Universities in Canada

Universities in Canada - Why study in Canada?

Over the last few years, Elab has seen a sharp upsurge in the number of students applying to study in Canada, and one of the first questions they all ask is, which university should I choose? While global rankings provide a reasonable general guide to universities in Canada, it is important to remember that these rankings primarily focus on research output. Therefore, checking subject-specific rankings is just as crucial as looking at overall profiles. Well-established universities in Canada benefit from endowments and generous funding from individuals, organizations, and governments, allowing them to offer students cutting-edge technology, excellent facilities, and often generous grants and scholarships.

When choosing a university in Canada, you should, however, also take other factors into consideration, for example: location and climate, tuition fees, and whether you would prefer to live in an urban or rural environment. Canadian winters are very cold- and while this might appeal to snowboarders, toboggan lovers and skiers, if you are not particularly sporting and outdoorsy, then a rural campus at the foot of a mountain is probably not ideal, when compared to the lifestyle you can enjoy in, say, multicultural Montreal or the milder climes of British Columbia.

Universities in Canada - What are the best universities in Canada?

University	Global Ranking (QS 2025)	Founded	Number of students	City/Province	Known for:	Acceptance Rate
Toronto University	25	1827	65,000+	Toronto, Ontario	Literary criticism and communication theory – “The Toronto School”. High research output. Applied science, management, education.	43%
McGill University	29	1821	40,000	Montreal, Quebec	Computer science, psychology, law, medicine, nursing, engineering. (Has educated the largest number of Rhodes scholars in Canada).	39.4%
University of British Columbia	38	1908	65,000	Vancouver, Kelowna BC	International economics, journalism, media studies, food market analysis	61,6%
University of Alberta	96	1906	40,000	Edmonton, Alberta	Chemistry, agricultural science, food science, chemical engineering	58%
Waterloo University	115	1957	40,000	Waterloo, Ontario	Computer science, maths, architecture, engineering	53%
University of Western Ontario	120	1878	40,000	London, Ontario	Engineering, business, neuroscience, healthcare.	58%
Université de Montreal	159	1878	45,000+	Montreal, Quebec	***All courses taught in French ***	76%
McMaster University	176	1848	32,000	Hamilton, Ontario	Health sciences, medicine, natural sciences, engineering, business, social sciences	44%
University of Ottawa	189	1841	50,000	Ottawa, Ontario	Law, management, education, health.	40%
Queen’s University	193	1966	28,000	Kingston, Ontario	Particle astrophysics, cancer research, clean energy technology, art conservation, geotechnical engineering.	42%
Calgary University	198	1818	36,000	Calgary, Alberta	Anatomy and physiology, veterinary science, sports science, petroleum engineering, hospitality and leisure management.	63%

Note that all the above universities are public institutions and that only the Université de Montreal – the world’s second-largest bilingual city whose official language is French – does not offer courses taught in English.

Universities in Canada - Choosing the right location

Bachelor’s degrees in Canada generally take three to four years to complete, depending on the subject and whether you are taking an honours degree, requiring students to pass 120 credits. Master’s degrees can be completed in 12–24 months, depending on the chosen field of specialization. Consequently, you will be living in Canada for a significant number of years, so it is important to decide what type of environment will make you happy,

Studying in Ontario

The majority of the highly-ranked universities in Canada listed above are located in Ontario, a province bordering the USA, best known for being home to four of the five Great Lakes,250,000 lesser lakes and the Niagara Falls. The second-largest province in Canada, and the country’s economic powerhouse, Ontario is located in the east central region, and offers vast forests and plains, orchards, wineries and tundra in the south, and three-metre snowfall in the less inhabited north.

Toronto

Toronto, located on the north-west shore of Lake Ontario, has a population of around three million and is one of the most multicultural cities on earth, with neighbourhoods called Little Tokyo, Little Italy, Greektown and Chinatown mirroring different cultural roots and traditions. The CN Tower, the largest freestanding structure on the planet, is often used to symbolize Toronto and its forward-thinking philosophy. The city also regularly stands in for New York in films, since both are architecturally similar and equally diverse. 

