International Schools to Consider: Canada
Elton Lin
One of the earliest steps in the college application process is, of course, deciding which colleges to apply to. Maybe all you have on your list right now are a couple of dream schools, or maybe you’ve carefully crafted a vast list of colleges that you’ve color-coded under reach, match, and safety schools. You’ve probably also considered certain criteria for the college you’d like to attend: academic programs perhaps, or reputation, financial aid, and even good food. But while your search may have led you to consider your local state colleges and universities, the Ivies, and liberal arts colleges, there’s a world of excellent colleges you may have overlooked -- those in Canada.
Why should you consider Canadian schools?
Canada is home to many prestigious schools that offer excellent education, which makes them important to consider for your college application list.
Canadian higher education tends to be more career-focused and research-oriented, with discipline-specific schools (e.g. engineering school, vocational school).
Canadian schools offer students a greater degree of flexibility, with a wide variety of degree programs, including two-year diplomas, master’s degrees requiring different years of study, and of course, the four-year bachelor’s degree that are familiar to Americans.
Canada offers Americans a taste of the international student experience and a Canadian-brand multiculturalism while still being relatively close to home.
These are only a handful of the pros of attending a Canadian college or university. If this has sparked your interest, here is a collection of Canadian institutions to consider:
The University of Toronto is a public research university held in high esteem globally, and is ranked #1 in Canada and #17 in the world. Founded in 1827, it has a prestigious track record in research, developing insulin and launching stem-cell research, to name a few. It also receives the most funding for scientific research in the nation. The University of Toronto boasts a host of prestigious alumni as well, including Prime Ministers, Supreme Court Justices, Nobel laureates, Rhodes Scholars, and even leaders from other countries. When they’re not studying or conducting research, students and faculty thoroughly enjoy Toronto’s multicultural city life.
The University of British Columbia, ranked #2 in Canada, was founded in 1908, making it the oldest university in British Columbia. Its Vancouver campus is six miles from downtown, and it is home to one of the largest research libraries in Canada. As another public research university, the University of British Columbia funds over 8,000 research projects annually, and is home to Canada’s national laboratory and the world’s largest cyclotron, which may catch your attention if your interests lie in physics.
McGill University is a huge public research university in the heart of downtown Montreal that offers over 300 academic disciplines for students to choose from. There are high-achieving McGill alumni in all fields, from Academy Award winners and Olympic athletes to Pulitzer Prize winners and high-ranking political leaders all over the world. McGill has eleven libraries, a student body that made up of over 25% international students, and 198 research contracts (as of 2020) sponsored by government and industry.
The University of Ottawa calls itself “the largest bilingual (English-French) university in the world.” Located in Ottawa, the official bilingual capital city of Canada, the University highly values its Francophone community and integrates French into its core studies, academic disciplines, and student life. It is a public research university (have you noticed the trend?) with international students making up about 17% of its student population across both undergraduate and graduate levels, and it has a 12:1 student-faculty ratio.
McMaster University has a prime location in Hamilton, Ontario, on 300 acres of scenic surroundings, and close proximity to the Niagara Falls and McMaster Forest. As a research-intensive university, it is home to the W.J. McCallion Planetarium, four libraries, the Commonwealth’s first university-based research nuclear reactor, and even its own art museum. It also offers over 3,000 academic programs for its many students to pursue.
The University of Alberta, despite being a public research university, devotes much of its resources to undergraduate learning, with approximately 80% of its student body consisting of undergraduates. Not only does the university receive over $500 million a year in research funding for a myriad of disciplines, but they also have strong ties (advantageous to political and public policy-minded students) to government and industry, which is facilitated by their location in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta. The university is also home to over 400 research laboratories.
Your search for higher education doesn’t have to be limited to United States borders—consider Canadian opportunities as well, and you may discover a unique international student experience.