The Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (), formally the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities pursuant to its enabling legislation, is the ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for administration of laws relating to post-secondary education. Created in 1964, the ministry is functionally related to the Ministry of Education, responsible for primary and secondary schools across Ontario, and the former Ministry of Skills Development, responsible for policies relating to vocational trainings and regulation of skilled trades, and had been at variously held jointly with these ministries by the same minister. It also shares responsibilities over research and innovation policies with the economic development ministry.
With annual expenditure exceeding ten billion dollars since fiscal year 2021-22, it has been among the five ministries with the largest budget in most years in recent decades. Its fiscal estimates for the fiscal year of 2026-27 consists mainly of $9.8B of operating expenses, which funds Ontario's twenty-four public colleges and twenty-three public universities, and $3B for student loans.
The minister helming the ministry, Nolan Quinn has held the portfolio since August 2024, and has been styled as the Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security since March 2025. The ministry has accordingly been operating under its current name since then.
History
In May 1964, the Department of University Affairs Act was enacted, establishing the Department of University Affairs. The department was charged with administering the government's support programs for higher education, previously the responsibility of the education department. Bill Davis, the inaugural minister, was the Minister of Education at the time and continued to hold the position after the department's establishment until his ascension to the premiership in early 1971. In October 1971, the department's size was doubled by the addition of the Applied Arts and Technology Branch of the Department of Education, and was renamed the Department of Colleges and Universities to reflect this expansion of functions. It was renamed the Ministry of Colleges and Universities in 1972 as part of a government-wide restructuring.
In addition to jurisdiction over higher education, the department also had financial jurisdiction over the Royal Ontario Museum, the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Art Gallery of Ontario. In 1975, various cultural programs and institutions of the ministry were transferred to the newly created Ministry of Culture and Recreation.
In 1985, a separate Ministry of Skills Development was created by the short-lived Miller ministry, and for twice very brief period held by a separate minister. In a 1989 move portrayed in the press as the creation of a super ministry, Premier David Peterson assigned responsibilities for all three education related ministries – the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Skills Development – to Sean Conway. In 1993 the Rae ministry combined the three ministries to form the Ministry of Education and Training. These reorganizations were not formalized with amendment to the ministry's enabling legislation, though the Peterson ministry tabled legislations for the permanent establishment of the skills development ministry in 1986.
In June 1999, the responsibilities for post-secondary education and skills development were again given to a standalone ministry, named the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Legislative amendments was adopted in 2000 to formalize this change.
In 2016, Premier Kathleen Wynne renamed the ministry the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and handed the portfolio to his close ally and trusted deputy Deb Matthews. Its function and responsibilities however remains substantially the same. The new name, effected by an order-in-council, was never formalized by legislative amendment and was reversed upon the Ford ministry entering government.
In October 2019, Premier Doug Ford assigned the training and skills development portion of the portfolio, with the sensitive responsibilities over skilled trades regulation, to labour minister Monte McNaughton, and this ministry reverted to its former name of Ministry of Colleges and Universities accordingly. The Ford ministry further renamed the ministry to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security in March 2025. Neither the two name changes nor the transfer of responsibilities over training and skills development had been formalized by legislative amendment.
Names operated under The ministry operated under a number of different names since its founding. Its name was changed four times in the six decades 1964 and 2018, and changed three more times since the Ford ministry entered government. Ministry name Period in use Effecting authority Department of University Affairs 1964–1971 Robarts Enabling legislation(n/a) Department / Ministry of Colleges and Universities 1971–1993 Davis Enabling legislationYesMinistry of Education and Training1993–1999 Rae Order-in-Council Yes Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities 1999–2016 Harris Legislative amendmentYes Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development 2016–2018 Wynne Order-in-Council 1337/2016 Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities 2018–2019 Ford Order-in-Council 1161/2018 Ministry of Colleges and Universities 2019–2025 Ford Order-in-Council 1788/2019Yes Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security 2025–present Ford Order-in-Council 437/2025 Governance The Minister of Colleges and Universities is a member of the Executive Council of Ontario (or cabinet) reporting to the Premier and held accountable by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Its deputy minister, the senior civil servant in the ministry, advises the minister and head oversees the day-to-day operations of the ministry's five main divisions. As a whole, the ministry has responsibility for administration of laws relating to post-secondary education and skills training in Ontario. The divisions cover employment and training, post-secondary education, strategic policy and programs, corporate management and services, and French-language education and educational operations. The divisions report to the deputy minister who then reports to the minister. The ministry works with several external advisory bodies to assist in the governance of the higher education system in Ontario.
Function In addition to being responsible for the administration of policies, laws, and funding relating to Ontario's 24 colleges and 22 universities, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities is also responsible for the registration of private career colleges as well as financial aid through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). It also plays a role in the province elementary and secondary education through its French-Language Education Division.
Ministry agencies Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program Selection Board Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board Training Completion Assurance Fund Advisory Board
Reports Rae Report, 2005 The Rae Report, officially titled Ontario: A Leader in Learning, called for deregulation of tuition fees, income-contingent loan repayments, and an increase in public funding. Dean Report, 2015 Senator Tony Dean, a former Secretary of Cabinet of Ontario, was commissioned in late 2014 by then minister Reza Moridi to provide wide-ranging recommendations for the governance, the scope of regulations, and development of the Ontario College of Trades. The report, titled Supporting a strong and sustainable Ontario College of Trades, was tabled in October 2015. List of ministers
Portrait Minister Term of office Tenure Ministry NoteMinister of University Affairs Robarts (to be continued) DavisMinister of Colleges and Universities Miller Peterson Rae Minister of Education and Training Harris Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Eves McGuinty interim Wynne Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Ford (to continue)Minister of Colleges and Universities (to continue)Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security present Ministers of Skills Development Responsibility over apprenticeship and skilled trades regulations resided with the labour ministry before 1985. The Ministry of Skills Development was created in 1985 and assumed those function. It existed as a separate ministerial portfolio only for a brief period between 1985 and 1993, over the tenure of six colleges and universities ministers, three of them held the portfolio concurrently. It was merged into the higher education portfolio afterward.
In 2019, that portion of the portfolio was assigned by order-in-council to the labour minister, who was also assigned responsibility for immigration. Given that no corresponding legislative amendment had been adopted, the assignment may still be proven transitory in nature. Portrait Minister Term of office Tenure Ministry Minister of Colleges& Universities Part of Labour portfolio (pre-1985) Minister of Skills Development Miller Peterson himself himself Rae himself Part of Education and Training portfolio (1993–1999) Part of Training, Colleges and Universities portfolio (1999–2019) Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development (to continue) Ford Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development present
Ministers of Education In addition to the ministry inaugural minister Bill Davis, seven of his successors also held the education portfolio concurrently. Bill Davis - 1964–1971 Bette Stephenson - 1978–1985 Keith Norton - February–May 1985 Larry Grossman - May–June 1985 Sean Conway - 1989–1990 Dave Cooke (NDP) 1993–1995 John Snobelen - 1995–1997 David Johnson - 1997–1999
Three minister had held the education portfolio during a different period Sean Conway - 1989–1990, held education portfolio prior 1985–1987 Mitzie Hunter - January–June 2018, held education portfolio prior 2016–2018 Jill Dunlop - 2021–2024, held education portfolio afterward 2024–2025
See also Higher education in Ontario
References Enabling legislations
Notes