Ottawa

Ottawa, Canada’s capital, is the seat of the federal government and the home to Canada’s high-tech sector. Situated on the south bank of the Ottawa River, it has a smaller population than Toronto, and a reputation for being safe, with a low crime rate, many green spaces to enjoy  and a reasonable cost of living, estimated to be 18 per cent below the national average. Remember that if you see people queuing up for Beaver Tails, a popular local snack, they are buying wheat pastries flavoured with sugar and cinnamon, peanut butter or apple, and not Canada’s national animal!

Waterloo

Waterloo, home to the Waterloo University, the so-called MIT of Canada, is situated around 98 kilometres from Toronto and has a small population in the region of 120,000. The town is known for its many festivals and wealth of natural beauty and hiking trails, its affordable living costs and strong community spirit.

Kingston

The city of Kingston is home to Queen’s University and is the former alma mater of Elon Musk. It is rich in national historic sites and its fortifications and the Rideau Canal gained Kingston the status of World Heritage Site, a title which attracts many tourists, who make a major contribution to the city’s economy.

Hamilton

Hamilton is a port city with a population of around 650,000, divided by the Niagara Escarpment, a forested ridge with many waterfalls. Located some 50 kilometres southwest of Toronto, with a humid-continental climate, Hamilton   has a growing arts and culture sector, with 220,000 people attending its famous Supercrawl community arts festival every September.

London

London is a city with a population of approximately 450,000, and is best known for its life science and biotechnology industries, huge IT sector and its financial services. A regional technology hub, London is also home to a thriving musical scene, theatrical venues, a flourishing film industry and a host of sports teams, from Seikido to rowing.

Studying in Quebec

Surveys have found that Quebec is the happiest province in Canada. Its humid continental climate produces high snowfall in winter which blankets its hills, waterways and vast forests, while summers see average highs of 26 degrees Celsius. Quebec’s official language is French and over the years the province has slowly shifted from its manufacturing and agricultural background towards software startups, space and aeronautics, IT and finance. Rental costs are far lower than in Toronto and Vancouver, and the overall cost of living places Quebec among the most affordable provinces in the country.

Montreal

Montreal, with its population of over four million, is known as Canada’s party city with a thriving multicultural community, and a rich calendar of festivals, including the world-famous Montreal International Jazz Festival. Old Montreal has echoes of Paris, with its cobbled streets and historic buildings, and a vibrant nightlife which attracts students and tourists alike. The essence of Montreal is captured by its favourite son, the iconic songwriter Leonard Cohen, whose murals on Crescent Street and Napoleon Street look down benevolently at the passing crowds, on their way to enjoy the city’s many bars, clubs and restaurants.

Studying in Alberta

Situated in the west of Canada, Alberta is renowned for its natural beauty, the Rocky Mountains, endless forests, prairies and its wildlife. The province’s economy is based on the oil and gas industry, since its oil reserves are the third largest in the world, along with cattle farming – 5 million head. 

Winters here are freezing, albeit great for skiing, with temperatures dropping to – 24 Centigrade or lower in the north of the province with its subarctic climate, while its summers are known for long days of sunshine, with average temperatures ranging from 21-28 Centigrade. Alberta celebrates cowboy culture. Rodeos, such as the famous Calgary Stampede, compete with literary and artistic events like the Edmonton Fringe Festival -the second largest after Edinburgh -for visitors during the summer months, which are packed with cultural and sporting activities. 

Edmonton

Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, is one of Canada’s sunniest cities, and does everything on a large, generous scale. From North America’s second-largest shopping mall, with 800 stores, an indoor ice rink, amusement park and mini-golf, to River Valley, the largest urban park in Canada, Edmonton is a lively student destination. The city is rightfully known as Canada’s Festival City, holding over 50 events a year, from music to pigeon racing. Situated in the centre of the wilderness, along the North Saskatchewan River, Edmonton sits in a prairie landscape and offers nature lovers and museum buffs alike a wealth of riches to explore.

