Top Universities & Colleges in Canada

Canada is one of the most welcoming countries for international students. A home to some of the world’s best educational institutions, seven of its universities rank among the top 200 in the world, according to Times Higher Education Ranking (2020). 

As of 2018, there were more than 572,000 international students in Canada with most of them from India, China, South Korea and France. The number of Indian students enrolled in Canada’s education system has been increasing for years. Compared to 2017, it jumped by 16% in 2018. 

Not only does Canada provide world-class quality education, but the cost of studying and living in is also more affordable compared to the

Popular cities to study in Canada

• Montreal
• Toronto (known to be safest for women)
• Vancouver
• Ottawa
• Quebec

Popular courses to study in Canada

MS & Bachelors in Engineering and MBA are the most popular courses that international students take up in the top universities in Canada for masters. Within MBA, students prefer to do masters in Marketing, Finance, and HR. Other popular courses include:

• Bachelors in Information Technology
• Bachelors in Business Management
• Masters in Marketing 
• MS (Engineering)
• Masters in Finance 
• Masters in Pharmacy 
• Masters in Computer Science Engineering
• Masters in Petroleum Engineering
• Masters in Environmental Engineering
• Masters in Biotechnology 
• Masters in Supply Chain Management
• Masters in Life Sciences
  
  

Popular universities in Canada

Most Canadian Institutions develop a market-oriented curriculum for you to do well after your studies and are acknowledged all over the world. 

Under this section, let us understand the post-secondary education system of Canada. This is the term for education after Grade 12 in Canada. According to the Canadian Bureau of International Education, 75% of international students in Canada were enrolled in post-secondary education in 2017.

CEGEP stands for Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel

There are mainly two types of post-secondary institutions – universities and colleges and these two terms are not used interchangeably in Canada.

While universities majorly offer Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral degrees, following table briefs about the programs offered by Colleges in Canada.

Canadian education is relatively affordable compared to many countries. Average masters tuition fees in Canada can be anywhere between CAD 13, 000 to CAD 66, 000. While for under graduation, it can lie between CAD 20,000 to CAD 56,000. Table below gives you an idea for some courses. The figures have been taken from Statistics Canada.

Living expenses may range from CAD 1250 to CAD 2500 but will vary according to your course, college or university, your location in Canada and your lifestyle. 

Commence the application process at least 8 months before the classes start. This gives you enough time to prepare in terms of arranging documents, knowing fees structure along with acquainting yourself with other requirements. 

You can apply to Canadian educational universities and colleges in three admission seasons:

• Fall session
• Spring session
• Summer session

Most of the students opt for Fall intake, followed by Spring. Summer intakes are offered by a selected number of universities.

The deadlines for the intakes are mentioned in the table below. 

It is important to note that the exact deadlines vary from course to course and hence is recommended to a student to check the university website carefully. However, admission deadlines (in most cases) for the September intake are:

• 15th of January (for undergraduate programs)
• 1st of March (for graduate programs)

While the table below briefs the courses and the pre-requisite for admission in Canadian institutions, it is recommended that a student checks for a course’s requirement on the official site of a university or a college. 

How to choose a course and university in Canada

You need to filter from a list of top Canadian universities basis a few factors like:

• Your choice of subject
• What the university or college is known for, scholarship availability
• Your chances of getting in basis your academic performance 
• You may also consider the weather as an aspect. 
• If cost is a factor, you may also check which cities are the most expensive. Vancouver is known to be the most expensive Canadian city.
   

Points to note

Save yourself from any scam checking if your desired institution falls under the list of Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). 

What are DLIs and why do you need to know about them?

These are the Canadian educational institutions that are approved by the Provinces and Territories of Canada to admit international students. Whichever post-secondary school you choose, make sure to check that it is a part of a list of DLIs.
 

How many institutions should you apply for?

You can keep several options for educational institutions but keep following points in mind.

