Comparison of studying in Canada and studying in the United States

The United States has always been a popular study abroad destination for Chinese students, and in recent years, Canada’s popularity has gradually increased. Next is a comparison of studying in Canada and studying in the United States.

1. School System

There are thousands of universities in the United States, including public universities and private universities. Most of the world's top universities are private universities, and the main sources of school funding are donations from individuals, companies and alumni. From this point, it is not difficult to find that the essence of the American education system is that private education is far better than public education.

Canada is a high-tax country, and the Canadian government’s largest financial expenditure is education funding. There are more than 90 universities in Canada, most of which are public universities. The main source of school funding is provincial government funding.

2. University rankings

The overall strength of Canadian universities is good, but compared with the strength of American universities, it is not very outstanding. In the world's top 100 university rankings, only three Canadian universities are shortlisted, the University of Toronto (28), McGill University (33) and the University of British Columbia (47). As for American universities, 33 universities are among the top 100 in the world, and they occupy five seats in the top ten alone. At the same time, MIT (1), Stanford (2), Harvard (3) and California Institute of Technology (4) take all the places. Top four.

However, since Canada has its own ranking mechanism within the country, it is relatively one-sided to judge Canadian universities through world rankings, especially since most of the schools are public universities, and the gap in teaching level is not Very big.

3. School Funding

The funding of Canadian universities includes funds obtained from the government and funds obtained independently. Generally speaking, it lags behind that of the United States. The main reason is because the United States receives a huge amount of alumni donations. Therefore, Canadian universities do not have an advantage in terms of independent funding. Moreover, Canada does not industrialize education like other countries where students study abroad, but actually engages in “capacity development”. Therefore, the school is indeed not active enough in making money.

IV. Job Opportunities

American international students must find a job before graduation, so that they can apply for a work visa before the student visa expires and continue to stay in the United States. If you do not find a job before graduation and your student visa expires, you will have no choice but to be deported back to your country.

International students in Canada can obtain a three-year work visa after graduation, allowing students to have a transition period to find a job and will not be deported because they fail to find a job after graduation.

5. Cost of studying abroad

In Canada, the tuition fees at the University of Toronto, which is the most expensive, have only just reached the tuition level of ordinary American universities. Tuition fees at prestigious schools like the University of Toronto and McGill University range from about $20,000 to $40,000 per year. American universities with the same tuition fees are average in strength. So overall, tuition fees at American universities are generally much higher than those in Canada.

In addition, the rent for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Canada is about US$850 per month, while the corresponding cost of a one-bedroom apartment in the United States is US$1,200 per month. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in suburban Canada is about $700 per month, compared with $900 per month in the United States.

6. Admission requirements

Admission to Canadian universities mainly depends on students’ standardized scores (language scores and GPA). If you are applying for graduate school, it is best to provide GRE/GMAT scores, but Not required.

In addition to referring to students’ standardized scores, American university admissions also comprehensively examine students’ learning ability, social activity ability, leadership ability, personal character and talents, and consider letters of recommendation and application essays written by applicants. Finally, Make a decision. Applicants generally need to provide GRE/GMAT scores when applying for graduate schools in the United States, and this score has also become an important criterion for admission and scholarships.

7. Work policy

Canada allows international students studying for courses for more than 6 months to work off-campus (not exceeding 20 hours per week) without applying for a work visa.

In contrast, the United States has more restrictions on international students working. The difficulty of applying for a work visa and subsequent immigration after graduation is completely different from Canada, which is in urgent need of immigrants.

8. Immigration Policy

Canada’s immigration policy is relatively good. According to Ontario's policy for international master's students, master's degree graduates from projects within two years can obtain a work visa of the same length of time; master's graduates from projects over two years can obtain a three-year work visa. In addition, master's degree graduates can directly apply for provincial nomination projects to obtain permanent residence qualifications.

Compared to Canada, it is more difficult for international students in the United States to ultimately stay in the United States by studying abroad and then working. Even if American international students get a work visa after graduation and work hard for 3-6 years, they will have to be sent back to their country because of the long immigration waiting list. They may not be able to continue to work in the United States after the work visa expires.