Canadian Higher Education: Student Population Insights

Canada has a large number of universities and colleges spread across its provinces and territories. Each province is responsible for its own education system, including universities and colleges. As of 2023, there are over 100 universities in Canada, with 1.8 million students enrolled. In 2022, around 2.19 million students were enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Canada, including universities and colleges. This number has remained relatively stable, with 1.4 million students enrolled in universities in 2022, a slight decrease of 0.47% from 2021.

University and college student enrollment in Canada in 2022

Canada has a large number of universities and colleges spread across its provinces and territories. Each province is responsible for its own education system, which includes universities and colleges. As of 2023, there are over 100 universities in Canada, offering education in English and French.

University Enrollment

In 2022, the total number of students enrolled in universities in Canada was around 1.4 million, a figure that remained nearly unchanged from the previous year, with a minor decrease of 6,700 students (-0.47%).

College Enrollment

While the exact number of college students in 2022 is unclear, the total number of students enrolled in postsecondary institutions (which includes both universities and colleges) in Canada that year was around 2.19 million.

University Admission Requirements

To gain admission to a Canadian tertiary education institution, students must meet certain requirements. For example, students must maintain specific entering averages, which generally range from 65 to 85%, depending on the criteria set by the chosen university.

Types of Colleges

Colleges in Canada are distinct from universities as they typically do not grant degrees. However, some colleges may offer degree programs through joint programs with universities or with permission from the provincial Minister of Education.

Examples of Universities and Colleges

Alberta:

• Athabasca University
• Concordia University of Edmonton
• Mount Royal University
• The King's University
• University of Alberta
• University of Calgary
• University of Lethbridge

British Columbia:

• Emily Carr University of Art + Design
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University
• Royal Roads University
• Simon Fraser University
• The University of British Columbia
• Thompson Rivers University
• Trinity Western University
• University of Northern British Columbia
• University of the Fraser Valley
• University of Victoria
• Vancouver Island University

Manitoba:

• Canadian Mennonite University
• St. Paul’s College
• The University of Winnipeg
• Université de Saint-Boniface
• University of Manitoba

New Brunswick:

• Mount Allison University
• St. Thomas University
• Université de Moncton
• University of New Brunswick

Nova Scotia:

• Cape Breton University
• Dalhousie University
• Mount Saint Vincent University
• Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University)
• Saint Mary’s University
• St. Francis Xavier University
• Université Sainte-Anne
• University of King’s College

Newfoundland and Labrador:

• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• College of the North Atlantic

Prince Edward Island:

• University of Prince Edward Island
• Collège Acadie
• Holland College

Saskatchewan:

• First Nations University of Canada
• St. Thomas More College
• University of Regina
• University of Saskatchewan

Ontario:

• University of Guelph
• University of Ottawa
• University of Toronto
• University of Waterloo
• University of Windsor
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• Algonquin College
• Cambrian College
• Canadore College
• Centennial College
• Conestoga College
• Confederation College
• Fanshawe College
• George Brown College
• Humber College
• La Cité collégiale
• Loyalist College
• St. Lawrence College

Quebec:

• Université de Montréal
• Université de Sherbrooke
• Université du Québec
• Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
• Université du Québec à Montréal
• Université du Québec à Rimouski
• Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
• Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue
• Université du Québec en Outaouais
• Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne
• Collège de Maisonneuve
• Collège Montmorency
• Collège Shawinigan
• Dawson College
• LaSalle College
• Marianopolis College
• O'Sullivan College of Montreal

French-language universities in Canada

As of 2023, there are over 100 universities in Canada, with 1.8 million students enrolled. Most French-speaking universities are located in Quebec, but several institutions outside the province are either francophone or bilingual. French-language universities in Canada outside of Quebec fall into two categories: French-language universities and colleges in New Brunswick and French-language universities and colleges in Ontario.

University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa is the largest bilingual (English-French) university in the world. Students can pursue a degree in either language or take advantage of the French Immersion Stream to study in both. The university also offers a certificate in the study of Canadian francophonie for those interested in deepening their understanding of francophone cultures, laws, language, and politics.

Campus Saint-Jean, University of Alberta

Campus Saint-Jean is a French-language multidisciplinary faculty at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. The campus serves the Francophone and Francophile communities in Western Canada, offering nearly 800 students the opportunity to complete their post-secondary studies in French. Students can choose from two college programs and nine bachelor's programs.

Université de Moncton

The Université de Moncton in New Brunswick serves the French-speaking Acadian community of Eastern Canada. It has three French-only campuses.

York University, Glendon Campus

York University's Glendon Campus in Canada's biggest city offers bilingual and trilingual programs, including a PhD in Études francophones.

Université de Montréal

Based in Canada's most bilingual city, the Université de Montréal offers French-language education and globally recognized research. They offer courses on Québécois culture and the French language and help non-francophones learn and adopt French in their daily life.