• Each institution you choose may require an application fee ranging from $100 to $250. This is the basic amount you need to pay to initiate your application process at any college.
• While focussing on a few is good, keeping one or two institutions in back up doesn’t cause any harm. You can keep total 6-8 schools to apply to. 
   

Are you ready for proving your language skills?

• Canadian universities may offer courses in either French or English or both. It is better to confirm beforehand. 
• To prove your language proficiency and later procure Visa, you need to pass any of these tests with a certain range of scores.
• It is suggested to go through desired university’s website before choosing to attempt a test. Some common English tests are:
• IELTS - This is the most common test accepted by the majority of Canadian Institutions. 
• TOEFL 
• Cambridge English: Advanced 
• If you wish to seek entry through French proficiency tests, some options include TEF, DALF, DELF or TCF.
   

Documentation for the application process

Since you have already cleared the language proficiency tests, use your language skills to draft a few documents while applying to the universities. Depending on the course, the institutions may require you to submit:

• Statement of Purpose (SOP), 
• Letter of recommendation (LOR) 
• Resume 
   

Points to note

• You must carefully fill the applications. 
• Avoid any spelling, factual or grammatical errors. 
• Do remember to not use flowery language and keep a personal touch in these documents. 
• These are the only way to communicate with the schools of who you are and why should you be selected.
• In case you plan to upload translated transcripts, they need to be notarized by a certified translator. You may have to upload the original ones too.

Make no mistakes

The universities encourage quality research. Sources and citations within research papers are of extreme importance in Canadian universities and plagiarism doesn’t go well with them.
 

Waiting to hear back from universities?

The response from your applied institution may take some time (around 6 to 8 weeks). This may range from a few weeks to a few months from the deadlines of accepting applications from students.

• After you receive your acceptance letter from an institution, you may need to pay the tuition fees as mentioned on the university’s website or in your acceptance letter.
• After payment of fees, save the receipt of payment that you will require to apply for a visa.
   

Congratulations on your admit! What’s next?

Check on the university website if your course requires a student permit or a work permit or both. Also, it is important to have a valid passport before applying for a student permit

Canada student permit is a document issued by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) required by international students to study in Canada. The student permit is issued for the duration of the period a student will need to complete the program. 

In the points below, we will provide steps to follow to procure a study permit. Please note that you are advised to read thoroughly every point in the links provided below as these form a part of the official government website of Canada. 

• Read the instructions carefully and apply for a study permit.
• You can also know your application fees. This amounts for CAD 150. 
• Check if you have the required documents. 
• Create an account and start your application process online.
• In case, you are not comfortable uploading the documents by yourself, you may choose to post those offline with the help of VFS Global. In India, you can apply for a Canadian Visa at VFS Global Services Centres located in Mumbai, Ahmedabad (West India), Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad (South India), New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar (North India), Kolkata (East India). It provides complete information for Canadian student visa, visa forms, Canadian visa fees, visa processing time, visa status check (visa tracker), and procedure to apply for the visa. 
• If you have been instructed to contact a visa office in your area, the list of available centres. There is a list of documents you may need to carry to the centre. 
• Problems may arise while opening your application form but there are solutions to it.
• After you have applied, you may need to go to a visa centre to give fingerprints and photographs. 
• The processing time after submission of your application can be checked online. 
• You must carry a set of documents that you may need to show after arrival in Canada. 

Points to note

• You don’t need student permit if your course is of lesser than 6 months duration. 
• Purchase of GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate): This forms a part of documents required to get a student permit as a part of financial proofs. The students must buy a special guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) from any of the participating banks like Nova Scotia Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI Canada Bank, CIBC Bank for the amount of CAD 10,200 for the adjustment of the living expenses of the first year. Approx. $200 will be deducted as the administrative charges of Bank (It depends on Bank to Bank). The student receives $ 2000 immediately after arrival in Canada. Next $8000 will be paid to the students in 12 equal instalments as each month’s living expenses. 

