Colleges and universities in the Fraser Valley

University of the Fraser Valley (UFV)

UFV is the region's namesake university. It started in 1974 as Fraser Valley College and earned full university status in 2008 (Wikipedia). Its main campus is in Abbotsford, with additional campuses in Chilliwack at the Canada Education Park (on 85 acres), Mission at the Heritage Park Centre, a centre in Hope, and an Aerospace Centre at the Abbotsford International Airport (UFV). It enrols roughly 15,000 students a year across those sites.

For a Fraser Valley family, UFV's spread is the headline: a student in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, or Mission can reach a campus without leaving the eastern Valley. Programs range from trades and agriculture (Chilliwack) to aircraft maintenance and aerospace (the Abbotsford Airport centre) to standard arts, science, and business degrees.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU)

KPU is the Valley's polytechnic, degree programs alongside hands-on trades and applied training. It opened as Kwantlen College in 1981 and became Kwantlen Polytechnic University in 2008 (Wikipedia). Its campuses sit in Surrey, Langley, and Cloverdale (plus Richmond), and it offers more than 140 programs across seven faculties, including a well-known horticulture and sustainable-agriculture program, nursing and health, business, and design. KPU serves more than 20,000 students a year.

The Cloverdale campus is the trades hub; the Langley campus carries the horticulture and science strengths. For a family in Surrey, Langley, or even Abbotsford, KPU is an easy commute, which keeps post-secondary affordable.

Trinity Western University (TWU)

Trinity Western is a private, Evangelical Christian university in Langley, founded in 1962 and granted university status in 1986 (Wikipedia). It enrols around 6,000 students and offers dozens of undergraduate and graduate degrees, business, nursing, education, psychology, and biblical studies among them, plus graduate and seminary programs. It's a faith-based option for families who want that environment, set on a campus in the Township of Langley.

Simon Fraser University, Surrey campus

SFU's main campus is on Burnaby Mountain, just outside the Valley, but its Surrey campus puts a major research university right in the region. The Surrey campus was established in 2002 and sits in the Central City complex next to Surrey Central SkyTrain station (Wikipedia). SFU is also building a new School of Medicine on the Surrey campus, with instruction scheduled to begin in 2026, BC's second medical school. Because it's on the SkyTrain, the Surrey campus is reachable from much of Surrey and the wider region without a car.

Why this matters when you buy

Most buyers think about elementary and high school when they shop for a home, then forget that a teenager turns into a university student in a few short years. In our experience, families who buy in the Fraser Valley and have a child commute to UFV, KPU, Trinity Western, or SFU Surrey from home can avoid the cost of residence or a second rented household near a Vancouver campus. Over a multi-year degree, that's real money, often more than the difference between two neighbourhoods.

None of this should be the sole reason to pick a home. But if you have kids who'll reach post-secondary while you own, it's worth knowing which campuses are a short drive or a SkyTrain ride away. We're happy to factor it into a home search, start with the schools hub or book a no-pressure chat.