Disclaimer: The information below is accurate as of September 30th, 2022
Canada, which is one of the top study-abroad destinations, is on the pathway to becoming the world’s best global ed destination for international students. With best-in-class universities and top-quality education offered, Canada has now become the dream destination for higher education.
Universities in Canada are popular for the facilities offered, infrastructure, quality of education, and also for providing highly remunerated jobs right after the completion of the course.
Canada is also popular for providing affordable education for international students at the top colleges with the best-in-class research facilities. Universities in Canada are relatively affordable when compared to institutions in countries like the UK, New Zealand, the US, and Australia. Moreover, Canada also has a great quality of life and a better cost of living. The country is also known for its multiculturalism and relatively easier immigration policies.
According to the official data for 2021, there were more than eight million immigrants with permanent residents living in Canada, and this will be roughly 21.5 percent of the total Canadian population. Immigration opportunities, better individual rights, beautiful places like Lake Louise and Niagara Falls, liberal government policies, and a multicultural environment are other factors that make Canada an attractive nation.
Canada is home to more than half a million international students and is also a country that has relatively easy visa procedures and also flexible post-education work permits. It lays special emphasis on practical skill development, which is incorporated into the curriculum of most universities.
Through studies incorporating skill development, students find it relatively easy to get job opportunities. Universities in Canada offer Co-op programs, where the student can work for 16 months during the course of study. Canada also offers 20 hours per week work permits for students who wish to work while studying.
From top-rated colleges and universities to attractive musical and dance events, Canada has a lot to offer international students. There will always be some event or the other happening around the clock, and students will have access to most of these events.
When you think of the cost of studying in an international destination like Canada, you should also think of other expenses that you will have to meet along with the major one, which is the tuition fees. You will have to consider the accommodation cost, study permit/visa cost, other living expenses, transportation, and cost of fun activities.
Tuition fees will be your primary expenditure in Canada. Tuition fees in Canada largely depend on the type of college/university and the kind of course selected by the student. Studying arts, liberal arts, and humanities are the cheapest options in Canada. At the same time, studying engineering, medicine, and business-related courses will be a little expensive in the top universities and educational institutions of Canada. On average, an international student will have to pay around CAD 13,000 and CAD 35,000 a year as tuition fees.
Studying a business course or MBA course in Canada can be really expensive; the annual tuition fees to study for an MBA in a top university can go above CAD 42,000.
Your expenditure on tuition fees depends on the type of qualification and institution you opt for. To cover this, you will need approximately CAD 13,000 and CAD 35,000 a year.
The next important factor that the student will have to take into consideration will be the accommodation expenses, almost all the universities in Canada offer on-campus accommodation for students, and this will cost cheaper than staying outside in an apartment. On-campus accommodation will range from CAD 8,000 to CAD 10,000, and living in an apartment outside will cost around CAD 700 per month as rent.
The living expenses include all the other expenses like books and supplies, communication, grocery and even social activities. CAD 15,000 is the approximate living expense in Canada.
| Name | World Ranking | Acceptance rate | Best course | Application Deadline |
| University of Toronto | 34 | 43% | Cell Biology Chemical Engineering Chemistry Health & Medicine Engineering |
January 12 for the summer session and June 2nd for the fall session |
| University of British Columbia | 47 | 52.4% | Faculty of Forestry Interprofessional Continuing Education. Master of Business Administration. Master of Community and Regional Planning. Master of Engineering Leadership. |
January 15 |
| McGill University | 31 | 38% | Computer science Law Management Medicine Music Science Electrical and Electronic Engineering Endocrinology and Metabolism Energy and Fuels |
January 15 |
| University of Montreal | 111 | 57% | Arts & Music Law Life science Medicine Computer science Communication Economics and Politic |
February 1 |
| McMaster University | 152 | 58.7% | Civil engineering, metallurgical engineering, clinical medicine, transportation science and engineering, computer science and engineering, statistics, and nursing | May 7 |
| University of Waterloo | 154 | 53% | Biology and Biochemistry Chemical Engineering Chemistry Civil Engineering Clinical Medicine Computer Science Condensed Matter Physics Economics and Business |
February 1 |
| University of Calgary | 235 | 20% | Economics and Business Electrical and Electronic Engineering Endocrinology and Metabolism. Energy and Fuels Environment/Ecology Gastroenterology and Hepatology Geosciences |
March 1 |
| Simon Fraser University | 298 | 59% | Arts and Humanities. Biology and Biochemistry Chemistry Clinical Medicine Computer Science Economics and Business Electrical and Electronic Engineering |
Fall – March 1 Summer – December 1 Spring – August 1 |
| University of Alberta | 110 | 58% | Nursing Agricultural sciences Environmental Science and Engineering Mining and Mineral Engineering Instruments Science and Technology Chemical Engineering Business Administration Agricultural Sciences Nursing |
July 1 |
| University of Ottawa | 281 | 12% | Mass Communication & Media Humanities & Social Sciences IT & Software Medicine & Health Sciences Teaching & Education Law Nursing Engineering |
March 1 |
Established in 1827, the University of Toronto is one of the largest public universities in Canada. The University of Toronto is popular for its path-breaking research outcomes and quality of education. Offering the best quality education for around 97,066 students across various academic disciplines, the University of Toronto is home to more than 27,000 international students ( which is around 21% of the university’s student population ) from 170 countries.
