The quality of education is the main reason international students choose to study in Canada, a new poll reveals.
The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) quizzed more than 1,000 foreign students on their main reasons for wanting to study in Canada, and to achieve ‘a great education’ was the factor that came out on top.
Some aspects of Canadian education that students really wanted to highlight was the world-class teaching – interactive, accessible instructors, the prestige of a Canadian degree around the world, and the flexibility of programmes which encourage interdisciplinary studies, developing deeper cross-cutting expertise.
The warm welcome students receive from their Canadian counterparts and the diversity on campus were the second and third most popular reasons for studying in the country.
Recent Statistics Canada figures show that international student enrolment at Canada’s universities and colleges rose 2.5 per cent in 2013-2014,
Overall, international students account for roughly 10 per cent of all students enrolled in Canada’s post-secondary institutions, primarily in universities and colleges in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.
According to the Statistics Canada report, international students paid an average of $20,477 in 2014-2015 for undergraduate education, an increase of 6.8 per cent from the year before and three times more than what the average Canadian student paid – $5,959.
The top ten reasons international students choose Canada:
- A great education
- Welcoming country
- Diversity on campus
- Canada’s quality of life
- To gain a sense of independence
- The chance to converse and learn in two languages – English and French
- Good education services and support network
- High quality of student activities
- Hands-on learning
- The chance to learn new skills
Source: CIRB