship office), research centers (CRID for dispute resolution, IPCEV for conflict prevention, Mauril-Bélanger Social Innovation Workshop), and campus facilities (residence, cafeteria). The institution is bilingual (French/English) and maintains federal federation with the University of Ottawa, sharing administrative systems like uoCampus and Brightspace while conferring joint degrees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Faculté de droit canonique (Faculty of Canon Law) Faculty offering ecclesiastical and civil degrees in canon law (JCL, JCD, master's and doctoral programs) plus graduate diplomas in canon law practice, ecclesiastical administration, and protection of minors; delivered on-campus and through distance learning via the Broken Bay Institute in Australia/Asia-Pacific. For clergy, religious, and laity.
• Faculté des sciences humaines (Faculty of Human Sciences) Faculty encompassing six schools (Communications; Counselling/Psychotherapy/Spirituality; Conflict Studies; Social Innovation; Leadership/Ecology/Equity; Human Relations) delivering undergraduate to doctoral programs. For prospective students seeking human and social sciences credentials.
• Faculté de philosophie (Faculty of Philosophy) Faculty offering undergraduate and graduate programs in ethics and philosophy, with small class sizes and a holistic approach to academic and personal development. For students seeking philosophy and ethics credentials.
• Faculté de théologie (Faculty of Theology) Faculty offering programs from undergraduate to doctoral level in theology, biblical studies, ethics, spirituality, bioethics, and interreligious dialogue. For students and clergy pursuing theological credentials.
• Microprogrammes (Short certificate programs) Short certificate programs of 15-18 credits covering leadership, conflict resolution, ethics and technology, social justice, Indigenous studies, and Anglican studies. For adult learners seeking continuing education without full degree commitment.
• À la découverte du monde (Study Abroad / international summer programs) Intensive summer courses and international learning experiences including the Camino de Compostela pilgrimage and global classroom programs. For students seeking international exposure and intercultural learning.
• College Credit Transfer Agreements (Ententes d'arrimage) Articulation agreements with colleges (Algonquin College, La Cité, Collège Boréal) and CEGEPs enabling students to transfer credits toward bachelor's degrees. For college students seeking a pathway to a university credential.
• École de counselling, psychothérapie et spiritualité (School of Counselling, Psychotherapy and Spirituality)

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% student satisfaction rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• N4 (National Navigation Network) and CHEOminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with National Navigation Network for Newcomers and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario for online education programs helping professionals work with newcomers to Canada
• University of Ottawa (Université d'Ottawa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1965Federation agreement since 1965. Degrees conferred jointly by both universities' senates. Shared services including library systems (Omni), student portals (uoCampus), and administrative systems.
• Broken Bay Institute (BBI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to deliver USP's Master and Licence in Canon Law in Australia and Asia-Pacific region. Programs combine online courses with intensive on-campus sessions in Sydney, enabling students to study canon law without traveling to Canada.
• Association des collèges et universités catholique du CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in national association of Catholic colleges and universities in Canada
• Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in association promoting French-language higher education in Canada
• Consortium des universités de la francophonie ontarienneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in consortium of French-language universities in Ontario
• Fédération internationale des universités catholiqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in international federation of Catholic universities
• Institut canadien pour la résolution des conflitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for conflict resolution studies and research collaboration
• Algonquin CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCredit transfer agreement allowing students to transition from college programs to university degrees
• Collège BoréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench-language college with credit transfer and articulation agreements
• La CitéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCredit transfer agreements for Ontario college students
• Université Alcala (Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partnership with Spanish university
• Université Antonine (Lebanon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partnership with Lebanese university

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• St. Jerome's University: Catholic federated university within the University of Waterloo focused on humanities and social sciences. Directly comparable federation structure, religious identity and program mix.
• Université de Hearst: French-language Ontario university with small-campus humanities programs. Comparable in serving Francophone students in Ontario with a personalized, small-institution experience.
• Regis College: Jesuit federated theological school within the University of Toronto offering theology and ministry degrees. Comparable in religious affiliation, graduate theology focus and federation model.
• Dominican University College: Small Ottawa-based Catholic university specializing in humanities, philosophy and theology. Highly comparable in mission, size, religious affiliation, and bilingual operations within the same city.
• University of St. Michael's College: Federated Catholic college within the University of Toronto offering humanities and theology degrees with jointly conferred credentials. Mirrors USP's federation-with-major-university model and Catholic intellectual tradition.

Others

• Collège universitaire dominicain: Adjacent Catholic humanities institution in Ottawa. Listed separately from Dominican University College as an ecosystem participant given overlap in religious intellectual mission and shared Ottawa geography.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic University of America: Large U.S. research university with pontifical canon law and theology programs. Overlaps with USP on religious higher education and ecclesiastical degrees but at a much broader scale.
• Pontifical Gregorian University: Major pontifical university in Rome with broad canon law and theology faculties. Comparable on the ecclesiastical/pontifical axis and global Catholic higher-education positioning, but at significantly larger scale.
• Université Laval: Major Francophone research university in Quebec with broad social sciences and theology offerings. Comparable on French-language higher education serving the Canadian Francophonie, but at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Université de Saint-Boniface: French-language university in Manitoba offering humanities and social sciences programs. Similar Francophone-serving mission and small-institution character but operates in a different province.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bibliospu
• Instagraminstagram.com/bibliospu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saint-Paul University