Best Student Cities in Canada

Beautiful, tolerant, and peaceful Canada. A huge northern country, the land of maple trees, home to probably the most handsome Prime Minister in the world – Justin Trudeau! Canada is the most educated country in the world. More than half of its citizens have higher education, and in 2018, its education system was ranked best in the world. Healthcare is free, you can roam freely on the safe streets, and quality of life is sky-high. And one more reason why you should study in Canada? Canada is home to some of the best student cities in the world!

We’ve made a list of the top student cities in Canada for international students, and the highest-ranked universities in these cities. Not only will you get an amazing education, but you’ll have an unforgettable study experience with students from all over the world.  Choose your favourite city and university, go to Aplic.io, and you, too, can be a student in this vibrant place!

1. Toronto and the University of Toronto

Toronto is the financial centre of Canada and a melting pot of nationalities, making it one of the most exciting student cities in Canada. Here you’ll find the second-largest Chinatown in North America and also Italian, Greek and Korean neighbourhoods. The city isn’t far from the US border and Niagara Falls. On one hand: a busy lifestyle in a city full of museums, shopping centres, theatres, and festivals. On the other hand: lots of green spaces, parks and wildlife all around.

The University of Toronto was founded in 1827, and is the №1 higher education institution in Canada! It is a global leader of research and teaching, offering 700 undergraduate programmes and 200 postgraduate programmes. The third largest library system in North America is found at UoT! Not only this, but UoT offers an exciting student life, with hundreds of student societies, a theatre, swimming pool, and art gallery!

• Aplic.io will help you study at the University of Toronto! Check out our website to find the programmes available to you, as well as UoT scholarships to fund your dream study in Canada!

2. Vancouver and the University of British Columbia

The unique nature of British Columbia makes Vancouver one of the most attractive student cities in Canada. It’s the place where the ocean meets the mountains, where rich forests surround deep lakes. Despite the beautiful untouched nature, Vancouver has developed infrastructure, convenient transportation, and an active lifestyle. Like Toronto, Vancouver is a hugely multicultural city. What’s more, it’s famous for being one of the best ‘foodie’ cities in the world! So if you love discovering different cuisines and new and exciting foods, then Vancouver is surely one of the best student cities in Canada!

The University of British Columbia is the most “international” university in Canada and the third-largest centre university in the country, renowned for its cutting-edge academic programmes and facilities. It was founded in 1908. UBC has two campuses. One of them lies 10km from downtown Vancouver with an exciting view of the mountains and sea, and the second one is in Kelowna near Okanagan Lake.

• Visit Aplic.io to explore the wealth of opportunities at UBC, and the scholarships which can help you study there!

3. Montréal: McGill University and the Université de Montréal

Bonjour! Did you know that French is the mother tongue of 20% of Canadian citizens? Montréal is officially a French-speaking city, but most of the citizens also speak English, making it the best student city in Canada for language lovers! It’s also a fantastic city for fans of history and culture, with old town squares, French architecture, and rich cultural heritage with hundreds of events all year round. Montréal is literally one of the best student cities in Canada – it has more students per capita than any other city in North America.

McGill University is known as the ‘Harvard of Canada’, and takes 31st position in the World University Rankings. Its students have won more awards than students at any other Canadian university, and 12 Nobel Laureates are counted among its professors and alumni! Over 30% of McGill’s 41,000 students are international students, from around 150 countries!

• We’re glad to tell you, that you can apply to McGill University with Aplic.io in just a few clicks! You can discover a whole world of programmes available to you, as well as the McGill Major Scholarships and McGill University Scholarships and Student Aid!

But that’s not all. In this exciting city, you will also find the Université de Montréal! It is Canada’s second-largest university, attended by 67,000 students, and is one of the top three research universities in the country. All the teaching is conducted in French. The Université de Montréal has some of the most affordable tuition fees of Canada’s elite universities!

• What will you study at the Université de Montréal? Discover programmes and scholarships  on Aplic.io.

4. Edmonton and the University of Alberta

Edmonton is the fifth-largest municipality in Canada and the second-largest in the province of Alberta. The population of the city and its neighbourhoods numbers just under 1 million people.  The city is among the coldest Canadian cities with an average temperature of -10 °C in winter and 17 °C in summer. But despite the chilly weather, Edmonton is one of the most interesting student cities in Canada. Whether you want to explore an ice castle at the Silver Skate Festival, the Indigenous Art Park, or the galleries and theatres of the Arts District in downtown Edmonton, the city is waiting for you!

University of Alberta is one of the top universities, largest research centres, and popular destinations in Canada for foreign students. Over 20% of its students are international, and come from 156 countries! The university has 18 faculties on five campuses – North Campus, Augustana, Campus Saint-Jean (French-language), South Campus and Enterprise Square. What’s more, there are 29 museum collections on campus, including the Museum of Zoology, Entomological Museum, and Art Collection!

• The University of Alberta is now closer than ever with the help of Aplic.io. If you’re interested in studying in this institution and want to know more, we’ll help you apply for programmes and scholarships!

5. Hamilton and McMaster University

Millions of years ago, the place known as Hamilton was covered by water. Now, Hamilton is a fun place to live and study, and is one of the coolest student cities in Canada. Hamilton is situated in the province of Ontario, about 64 km from Toronto, and its population numbers nearly 600,000 people. In Hamilton you can enjoy vibrant city life in the International Village, with traditional Victorian architecture, a multicultural atmosphere, the famous Theatre Aquarius, and hundreds of independent stores. Alternatively, you can enjoy the rich nature in the surrounding area, including the Niagara Falls!

McMaster University in Hamilton consistently ranks among the world’s top universities. It is Canada’s top research institution. Aside from the Faculties of Business, Engineering, Health Science, Humanities, Science, and Social Science, there are 70 research centres. Art-lovers are in luck: the university’s art museum is home to works by Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh!

• If you’re ready to call McMaster University “home”, then we are here to help. McMaster University is another partner of Aplic.io and you can discover its unique study programmes on our website.

6. Calgary and the University of Calgary

Calgary is a very lively and lovely city in the province of Alberta. Calgary’s population numbers 1.37 million people, and it is the fourth most populous city in the country. Calgary is an important centre of the oil industry, agriculture, and tourism. Also, it’s famous for being one of the most multicultural cities in Canada: more than 25% of its residents are foreign-born and the current mayor of the city is Muslim. Calgary is the cleanest city in Canada according to Forbes, and in 1988, it was the first Canadian city to host the Winter Olympics.

The University of Calgary is a dynamically developing university. It is ranked among the top 200 universities in the world, and the #1 in Canada for universities younger than 50 years. The University of Calgary has more than 250 academic programs, and maintains close ties to the petroleum and geoscience industries through the Department of Geosciences and the Schulich School of Engineering.

• Want to become a student at this university? Aplic.io offers access to scholarships and nearly 100 programmes at the University of Calgary!

Are you ready to study in the best student cities in Canada?

We all know how great Canada is, from its pristine nature, to its safety, to its high salaries. For good reason, Canada is one of the most desirable countries for emigration – and the best way to do this is through education in one of these vibrant student cities. Not only these cities deserve special attention, however, we hope that this article has allowed you to get acquainted with this enchanting country a bit better. And keep in mind: if you want to study in Canada, you can’t find any assistant better than Aplic.io. Our specialists have decades of experience in helping students move to Canada!