The Canadian news magazine Maclean’s recently published data that reveal insights on the proportion of foreign students enrolled in first-year undergraduate classes at Canadian universities in 2016.

Wondering which Canadian universities had the highest first-year international student enrolment last year? Here are the top 10.

10. University of Waterloo 

The University of Waterloo is located in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, which is one of Canada’s principal science and engineering innovation hubs. The university is known for Velocity Garage, the world’s largest free business incubator, as well as the world’s largest post-secondary co-operative education programs. The most recent data shows more than 19,800 students took part in the co-op program, which has enjoyed employment rates ranging from 86 to 99.9 percent over recent years. With those kinds of results, it’s no wonder students from overseas continue to choose Waterloo.

Signature programs: Statistics and Actuarial Science, Engineering, Architecture, Nanotechnology

Learn about studying in Ontario.

9. University of Prince Edward Island

The University of Prince Edward Island is located in Charlottetown, a quaint city known for its historic streets, public parks, pubs and art galleries. UPEI is Prince Edward Island’s only university and has four faculties: Arts, Science, Education, and Veterinary Medicine. The percentage of international students enroled at UPEI has increased over the years, with the majority hailing from China, Nigeria, the United States and Brazil. Students who choose to study at UPEI may benefit from the smaller class sizes while still enjoying a world-class education.

Signature programs: Education, Nutritional Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, Computer Science, Education.

Learn about studying in Prince Edward Island.

8. Cape Breton University

Cape Breton University, previously known as the University College of Cape Breton, is located in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia. It is one of five Canadian universities that offer a Bachelor of Health Science (Public Health) and currently has the highest percentage of Indigenous students of any institution in the region. CBU boasts low student/teacher ratios, giving students have more opportunities to interact with instructors and ranked among the Top Universities for Career Preparation in Maclean’s 2017 rankings.

Signature programs: Engineering Technology, Education, Public Health, Nursing, Celtic Culture and Gaelic.

Learn about studying in Nova Scotia.

7. Université du Québec à Montréal

Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) serves more than 43,000 students across six faculties and a school of management. Of that number, more than 3,559 hail from 96 countries. Located in the metropolitan city of Montreal, UQAM offers more than 300 programs through the largest network of universities across the province: UQAM Lanaudière, UQAM Laval, UQAM Montérégie and UQAM Ouest-de-l’île. The university offers French-speaking foreign students the option of attending classes where French is the main language of instruction. Two subway stations are located within the campus, meaning you hardly have to go outside in winter!

Signature programs: Chiropractic, First Peoples Studies, Marine Sciences, Forestry, Museology, Computer Science, Psychology, Management.

Learn about studying in Quebec.

6. Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University, also know as Dal is the largest university in Atlantic Canada and welcomes more than 3,000 international students from more than 115 countries. Located in the historic South End of Halifax, Nova Scotia, the university was founded in 1818 as a post-secondary institution open to all social classes. Dal maintains this focus through an inclusive, interdisciplinary focus and strong ties to the local community. Research is a priority at Dal with its very own Centre for Transformative Nursing and Health Research (CTNHR), which focuses on collaborative research on health and labour practices. Teaching is also highly regarded at Dal, which has an impressive 50 Canadian Research Chairs.

Signature programs: Medicine, Engineering, Law, Management, Architecture, Science, Agricultural Business, Arts and Social Sciences.

Learn about studying in Nova Scotia.

5. Saint Mary’s University

Saint Mary’s University is also located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and features small classes, co-op placements, and accredited programs. The university has a very strong international community and it has forged partnerships with more than 40 institutions in 25 countries, including two universities in China. Through one of those partnerships, students at the Beijing Normal University Zhuhai can obtain a bachelor’s of commerce from Saint Mary’s Sobeys School of Business. The university’s International Centre provides students from overseas with a place to go for information and helps them develop social connections in the local community.

Signature programs: Business, Astronomy, Chemistry, International Development Studies.

Learn about studying in Nova Scotia.

4. University of Toronto

Ranked by Maclean’s as this year’s Top University by Reputation, the University of Toronto is one of the most popular study destinations for international students in Canada. This year, U of T also ranked among the top 50 universities worldwide in Times Higher Education rankings and the best Canadian university to study Computer Science. U of T has a large student population with nearly 90,000 domestic and international students, with enrolment statistics showing the number of accepted admissions received from overseas increasing by 20 percent in 2017. U of T also earned this year’s title as Canada’s most innovative university in Reuters’ Top 100 Most Innovative Universities.

Signature programs: Architecture, Commerce, Medicine, Engineering, Education, Public Health.

3. Bishop’s University

Despite being small in size, Bishop’s University in Quebec is among the top international post-secondary learning institutions in Canada. Located in the suburban town of Sherbrooke Quebec’s scenic Eastern Townships region, the university is predominantly English-speaking and has a very strong community spirit. For the second year in a row, Bishop’s ranked first among Canadian universities in terms of student satisfaction, with students pointing to its close-knit community. “Bishop’s is not the place where you can disappear into the background,” says principal Michael Goldbloom. “Bishop’s has a very clear identity and mission, which is to focus on undergraduates.” No wonder many international students decide to join “the purple family”!

Signature programs: Liberal Arts, Business, Neuroscience.

Learn about studying in Quebec.

2. McGill University

McGill University was ranked both the second most international university at the undergraduate level, as well as the top Medical/Doctoral University in Maclean’s 2018 rankings. Over the years McGill has become a centre for research and instruction, and is known internationally for its top-tier medicine, engineering, and law programs. Located in the heart of the lively, culturally diverse city of Montreal, which named the best student city in the world this year, students from 140 different countries study at McGill, which offers paid work placements and scholarships to help fund innovation. McGill alumnus Peter Guo-hua Fu recently gave $12 million to the university and created the Peter Guo-hua Fu Fellowships for graduate students at the School of Architecture, with a focus on Chinese international graduate students.

Signature programs: Medicine, Law, Music, Dentistry, Engineering, Management.

1. University of British Columbia

At 31 per cent, the University of British Columbia had by far the highest percentage of international students in first-year classes in 2016. Students came from 162 countries worldwide to study in UBC’s 200+ undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs. Some undergraduate students can feel overwhelmed at a university as large as UBC, which is spread out over two campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna. The university administration is continuously addressing these concerns by adding more student-focused learning spaces and working with neighboring municipalities as community partners to offer more options to students. In addition to benefitting from state-of-the-art facilities, students can enjoy some of the best natural scenery located within university grounds, such as the UBC Botanical Garden, and the lush trails of Pacific Spirit Regional Park.

Signature programs: Commerce, Sciences, Medicine, Film, Law.

Learn about studying in British Columbia.

There is also a range of tools and resources available for prospective students in Canada, including Canada School Search and School Match Canada.

International students and post-graduate workers in Canada can join the CanadaVisa Study Hub to access a range of tools and resources to assist in studying, working, and settling in Canada permanently. Study Hub members also have exclusive access to the CanadaVisa Study Hub Scholarship Contest for a chance to win $500.

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