Presently there are 2,082 Indian students pursuing a degree and postgraduate courses in the university, and India ranks 2nd among the countries representing the maximum number of international students.
The University of Toronto offers quality education in 980 disciplines at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The university is also popular for its good international acceptance rate, which is more than 40% in 2022. University offers 700 undergraduate programs and more than 200 graduate programs, and the most popular courses are MBA, Medicine, and Architecture.
The average tuition fee at the University of Toronto will be around CAD 45,690 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
The University of British Columbia is a popular and reputed research university in Vancouver and the whole of Canada. They are popular for the quality of education, best teaching-learning practices, and also for research facilities available on campus. Currently, the university is home to students from more than 162 countries and has a student-faculty ratio of 11:1, which is unique to the particular university.
The University of British Columbia is ranked amongst the world’s top 20 public universities, and this achievement was awarded based on the quality of education and research outcomes.
The University of British Columbia has two campuses, one in Vancouver and the other one in Kelowna. The main campus is located in Vancouver on 400 acres of land, and the university works with 16 faculties, 18 schools, and 2 colleges to offer the best quality education. More than 27% of the population of the university is international students, and at present, the university has a student strength of 57,000 students.
The University of British Columbia is ranked 47 in the QS world university ranking and 37 in the World university ranking. A degree from the University of British Columbia is considered to be highly valuable as this helps the student get the best career opportunity. The University of British Columbia is considered an educational institution that works towards the holistic education of the student.
The average tuition fee at The University of British Columbia will be around CAD 38,900 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Following are the most popular courses offered at the university :
Following are the most popular schools at The University of British Columbia
McGill University is one of the most reputed and popular universities in Canada. It is also the 7th oldest university in Canada, with a legacy of a few of the best alumni and top call educational track records. Presently the university is home to more than 40,000 students, and 31% of these are international students from over 150 countries.68% of the students are pursuing an undergraduate course, and more than 32% are pursuing graduate programs.
The university is also famous for its good acceptance rate of 38% at the undergraduate level and offers more than 400 undergraduate and 90 graduate and Ph.D. programs. The university also has an acceptance rate of 29.2% for graduate programs.
Scholarship opportunities, research outcomes, campus life, and alumni achievements are a few things that make the university stand out from the crowd. There are many scholarship opportunities available for students in need and also for students who have sound academic careers. The university offers best-in-class facilities for students with a special focus on a green environment. The university has produced 12 Nobel laureates and 145 Rhodes scholars to date. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are part of the McGill University recruiters.
The university is ranked 51 among the best Global Universities by U.S. News and 31 in the Q.S. ranking.McGill University outperforms Canada’s other two top-ranking universities in terms of research, and they offer opportunities for students to do path-breaking research across disciplines.
The average tuition fee at McGill University in Quebec will be around CAD 35,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
University offers more than 400 programs in U.G. courses, and these are the disciplines that the courses are offered:
Founded in 1878, the University of Montreal is a Canadian non-private research institution of higher education. They are one of the largest research institutions, with an enrolment of 70,000 students. The university is stretched across Quebec and has over sixty departments and thirteen faculties with two affiliated schools.
There are more than 10,000 international students who are part of the university, and 7000 students are permanent residents of the country. The university is also part of the U15 Canadian universities, which focuses on research outcomes and research developments.
The University of Montreal has a total of 465 units and departments of research and is currently ranked third on the list of the best 50 research institutions. The University of Montréal offers a world-class education in almost all fields of study, and this university is also a melting pot of culture when it comes to diversity and the presence of international students. Life science, medical science, and other science-related courses are ranked under the top 100 in the world.
The average tuition fee to study at the University of Montréal (UdeM) will be around CAD 14,000 per year. This includes tuition fees and material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses. This is also one of the lowest when compared with many other universities in Canada.
A few well-known programs for international students at the University of Montreal are as follows:
Established in 1887, McMaster University is a popular research university that is among the top three research universities in Canada. Located in Hamilton, Ontario, the university offers over 100 doctoral and Master’s level programs across disciplines.
The university has a total of 17 facilities for undergraduate programs and 11 faculties for graduate programs. The university also offers more than 100-degree programs. Presently there are 32,11 students pursuing undergraduate courses in the university, and out of these, 16% are international students.
