Why Study in Canada? Here Are 5 Great Reasons

It doesn't matter whether you're looking at the Times Higher Education (THE), the U.S. News & World Report, or Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings. You will always find a Canadian university among the world's top-ranking universities.

In THE's World University Rankings 2022 of over 1,600 universities in 99 countries and territories, the University of Toronto ranked 18th, the University of British Columbia 37th, and McGill University 44th.

In the U.S. News & World Report's 2022 Best Global Universities Rankings, the University of Toronto ranked 16th, the University of British Columbia 35th, and McGill University 51st.

Finally, in the QS World University Rankings 2023 (published June 2022), McGill University ranked 31st, the University of Toronto 34th, and the University of British Columbia 47th.

Three universities in Canada consistently rank among the top universities worldwide, as you can see from the above list. Then there are more Canadian universities apart from these three (e.g., the University of Alberta, Université de Montréal, McMaster University, Western University, and the University of Ottawa) that rank highly in the world.

Indeed, you can study abroad in Canada if going to a top university overseas is a priority.

As indicated above, the United States and the United Kingdom are the top two most popular destinations for international students. Canada is third. Why go for Canada when you can go to the United States or the United Kingdom instead?

The annual cost of university and the annual cost of living combined is approximately AED 134,300 ($36,564) in the United States and around AED 128,721 ($35,045) in the United Kingdom.

In contrast, how much does it cost to study abroad in Canada? It costs around AED 109,995 ($29,947).

There is no way you can say studying in Canada is inexpensive. Nonetheless, you will indeed spend less money studying in Canada than in the other two countries.

The Education at a Glance 2021 report, available at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) iLibrary, confirms this. The report shows international students generally pay less in tuition fees in Canada than in the United States.

Canada's International Education Strategy for 2019-2024 combines an outward and inward mobility approach.

On the one hand, it encourages Canadian nationals to grow their skills and broaden their horizons by encouraging them to explore other countries, especially in key markets in Asia, for work and study purposes. On the other hand, it is moving to diversify the countries that send international students to Canada and pushing to distribute international student enrolment across the country, not only in the largest Canadian cities.

In line with this government goal, the government is introducing these initiatives that will benefit international students in Canada.

Faster processing of study permit applications

Canada is expanding its streamlined and expedited Student Direct Stream application process to additional countries.

The development of electronic applications processes

The country is improving its electronic processes to enable timely decisions on applications.

Allocation of additional scholarship funds for international students

The government has allotted CAD 5,000,000 in five years to fund international student scholarship programs. If the pressing question you must answer is, "How can I study in Canada for free?" make sure to enquire about the available study abroad scholarships at the next education fair you'll attend.

You may work while studying in Canada if you have a valid study permit that says you are allowed to work. If your study permit doesn't have this condition specified, you can request an amendment to your study permit.

Work may only commence once the study program has begun. Once you stop studying or take a leave of absence (unless it's a regular break), your work privileges will cease.

Likewise, if you stop being a full-time student, you must stop working — unless the partial load is necessary because it's your last semester, and you no longer need a full course load.

A Social Insurance Number is also a requirement.

Work on campus

An eligible student can work on campus for unlimited hours without needing a work permit.

Work off campus

An eligible student may work up to 20 hours per week off campus without needing a work permit.

Work as a co-op student or intern

An eligible student may work as a co-op student or intern if their study program requires work placement. However, the co-op or internship requirement may not comprise more than 50% of the study program.

Work after graduation

If you are eligible, you can apply for a post-graduation work permit before your study permit lapses. If approved, you can stay in Canada to work for a period between eight months and three years. This will allow you to gain valuable in-Canada work experience that will work in your favour if you plan to apply for a permanent residency in Canada later on.

Canada has two official languages: English and French. According to 2016 data, 68.3% of people in Canada speak English, 11.9% speak French, and 17.95% speak English and French.

Therefore, if you know English, you shouldn't have much trouble communicating with your Canadian professors, classmates, and other Canadian nationals. Of course, you should probably not choose a university in Quebec, where most people (85.4%) speak French rather than English. In all the other regions, the percentage of the French-speaking population is in the single digits except in New Brunswick, where it's 31.8%.