The Canadian city of Montreal, Quebec, is once again among the best study destinations in the latest QS Quacquarelli Symonds Best Student Cities Ranking.

Montreal dropped from first place to fourth in this year’s QS ranking but remains the best student city in North America and outranked both Paris and Berlin.

Other Canadian cities among the top 100 best student cities this year include Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and Quebec City.

QS ranks the world’s top 100 student cities worldwide on an annual basis and assesses each locale based on indicators in six main areas of concern for prospective students.

Those areas are

1. University Rankings: The performance and global presence of a city’s universities.
2. Student Mix: The diversity of the city’s student population, both overall and from an international perspective.
3. Desirability: A city’s overall desirability based on factors such as, safety, pollution, corruption etc.
4. Employer Activity: How desirable are graduates of the city’s universities to international employers?
5. Affordability: The city’s cost of living for most prospective students and their families.
6. Student View: What is the overall perception of a particular study destination in the eyes prospective international students?

Montreal ranks first based on international student survey

The Student View category of the QS ranking provides students with an opportunity to share their experience of studying in a particular city. QS determines students’ perceptions of popular study destinations worldwide based on responses from 50,000 survey participants.

Despite losing its standing as the best student city in 2017, Montreal maintained its ranking as the #1 city based on the Student View category.

Graffiti street art murals along Boulevard Saint-Laurent.

The overall score for Student View is determined by students’ perception of a city’s tolerance and inclusion, diversity, friendliness, ease of getting around, affordability, nightlife, employment opportunities, arts and culture.

The score is also determined by the number of students who have either stayed or communicated their interest to stay in their destination city for at least a year after graduation.

“Student View reflects students’ perceptions of the availability and quality of employment prospects, as well as providing a reflecting on their experience of the city overall,” QS says in its methodology section.

Montreal has a uniquely bilingual spirit and as a result pulls a multitude of international students whether their first language is French or English.

This vibrant city is not only populated during the school year, but remains active and bustling during its warm, sunny summers. There are multiple festivals and cultural events all year long with lively options for fans of music, theatre and food.

Montreal is home to numerous universities and community colleges, including the highly ranked English-language universities McGill University and Concordia University.

The city also offers strong French-language universities such as the Université de Montréal, the Université du Québec à Montréal, and a number of specialized institutions including École Polytechnique, the engineering school/faculty affiliated with the Université de Montréal, and HEC Montréal.

Learn more about studying in Canada. 

International graduates are welcome to stay

The Government of Canada provides various services and immigration options to support international students interested in remaining in the country after completing their studies.

International students can benefit from the post-graduation work permit program in Canada, which enables graduates of participating post-secondary institutions the chance to stay for up to three years and work in any Canadian province to get valuable work experience without the requirement of an arranged job offer.

In addition to offering up some of the highest ranking academic institutions, international graduates may benefit from popular provincial immigration programs that allow invited candidates to apply and, if successful, settle permanently in Canada.

For example, Ontario recently reopened its popular International Masters Graduate Stream stream of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program, which offers some international graduates who have studied in Ontario a route to Canadian permanent resident status.

Join the CanadaVisa Study Hub to discover your Canadian study options and plan your pathway to permanent residence.

©2018 CanadaStudyNews All Rights Reserved