Calgary

Calgary embraces both its western cowboy legacy and its current position as the heart of Canada’s oil industry. Nicknamed “Cowtown” or  “Stampede City” it has a population of 1,500,000 and was ranked the third most livable city in the world in 2022. The city enjoys warm summers but freezing winters –Doctor Zhivago was shot in Calgary! The famous Calgary Stampede runs for 10 days and is one of the largest festivals in Canada, attracting well over a million visitors every year, keen to try their hand at lassoing or riding a bull. Downtown Calgary is a heady mixture of bars and cultural venues, public squares, restaurants and entertainment venues. The city has all the amenities one would expect to find in a modern urban centre, as well as outstanding natural beauty, making it a popular destination for Canadian as well as international students.

Studying in British Columbia

Situated between the Pacific and the Rocky Mountains, British Columbia is a stunning province, blessed with rainforests, inland deserts, forests, beaches and diverse areas of outstanding beauty. Its population of just under six million people make up the most diverse community in all of Canada. 

Vancouver

Vancouver has the busiest seaport in Canada, a strong economy, a diverse population and a flourishing and dynamic culture. Its mild climate and stunning landscapes make it a popular tourist and student destination, and it has developed into a major film and TV production hub-which has earned it the title “Hollywood North”. Urban planners have concentrated on promoting high-rise buildings, and minimising urban sprawl, making Vancouver a lively, compact city, with a residential core built in the spirit of providing “livable” growth. Vancouver’s interest in promoting healthy lifestyles has attracted many global brands such as Lululemon and Nature’s Path Foods to set up their headquarters in the city. Its high rise skyscrapers are framed by the glorious mountains and forests which surround the city. 

Kelowna

The second campus of the University of British Columbia is located in Kelowna, in the Okanagan Valley, a semi-rural city with approximately 160,000 residents. The Greater Kelowna area offers skiing, snowboarding, boating or waterskiing on Okanagan Lake, as well as hiking and golf. Kelowna produces excellent wines and juices which benefit from the dry, mild climate, and is known for its vineyards, microbreweries and distilleries. There are 30 beaches to explore and wilderness parks for birdwatching, as well as a downtown neighbourhood which heroes the local produce in its many restaurants and bars. 

Most beautiful campuses in Canada

Campus life plays a significant role in studying abroad. The following universities in Canada have been recognized by Times Higher Education for their stunning locations and landscapes:

• University of British Columbia – Features an outstanding Japanese garden, forests, and beaches.
• Queen’s University, Ontario – Located on Lake Ontario with beautiful Victorian architecture and limestone buildings.
• McGill University, Montreal – Gothic architecture and a famous Edible Campus garden in the heart of downtown Montreal.
• University of Toronto, Ontario – A mix of green spaces and striking Romanesque and Gothic Revival buildings.
• Western University, Ontario – Nestled among hills and valleys with ivy-covered limestone buildings.
• Bishop’s University, Quebec – Surrounded by farms and rivers, often called “Canada’s Oxbridge” for its Gothic Revival architecture.
• Quest University, British Columbia – Perched on a hilltop overlooking woodlands and mountains.
• McMaster University, Ontario – Located at the base of the forested Niagara Escarpment, with wetlands and a wildlife sanctuary.

Universities in Canada - What is the next step?

Studying in universities in Canada offers a world-class education combined with diverse cultural experiences and breathtaking landscapes. With a wide range of top-ranked universities in Canada spread across provinces like Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and British Columbia, students can choose from bustling metropolitan hubs like Toronto and Vancouver or smaller, nature-rich cities like Kingston and Kelowna. Canada’s academic programs are rigorous, with bachelor’s degrees typically taking three to four years and master’s programs lasting between one to two years. The cost of living varies by region, with Quebec being among the most affordable, while cities like Vancouver and Toronto are known for their vibrant job markets and multicultural communities. The country’s strong focus on research, innovation, and industry connections makes universities in Canada an ideal choice for students seeking quality education, career opportunities, and an enriching lifestyle in a safe and welcoming environment.

Do you want to study at one of the universities in Canada? Contact Elab and get expert guidance on choosing the right university, preparing your application, and ensuring a smooth admission process. Our team is here to support you every step of the way!