For students going for Quebec, refer to additional visa requirements below in the last section of this guide. 

International students in Canada may have access to a wide range of financial aid options to assist them with the costs of studying in Canada.

Broadly, these options fall into two categories:

• Scholarships
• Loans

Scholarships

Financial aid granted for academic or extracurricular achievement is known as a scholarship, or sometimes a grant. Students who receive scholarships do not have to pay the money back. Some scholarships are available to all students going to all universities in various fields, while some are region specific (like Ontario).

1. The Ontario Graduate Scholarship applies for graduate students in Ontario.
2. International students may also qualify for some of the government scholarships such as the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program, Vanier Canada Scholarships and Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships.
3. Quebec Provincial Government Scholarship is available for students above Master's level.
4. NSRCC scholarships are awarded to extraordinary students in fields of engineering and natural sciences.
5. Ontario Trillium Scholarships are for selected PhD students in Ontario. 75 in number and worth 40,000 CAD yearly, this is renewable for four years.
6. Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute are awarded at both graduate and postgraduate levels. Research and training courses can avail these.
7. Partnership Grants by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is for PhD students. These have worth up to 20,000 CAD.

There are many university-specific scholarships available as well. The details of these will be available on their websites. The overall grants could start from $2,000 and range upto being fully-funded as well. Prospective international students are encouraged to refer to institutions directly to find out more about available options.
 

Loans

International students in Canada have access to student loans on the same terms as Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Consequently, international students in Canada pay the same interest rates and have the same repayment schedule as Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

However, international students may not be eligible for loans from provincial or federal governments and may need to investigate private loans with banks. Several banks offer separate loans, credit lines, and interest rates for students.

Canada seems to be more open in welcoming people from all across the world for Immigration reasons. Choosing a location where you may have relatives makes it easier initially. The time difference between Canada from India is almost 9.5 hours. The weather is on the colder side where winters can be gruelling with -30 degrees Celsius at some places. In summers, the weather is pleasant under 30 degrees Celsius.

International students need to have a health cover in Canada providing 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week medical assistance. Health insurance laws, however, are divided according to which provinces (states or geographical areas) you live in. A broad range of cost could be from CAD 275 to CAD 500. The cheapest available insurance designed specifically for international students is at Alberta (CAD 68) and British Columbia (CAD 36). Universities in Canada take mental health seriously. 

As an international student in Canada, once you have completed the first six months of your bachelors or masters, you can get a permit to work part-time, off-campus for up to 20 hours a week. During semester breaks, you are allowed to work full-time. However, if you are in an intensive course, the university will recommend you to not work more than 12 hours a week. 

In order to work “off-campus”, a study permit must be authorized by a visa officer. If you are enrolled in a full-time academic, professional or vocational training program at a designated learning institution, you may be eligible to work “off-campus” without a work permit. However, it should be printed on the study permit that you are authorized to work off-campus.

It may not be easy to get hold of your first job. Students use Indeed.com and various other local websites to find jobs but most of the time, it requires in-person visits and taking follow-ups politely. Some common part time jobs not related to your subject that you can do in Canada are listed below.

• At a cafe, restaurant, back office, store, malls, supermarkets, gas stations, etc.
• Social Media Jobs: Companies pay students to create and manage their social media profiles. If you have the skills to do digital marketing, you can get paid a lot of money here.
• Freelance Jobs: You can share any of your useful skills on YouTube or make a course online.
• Tutoring: You need to apply for this. If there is a research opportunity, you can work with a professor as their assistant.

The student work laws are more lenient; you can work both on-campus and off-campus. The minimum work wage is CAD 10.25 per hour. After tax, you may earn about CAD 200 per week and CAD 800 per month.. Find out more about working in Canada while studying.
 

