There is a lot to consider when coming to Canada as an international student. With such a wide variety of universities spread out with different cultures, communities and geographies, making a decision can be overwhelming. Do you want to go to a university in a small town or a university that’s the size of a small town? Do you choose a cutting edge new research school or a historic and revered Canadian establishment? Do you choose West Coast or East Coast, temperate rain or bitter snow, athletic focus or arts focus? The options are endless. Here is a list of top Canadian universities of all shapes and sizes known for their impact on the local and international community. Whether you’re looking for a big city or small community, affordability or amenities that come with a price tag, Canada has a lot of opportunity to choose from.
University of Alberta (Edmonton, AB)
UofA is located in the heart of Edmonton’s shopping district on Whyte Avenue. The school is widely known for its drama and computing science programs, as well as its dedication to infrastructure expansion and growth. While an international undergraduate degree comes at a fairly high cost, the school offers competitive graduate degree pricing. Edmonton has a lot of amenities to offer any student who chooses to brave the cold climate. If you hail from a French-speaking country, UofA has a francophone campus called Saint-Jean.
Universite de Montreal (Montreal, QB)
Universite de Montreal is consistently rated the top francophone university in Canada, but it is also home to over 60,000 international students from diverse backgrounds and languages. In terms of cost, UdM has more affordable tuition rates than other universities in the country. Top programs include international studies and pharmacology, and it has a fantastic French-language business and engineering programs. Unique to the province of Quebec, all citizens of France and a changing rotation of other francophone countries qualify for Quebec-resident tuition fees, which at only $1500 a year makes it the ideal choice for any international student.
Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS)
Dalhousie is located in the small city of Halifax, a quaint Nova Scotian seaside community. The school has a rich history, and given the location next to the Atlantic Ocean, Dalhousie is a leader in marine sciences. If you’re a literature buff, you’ll enjoy doing your first year at King’s College, the affiliated liberal arts school housed in one of Canada’s most historic campuses right next door to Dal. Likewise, Dalhousie has strong programs in both law and journalism. In terms of cost, it has one of the most affordable international rates, and Nova Scotia is widely known for being an immigration hotspot.
University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC)
When you set foot on this sprawling campus in the Vancouver neighborhood of Point Grey, British Columbia you’ll feel like you’re in a new city. This campus boasts numerous residences, libraries, restaurants and other amenities. Anything that can be expected to be seen in a small functioning town can be seen on this large campus, and then some. This school is great for first years who may not know what they want to study, Arts One is an interdisciplinary first-year program emphasizing English, history and philosophy; students study in groups no larger than 100 and Science One focuses on biology, chemistry, physics and math. Although neighboring rent is expensive, it’s a quick 45 minutes away from downtown Vancouver, or 15 minutes from closer bars and pubs in Kitsilano. While undergraduate rates tend to be quite steep, UBC provides competitive pricing for graduate programs. Vancouver is also one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada, making it a destination for international students.
York University (Toronto, ON)
York is one of Canada’s largest universities, with a student population of about 54,000. While the campus is a little removed from the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto itself, the York campus is impressive in both scale and diversity, leading the race as the largest university campus in Canada at 457 acres and pioneering programs in women’s studies, psychology and space engineering. York also has the most affordable international tuition fees of the major Ontario universities and has one of Canada’s largest international populations, another reason why many students from abroad choose to study there.
University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, SK)
Passionate about open skies, crisp winters and agriculture? University of Saskatchewan may just be the place for you. Located in Saskatoon a bustling little city that packs a cultural punch, UofS has the cheapest tuition for international students west of Quebec. Although it is known best for its ties to agricultural research and innovation, the school also has acclaimed programs in animal biosciences, another one if its extensive research based programs. If you can brave the cold for a more affordable cost, you’ll find that the city of Saskatoon offers a lot to this prairie based university.
University of Toronto (Toronto, ON)
UofT is Canada’s largest university, boasting an impressive 8,000 faculty members, more than 700 undergraduate programs and around 83,000 students. Like SFU, UofT is dispersed over three campuses. The Scarborough and Mississauga campuses are in the heart of these quiet suburbs, and are home to many of the technical science degrees. The original St. George campus is located in the centre of downtown and is known for its historic stone buildings and the University of Toronto is in a class of its own. St. George, the leafy downtown campus, has the historic stone buildings, and is home to 12 distinct colleges. UofT has one of the most competitive Commerce degrees in Canada, as only 1 of 10 applicants are accepted.
Queen’s (Kingston, ON)
Kingston may be a sleepy town in the suburbs of Ontario, but the university it revolves around is anything but. Queen’s is known throughout Canada as a school of tradition, and anyone who goes there can tell you the whole town bleeds red, gold and blue – Queen’s official school colors. For any history buff, the campus is home to dozens of old limestone buildings, many of which are over 100 years old. For any student interested in getting a broader education, Queen’s has an extensive international program and even owns the 15th century Herstmonceux castle in England. If you’re looking to study applied degrees, Queen’s has outstanding programs in engineering, law and medicine.
Memorial (St. John’s, NL)
This isolated Canadian university on the cliffs of Newfoundland may be a bit of a reach for most Canadians, but it draws in plenty of international students each year. Thanks to an oil-backed tuition freeze, Memorial subsidizes costs for all of its students, and international students pay just under $9,000 for two semesters, about half of the average cost of other Canadian international fees. Memorial is in a small city, and the winters can be notoriously brutal, but the location has its upsides. St. John’s is a city unequaled by any other in Canada. It is considered the oldest English founded city in North America, has extremely affordable rent and is packed with quirky welcoming culture. If that doesn’t sell you, Memorial’s ties to the seaside have produced unique programs in naval architecture and maritime engineering.
McGill (Montreal, QC)
McGill is one of Canada’s oldest and most historic universities. More than any other school in Canada, it draws in students from all over the world due to its strong international reputation. McGill has many notable alumni that are Nobel laureates, Rhodes scholars and cultural icons and many of McGill’s alumni went on to be founders of other Canadian universities. The Montreal campus is in the heart of downtown, making it ideal for students who enjoy being right where the action is. There are dozens of cafes, bars and nightclubs all within walking distance and the campus is right next to Mount Royal Park. The school offers over 250 doctoral and master’s graduate programs and is known for its extensive research making it one of the top schools in Canada. While the price tag of a degree from McGill doesn’t come cheap, it has the lowest living costs of the big 3 cities in Canada.