Programs like engineering, psychology, and other science courses are the most popular programs offered by the university, and these programs outsmart the other programs by path-breaking research outcomes. Bertram Brockhouse, James Orbinski, and Donna Strickland are a few of the most famous alumni of McMaster university. According to QS world university rankings, 2023, McMaster University is ranked 152 in the world and 6 in Canada.
The average tuition fee to study at McMaster University will be around CAD 22,000 per year. This includes tuition fees and material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
The University of Waterloo is a popular public university in Canada that is ranked as the most innovative university according to the Maclean 2022 ranking. Presently there are 42,000 students who are part of the university, and 10% of these are international students. Waterloo is a member of U15, the research-intensive university grouping of Canada. The University of Waterloo is best known for its cooperative education (co-op) programs, which enable students to combine their education with relevant work experience.
The university is known for its research grants and public and private research funding. Presently the university has funding of 247.7 million in multiple areas of research. University offers around 100 undergraduate degrees and 200 graduate programs for students from all around the world.
96% of the co-op graduates of the University of Waterloo have secured jobs within 6 months of graduation, and the program has generated over 7,500 jobs and revenue worth 2.3 billion CAD. The University offers academic programs which are administered by six faculties and ten schools, which are all faculty-driven. The university was established in the year of 1957
The average tuition fee to study at the University of Waterloo will be around CAD 30,000 per year. This includes tuition fees and material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Established in 1966, the University of Clergy is one of the most popular research universities in Canada. The university has a student population of 33,000 students, of which about 26,000 students are pursuing undergraduate programs.
Presently international students account for more than 10% of the undergraduate population of the university and 25% of the graduate population of the university. There are students from over 155 countries part of this prestigious university. The university presently has 5 big campuses and a consolidated budget of CAD 1.3 billion.
The university offers more than 250 programs on all five campuses and offers more than 110 programs at the undergraduate level alone. The university is also popular for its certificate program courses, and there are 70 certificate courses offered by the university. The University of Calgary has been ranked 10th position in Canada and 235th position globally by the QS World University Rankings 2022.
The average tuition fee to study at the University of Calgary will be around CAD 14,000 per year. This includes tuition fees and material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Established in 1965, Simon Fraser university is one of the most popular public research universities in Canada and Vancouver. The university currently has three campuses in Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver, and the main campus is located in Burnaby, British Columbia.
The university is a member of international higher education associations, such as the association of commonwealth universities and universities in Canada. SFU is also in the world’s top 300 universities in the QS ranking. The university offers courses in a trimester system which will have 3 equal full-time terms per year.
SFU has a student strength of 30,000 students from more than 145 different countries. They also offer a trimester system for students in a few courses and practice-based learning to grab best-in-class exposure during their studies. According to the Times ranking, the university is ranked between 201-250. The university also offers co-op programs for students to find placement in the world’s best companies.
The average tuition fee at Simon Fraser University will be around CAD 15,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Established in 1908, the university of Alberta has grown to be on the list of top 5 universities in Canada. The university has 5 campuses and offers quality education for international students in all these 5 campuses and 18 faculties. This public research university offers more than 200 undergraduate programs and 500 graduate programs. The University of Alberta’s graduates ranked in 2nd position in Canada for employment rate.
The University of Alberta is popular for its programs in Engineering, Business, and Education. Presently they have a student strength of over 40,000 students from over 156 countries. Out of this, 80% of the students are pursuing an undergraduate degree, and the rest 20% are pursuing a graduate degree.
They offer more than 200 courses at the undergraduate level and more than 500 courses at the graduate level. They have a long list of notable alumni which includes Margaret Atwood, Joe Clark, and Beverly McLachlin.
The average tuition fee at the University of Alberta will be around CAD 20,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Established in 1848, the University of Ottawa is one of the oldest public research universities located in Ottawa, Canada. It is also a bilingual university where the medium of instruction is both English and French. The university has an acceptance rate of 12%, which is less than many other top universities in Canada. This university is listed among the top 10 research universities in Canada and ranked 237th in the world university ranking.
The university has three campuses in Canada, and the main campus covers over 100 acres of area. Presently there are more than 80,000 students who pursue undergraduate and graduate programs at the university, and almost 22% of these are international students. The university also has a student-teacher ratio of 25:1.
The average tuition fee at the University of Ottawa will be around CAD 25,000 per year, and this includes tuition fees and also material charges, but this doesn’t include housing or other expenses.
Few other popular colleges in Canada for international students apart from the top 10 are as follows:
Now that we have discussed the top 10 universities in Canada for international students, here’s a look at how you can apply seamlessly to these courses. Applying for the best courses is literally a touch away with the T.C. Global web application or mobile app.
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