Canada provides academic qualifications respected around the world. Students can experience a unique multicultural environment in a safe and beautiful country. More than 200,000 top international students and researchers choose to study in Canada each year.
Canada’s universities are among the best in the world. In 2012, 4 Canadian universities ranked in the Top 100 of the ARWU Shanghai Ranking and 22 in the Top 500; 3 ranked in the Top 50 of the QS University Ranking and 20 in the Top 500; and 5 ranked in the Top 100 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and 8 in the Top 200. Canadian universities also have global links to more than 5,000 active international collaboration agreements with counterparts around the world.
5 MBA schools in Canada placed in the top 100 Financial Times Rankings (2012).
Find the best information about what to expect when studying in top cities in Canada. Read about degree course offers, career opportunities, student life, living costs, and more.
In Canada, higher education is the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments, and in each province and territory there are laws, policies and procedures that govern the operation of post-secondary institutions. The basic structures of provincial and territorial education systems across Canada are similar.
Canada’s colleges, polytechnics and cégeps (vocational collages) offer industry-aligned, career-focused programs with growing levels of applied research directed at solving industry problems. Over 90% of Canada’s college graduates find a job in their field of study within six months after graduation and 93% of employers are satisfied with graduates’ qualifications.
Canada’s high academic standards and rigorous quality controls mean that you’ll be earning a high-quality education that will open doors for your future and benefit your career over the long term. A Canadian degree, diploma or certificate is globally recognized as being equivalent to those obtained from the United States or Commonwealth countries.
Research is one of the key components of a Canadian post-secondary education. In Canada, government and industry together support research including: telecommunications, medicine, agriculture, computer technology, and environmental science.
More than one third of Canada’s research is conducted at Canadian universities – one of the highest rates among OECD and G8 countries.
Some international students may not be able to attend a degree in Canada because their previous studies do not match the academic system of the country. To be allowed to take an undergraduate or graduate degree in Canada, they will need to enrol in a one-year pre-Bachelor or pre-Master offered by a local university.
Popular foundation degree studies in Canada include pre-law degrees, pre-MBA courses, pre-medicine, pre-nursing studies, or other types of international foundation programmes in engineering, economics, finance, social science, science and other types of university pathway programmes. Preparation courses in Canada include academic English language training to help international students meet university language requirements for future undergraduate or graduate studies.
Foundation degrees in early years in Canada are perfect for increasing your chances of getting accepted to a Canadian university. Pre-university business schools, law schools or med schools make sure international students develop the skills they need to succeed in the Canadian academic system. Pre-university education also includes cultural integration classes that help students feel more at home. Some pre-university programmes guarantee enrolment to the institution if students complete the preparation with high grades.
The top Canadian cities where students can take a foundation year programme include Vancouver Victoria, Burnaby and more.
Read more about the enrolment requirement for international students.
Meet language requirements for university admission in Canada by choosing an English language preparation course offered by English language schools worldwide, including Canada. By taking the right English exam training course you will advance your language skills in order to get the needed scores for IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, or other English exams.
To study in Canada, you may need a study permit.
To apply for a study permit on or after June 1, 2014, you will need to have a letter of acceptance from a higher education institution.
For detailed information about application requirements for Canadian higher education studies and/or study visa.
Read the article explaining how to apply for a degree course in Canada.
Canada is a bilingual country and a world leader for those looking to study abroad in English and French. Since 1982, education in both English and French has been available in most places across Canadian higher education institutions. Most programmes are offered in English, followed by French-taught programmes, while some provide instruction in both languages. Students coming from abroad can find a wide variety of programmes taught in English or French at Bachelor's, Master's or PhD level. Some universities, particularly those in Quebec, permit students to choose to study in either English or French, depending on their preference.
Foreign students who are not English or French native speakers should note that many Canadian institutions require prospective graduate students to take a standardised language test. English tests required usually include:French language tests and certificates include:
Meet language requirements for university admission in Canada by choosing an English language preparation course offered by English language schools worldwide, including Canada. By taking the right English exam training course you will advance your language skills in order to get the needed scores for IELTS, TOEFL, CAE, or other English exams.
If you need a visa to study in Canada, you will need to have received a letter of acceptance from the university before you can apply for your visa. You must be able to prove that you can support yourself financially during your studies in order to be eligible; you need to be able to cover the university tuition fees, and C$10,000 (C$11,000 in Quebec) per year for living costs, as well as the cost of the journey back to your home country at the end of your studies.
In addition to the financial regulations, you must also have a clean criminal record, and be in good health. You may sometimes have to have a medical examination before being issued a visa.
As an international student on a student visa, you may sometimes work on or off campus. It is advisable to check this with your nearest embassy or consulate before committing to work.
The visa application can take anything between 2 weeks and 20 weeks, depending on which embassy you apply to. You should check the processing time as soon as possible, and ideally begin the application process as soon as you have received your letter of acceptance.
Check more details about the student visa for Canada.
Canada is the world's second-largest country (9 970 610 km2), surpassed only by the Russian Federation. Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories, each with its own capital city. The capital city of Canada is Ottawa, in the province of Ontario. Formally considered a constitutional monarchy, Canada is governed by its own House of Commons. While the governor-general is officially the representative of Queen Elizabeth II, in reality the governor-general acts only on the advice of the Canadian prime minister.
Covering most of the northern part of the North American continent and with an area larger than that of the United States, Canada has an extremely varied topography.
Distinctive features include our vast mountain ranges: the Torngats, Appalachians and Laurentians in the east; the Rocky, Coastal and Mackenzie ranges in the west; and Mount St. Elias and the Pelly Mountains in the north.
The first inhabitants of Canada were native Indian peoples, primarily the Inuit. Norse explorers probably reached the shores of Canada in 1000. John Cabot, an Italian in the service of Henry VII of England, reached Newfoundland or Nova Scotia. Canada was taken for France in 1534. The actual settlement of New France, as it was then called, began in 1604 at Port Royal in what is now Nova Scotia. In 1608, Quebec was founded. France's colonization efforts were not very successful, but French explorers by the end of the 17th century had penetrated beyond the Great Lakes to the western prairies and south along the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, the English Hudson's Bay Company had been established in 1670. In 1713, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and Nova Scotia (Acadia) were lost to England. During the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), England extended its conquest. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 gave England control.
At that time, the population of Canada was almost entirely French, but in the next few decades, thousands of British colonists immigrated to Canada from the British Isles and from the American colonies. In 1849, the right of Canada to self-government was recognized. In 1885, the country was linked from coast to coast by the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Canada is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world. Canada is part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.Together with the ISIC Association and British Council IELTS, StudyPortals offers you the chance to receive up to £10000 to expand your horizon and study abroad. We want to ultimately encourage you to study abroad in order to experience and explore new countries, cultures and languages.