It's Canada's most expensive university, but even with an annual tuition price tag of $24,000, it has no shortage of customers.

Quest University campus in Squamish, B.C.

Quest University campus in Squamish, B.C.

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Located in Squamish, British Columbia, surrounded by mountains and enticingly close to Whistler, Quest University just accepted its second year of 80 students following the 70 that were accepted in 2007, its launch year. So far, about 60% of the student body is international. The private institution, founded by former University of British Columbia president David Strangway, boasts $80 million worth of new buildings, including a professional basketball court and soccer field.

So what does that hefty tuition—which landed Quest on Forbes' recent list of the "World's Most Expensive Universities"—get you? Its students take both sciences and arts and, unlike most public schools, don't need to specialize until their third year. "Curriculum...focuses on the needs of the student, not the specialty," Dr. Strangway says. During the first two years, students take 16 core courses, one after another, each lasting just over three weeks and tackling one topic at a time. This works out to be the same as a full semester at a regular school. Dean Duperron, the school's interim president, says it's a more effective model for adult learning than one course over four months. "Education is a responsibility but you need to bring a business sense to it to enjoy the responsibility," he adds.

One course, "Man and Nature," includes lessons on science and nature and field trips to explore glaciers and mountains. Another, "Human Condition," explores the ideas of civil liberties and justice. "I don't use the word interdisciplinary much because it's become its own thing. I use integrated," Dr. Strangway says. One difference at Quest is that students must identify a question that matters to them, he adds. It could be related to one discipline or multiple disciplines: For example, AIDS in a developing country, which involves politics as well as science.

But can a graduate from a little-known, non-mainstream university get a good job? Dr. Strangway said he's talked to senior officials at law and journalism schools and they have said that the Quest approach to education is the perfect preparation. Mr. Duperron adds: "There are lots of well-connected people supporting the school and they would likely help students."