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BEST STUDENT CITIES IN CANADA

While Canada is one of the most renowned countries in the world for its natural beauty, it is also celebrated for the quality of education it offers to students. Every year, a large number of students migrate to Canada to avail an excellent education from the many international universities that are present here. However, a common concern for those that migrate to Canada is choosing which city would be the best from a student perspective. This is because living in a new country is not easy and adjusting and adapting to a new place can be a really daunting task. However, Canada is one country where you can simply close your eyes and pick a city to study in and you won’t be disappointed. Most Canadian cities have a very conducive learning environment and offer a lot of fun and interesting activities for students. As we have been closely working with students from years, at Whizstorm, we have come across the following top cities in Canada, that have been a popular choice amongst students based on the ease of stay and the cost of study as well as primarily based out of the QS World University Rankings 2020.

1. Montreal: More than 350,000 students go to Montreal every year for obtaining quality education as this city is home to many celebrated universities, and is also ranked 6th worldwide in the QS Best Student Cities 2019 ranking. This city is also known for its wide array of festivals, comedy shows, and rich cultural extravaganza. The people of the city mostly speak French, followed by English, and other languages. Though language can be a slight barrier for people who do not know French, there are several factors that make Montreal such a dream city for international students. The city has a large transportation network consisting of around 200 bus routes and more than 50 metro stations, which is easily accessible and affordable for students. It is also a very safe city and ranks among the top 20 safest cities in the world. To add to these factors, it has the lowest rents in Canada, making it a very affordable city to live in for students. With the large number of students coming to study in Montreal, it provides the city with a high amount of Cultural Diversity that students can experience while still feeling welcome in the city.

2. Toronto: Toronto is one of the most culturally diverse cities of the world and a centre for fashion, music, art, culinary variety and amazing natural sceneries. Roughly 17% of the city’s student population is made up of international students. It is home to the University of Toronto (U of T), which is ranked, 34th in the world, and thus a big attraction for international students. Being the capital city of Canada’s Ontario province, it is quite safe from major crimes, and though minor crimes such as scams and pickpocketing do occur, these are also on rare occasions. The transportation network in the city is quite robust with pretty affordable fares, allowing students to explore the city freely. Though the large population of the city does drive up housing costs a bit, the pay in Toronto is also scaled accordingly, making it a reasonably affordable city. There are also several places students can visit like the CN Tower, Casa Loma, The Royal Ontario Museum, and Toronto Islands providing something for all types of people. The combination of these factors contributes to Toronto’s world ranking of 11th in the QS Best Student Cities 2019 rankings.

3. Vancouver: Despite being one of the most expensive cities in Canada, Vancouver ranks 16th in the QS Best Student Cities 2019 ranking. The city has a plethora of natural beauty and a very pleasant environment. Vancouver is an important centre for several industries such as software development, video game development, biotechnology, aerospace, and animation studios and a vibrant television and film industry. This creates a high amount of job opportunities for students in Vancouver with great salary packages. There are several modes of transportation available for students such as Rapid Trains, Buses, and Ferries. The majority of students in Vancouver are European, followed by Canadian and Chinese students. English, Scottish and Irish are the largest ethnic groups in the city. For entertainment, students get to choose from many night clubs, theatres and musical festivals. Another attraction is snow sports, with some of the world’s best ski resorts present in Vancouver.

4. Ottawa: Ottawa comes in at rank 45 worldwide in the QS Best Student Cities 2019 rankings. Ottawa has an award winning transportation network with fixed routes for high frequency rapid buses, and a light rail system that behaves like a shuttle. There are also special services such as Para Transport services for disabled people. It is also one of the safest cities in Canada with extremely low crime rates. There is a reasonable amount of Cultural diversity in Ottawa, with a large majority of immigrants being from Asia and the Middle East, followed by Africans and Europeans. The most attractive prospect for students studying in Ottawa is the income rate in the city, being one of the highest income rates from cities in Canada. Additionally, there are well preserved forests and freshwater lakes in this province of Canada.

5. Quebec: One of the lesser known cities in Canada, Quebec is a majorly French speaking city. It has the second largest metropolitan area after Montreal. The city has a lot of lively festivals and celebrations such as the famous ice castles and sculptures during the winter carnival. It is also one of the cheapest cities in Canada for international students. Being the 115th ranked city according to the QS Best Student Cities 2019 rankings, Quebec City is also an extremely safe zone. The public transport in the city is robust and recommended, and the city boasts the lowest unemployment rate in Canada. There is no shortage of jobs with several opportunities for students. The people of Quebec City are very liberal and cooperative. One hardly sees a mass demonstration or public violence here. Another major attraction that draws students is the very low unemployment rates as compared to other Canadian Cities. Students get jobs easily, there is no dearth of jobs here. The education here is quite accessible, economical and adaptive. The universities are adequately equipped with performance halls, sports facilities, grounds and laboratories. Each city of Canada has its own unique blend. Montreal is famous for the best universities whereas Vancouver is known for the best splendour and pomp. Ottawa has lucrative and the well-paid jobs whereas Quebec is the most affordable. Toronto spearheads the lot being the most culturally diverse. As students, we at Whizstorm, suggest that you carefully weigh-out your needs, resources, future goals and aspirations as well as your employment options before you decide on the same.

Feel free to connect with our student advisors for any further assistance you may need.