Co-op Programs

You can work outside the campus and this may be a part of your coursework. Some courses require you to work in industries for a semester. This period is called a work term. You can ask your co-op department if you find an organization to work with. There are a few eligibility requirements to work as a co-op student in Canada. These programs enhance your resume as you get some work experience. 

If you look for the best jobs for in Canada, it depends on your expectations of ‘best’ job such as work-life balance, promotion spans, salary, and peers among many others. There can be multiple fields of work where salaries are high and comparable. However, a few degrees that are probable to land you into a well-paying job include examples such as dentistry, medicine, nursing, law, engineering, computer science, business.

See the table below for some high paying jobs in Canada.

Source: https://neuvoo.ca/salary/?

Please note that the figures in the table above are indicative and may vary with level of education and your experience. 

After graduation, following fields of work offer high paying jobs:

• Architecture and Engineering
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Information Technology
• Marketing

For careers in Computer Science, the average salary ranges from CAD 39,000 to CAD 80,000. Some popular jobs include Information Technology Specialists, programmers, researchers, teachers, game developers, trainers for application support among many others.

If you have graduated from a list if DLIs then you can apply for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). There are two scenarios arising:

• If you are a student and waiting for your final marks and have your study permit valid even after getting your final marks, you can apply for PGWP till 180 days.
• If your study permit expires before getting your final marks, then either you have to leave Canada and apply from your home country for PGWP or, get your study permit extended and then apply for PGWP. 
   

How long is your PGWP valid?

Make sure your passport is valid through the entire length of your stay in Canada. Check for how long you can stay with a PGWP in Canada in the table below. 

Fee structure for PGWP

Processing time for PGWP

• These timelines depend on how properly you have submitted your information and if there are revisions required. 
• In case of offline forms, these may vary as the government faces multiple applications and may take time in processing. 

• However, there are some exceptional cases and special cases to apply for a PGWP.
• For more information on how to stay in Canada if you are not eligible for PGWP (but can work with other types of work permits) you can visit the official link of Canadian government. 
   

Permanent Residency

• After studying and having some work experience in Canada, you might want to become a permament resident there.
• As a permanent citizen, you get most social benefits as a Canadian citizen and work or study anywhere in Canada and can even apply for Canadian citizenship. 
• There are many ways of immigration in Canada such as Express Entry, Provincial nominees among many others. 
• To check which one is best for you, you need to answer a few questions listed by the Canadian government.

To study in Canada in Québec, the international students, depending on their duration of study have to obtain permission to study from the governments of Quebec and Canada by applying to a certificate of acceptance. This has to be done before applying for a study permit. Some steps a student needs to follow to obtain a CAQ.

• Complete the online application and pay the prescribed fees using Forex Card or an International Credit Card.
• Enclose the required documents applicable to the country or the territory in which you are currently residing or staying - typically includes -

• • recent ID photo, passport format (35 mm x 45 mm)
  • payment of fees to examine your application
  • a legible photocopy of the identity pages of your passport containing your personal information, photo and the passport expiry date
  • letter of admission from the registrar (or admissions office) of the educational institution you will attend

Once your application has been accepted, a copy of your CAQ for studies will be mailed to you and a conditional agreement will be dispatched to the Canadian visa office indicated in your application form. This office will validate your financial capacity to continue your studies in Québec.

Send your complete file to the Service aux étudiants étrangersin Montréal by placing an online pickup request on Yocket.

Quebec Foreign Student Service for CAQ

285, Notre-Dame Street West,

4th floor, Montreal, CANADA

Montreal - H2Y1T8

If you meet the prerequisites, a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies will be issued in your name. The CAQ is generally valid for the duration of your study program up to a maximum of 49months.

You can submit application form offline which has to be sent with your credit card number to Quebec to pay the application fees of CAD 114. However, it is suggested to fill the form and submit all the supporting documents online to avoid any payment issues e.g., in case there are not enough funds in your account associated with credit card you have mentioned, your application will be straight rejected.