Université Sainte-Anne

The Université Sainte-Anne is the only francophone university in Nova Scotia. It offers college and university programs, as well as French immersion and customizable French as a second language programs. The university serves the Acadian and Francophone population in the province and promotes francophonie throughout its community.

University of Sudbury

The University of Sudbury is a bilingual university that contributes to the vitality of the Francophone community in Ontario and the North. It offers programs and courses in Philosophy, Indigenous Studies, Religious Studies, Folklore, and Études journalistiques, which are also credited to a Laurentian University degree.

Université de Saint-Boniface

The Université de Saint-Boniface is the oldest and the only francophone university in Canada's Western provinces. Located in the francophone neighbourhood of Winnipeg, Manitoba, the university comprises a university and two colleges: l'École technique et professionnelle (ETP) and l'École des sciences infirmières et des études de la santé (ESIES). The university also has a language school offering French courses for new immigrants, teachers, and others in the community.

Private universities in Canada

As of 2022, there were around 2.19 million students enrolled in post-secondary institutions in Canada. This includes both college and university students. As of 2023, there are over 100 universities in Canada, with 1.8 million students enrolled.

Canada has two types of universities: public and private. Public universities are subsidized by the Government of Canada, while private universities operate independently. There are a limited number of private universities in Canada, and the majority of universities in the country are publicly funded. Private universities in Canada are independent post-secondary institutions that have been granted the authority to confer academic degrees by a provincial authority.

The oldest private universities in Canada operated as seminaries or were religiously affiliated. However, several secular, for-profit, and not-for-profit private universities were established in Canada during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Private universities in Canada include:

• Booth University College
• Canadian Mennonite University
• Providence University College and Theological Seminary
• St. Mary's University, Calgary
• The King's University
• Trinity Western University
• University Canada West
• University of Fredericton
• Yorkville University
• Concordia University of Edmonton
• Ambrose University
• Burman University
• Northeastern University
• Redeemer University
• Tyndale University
• Quest University
• University of Niagara Falls Canada

Universities in Canada by province

As of 2023, there are over 100 universities in Canada, with 1.8 million students enrolled. Most universities offer education in English, but several are francophone or bilingual, with most French-speaking universities located in Quebec.

Alberta

• Athabasca University
• University of Alberta
• University of Calgary
• University of Lethbridge
• Concordia University College of Alberta
• The King's University
• Augustana University College
• DeVry Institute of Technology

British Columbia

• Simon Fraser University
• University of British Columbia
• University of Victoria
• University of the Fraser Valley
• Vancouver Island University
• University of Northern British Columbia
• British Columbia Institute of Technology
• Open Learning Agency
• Royal Roads University
• Trinity Western University
• Technical University of British Columbia
• Thompson Rivers University
• University College of the Cariboo
• University College of the Fraser Valley
• Emily Carr University of Art and Design
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Manitoba

• University of Manitoba
• University of Winnipeg
• Collège Universitaire de St.-Boniface
• Mount Allison University
• Saint Thomas University
• University of New Brunswick, Fredericton
• University of New Brunswick, Saint John

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Sir Wilfred Grenfell College

New Brunswick

• Université de Moncton
• Mount Allison University
• St. Thomas University
• Dalhousie University
• University of King's College
• Mount St. Vincent University
• St. Francis Xavier University
• Université Sainte-Anne
• University College of Cape Breton
• Collège Universitaire Dominicain

Nova Scotia

• Nova Scotia Agricultural College
• Nova Scotia Teachers College
• St. Mary's University

Ontario

• University of Ottawa
• University of Toronto
• University of Waterloo
• University of Western Ontario
• University of Windsor
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• Ontario Tech University
• Royal Military College of Canada
• Toronto Metropolitan University
• University of Guelph
• Ontario College of Art and Design
• Queen's University at Kingston
• Laurentian University
• Nipissing University
• University of Sudbury
• University of Trinity College
• St. Jerome's University
• St. Michael's College
• Conrad Grebel College
• St. Paul's United College

Prince Edward Island

• University of Prince Edward Island
• University of Prince Edward Island

Quebec

• McGill University
• Concordia University
• École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)
• École nationale d'administration publique (ÉNAP)
• Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
• Polytechnique Montréal
• Université de Montréal
• Université de Sherbrooke
• Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
• Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)
• Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)
• Université du Québec en Outaouais
• Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)
• Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)

Saskatchewan

• University of Regina
• University of Saskatchewan
• Saskatchewan Indian Federated College
• St. Thomas More College

Colleges in Canada

Canada is home to a large number of colleges and universities, with over 100 universities and more than 2 million students enrolled in post-secondary education. Each province is responsible for its own education system, including universities and colleges.

There are many notable colleges in Canada, including:

• Ambrose University College
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
• Vancouver Community College
• Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology
• Collège Ahuntsic
• Collège International Marie de France
• LaSalle College

Canada's higher education system is highly regarded, with a strong reputation in specific subject areas. The country is also known for its bilingualism, with many English and French-speaking institutions. Most French-speaking universities are located in Quebec, but several institutions outside the province are either francophone or bilingual.

Frequently asked questions