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Canada and the United States of America, the two legendary North American Countries, have proved themselves as countries of the grandeur of global value which are dominating the rest of the world in each imperative sector like Economy, Exports, Trade, Finance, Technology, Innovation, Medical, Education, Tourism and much more. This is because both English-speaking American countries have drafted and formulated more robust policies for their steady economic growth. Also, both governments make sure that they regularly update and upgrade their economic policies to remain one of the unbeaten economy legends. Any scholar or an ordinary person analysing their successful regime over the world will find that their research-based quality education is one of the key factors that has driven and has been driving the success of these two countries.
This is because both countries highly invest in their education sector and often implement education reformation policies to provide a career-oriented education to their citizens as well as international students. This, in turn, attracts more overseas students to the respective countries. But often, students are confused about choosing between these two countries to pursue their higher education.
So in this blog, we will clear this exhaustive doubt by stating the facts about the US and Canadian education systems.
Education System is what defines the growth of any country. The higher the country's employment rate, the more high-quality and academically sound the education system is. The higher the employment rate, the more substantial economic growth prevails in a country. Here, let us discern each piece of information about the education system of both the established countries, the US and Canada, to know what makes them super successful countries in providing global education.
Education Factors |
Canada Education System |
US Education System |
Amount invested in international education |
$68.1 Billion |
$274.7 Billion |
Teaching Style |
Active and Practical Learning |
Active and Practical Learning |
Higher Education (Degree) |
Done in Universities |
Done in Colleges |
Study Program |
UG - Only Three Years (Four Years Bachelor’s Programs in Canada are called Honours Bachelor’s Degree) PG - Two Years Doctorate - Four to Six years |
UG - Compulsory Four Years PG - Two Years Doctorate - Four to Six years |
Admission Tests |
IELTS |
IELTS or TOEFL |
University Type |
Both Public and Private Universities |
Both Public and Private Universities |
Total number of Full-time Students |
84,300 |
66,183 |
Academic Schedules |
Semester Schedule Fall Term - September to December Winter Term - January to April Summer Breaks - May to August |
Semester Schedule Fall Semester - September to November Winter Semester - December to February Summer Breaks - May to August |
Admission Criteria |
Based on Grade Point Average (GPA) |
Based on non-academic factors like extracurricular activities, recommendations, and essays. |
Admission Rate |
High |
Low |
Flexibility |
Should compulsorily choose a major when applying to a university |
Students can pick a major when they start their second year in College. |
Average Tuition Fees for International students |
Range from $22,000 to $35,000 |
Starts from $22,577 |
Both Canada and the United States of America have different admission or eligibility criteria for international students.
Canada qualifies a person and confirms their admission into their preferred university only when they are satisfied with their Grade Point Average (GPA) of senior secondary education. The Grade Point Average should be 70% or higher. Very rarely the Canadian universities seek admission essays from international students. Students can also use the same admission essays if required when applying to other universities. Due to this, Canada has high admission rates for international students.
Contrary to Canada, the USA has entirely different admission or eligibility criteria. The USA universities don't seek or expect good grades from international students. Instead, they look for unique extracurricular talents like Volunteering, Sports involvement, Awards and Accolades for different unique talents in non-academic activities, etc. Also, they expect a letter of recommendation from their professors or employers stating that they fit in the university's campus culture. Because the US universities believe in providing a good campus life and experience to international students other than just a good academic environment. Therefore acceptance rates are quite low in US universities.
Both Canada and the USA boast some high-profile universities that have rightfully earned their place in the top world-ranking universities. Both countries' universities highly support active and practical learning for students. Because experiencing active and practical learning makes the students' academic foundation strong, helping them understand complex and advanced topics easily. So let us now see some of the top universities in Canada and the USA that fulfils all the international students' academic requirements.
S.No |
USA Universities |
QS Ranking |
Canada Universities |
QS Ranking |
1. |
California Institute of Technology |
2 |
University of Toronto |
24 |
2. |
Harvard University |
2 |
McGill University |
27 |
3. |
Stanford University |
4 |
University of British Columbia |
48 |
4. |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
5 |
University of Alberta |
81 |
5. |
Princeton University |
7 |
University of Montreal |
120 |
6. |
University of California, Berkeley |
8 |
McMaster University |
164 |
7. |
Yale University |
9 |
Western University |
183 |
8. |
University of Chicago |
10 |
University of Calgary |
190 |
9. |
Columbia University |
11 |
University of Waterloo |
200 |
10. |
Johns Hopkins University |
13 |
University of Ottawa |
202 |
S.No |
Degree |
Tuition Fee in CAD Per Year |
Tuition Fee in USD Per Year |
1. |
UG |
$33,623 |
$25,000 to $35,000 - Public $30,000 to $45,000 - Private |
2. |
PG |
$42,850 |
$60,000 |
3. |
Doctorate |
$25,000 |
$55,000 |
4. |
MBA |
$31,856 |
$60,000 |
Though both countries hail from the same North American continent, the country's citizens have and follow different lifestyles. This factor highly determines the cost of living for international students. The cost of living is nowhere near the same in both lands; thus, students have to start their financial planning way before in advance to experience a hassle-free education journey. To help students plan their living, we have stated some essential costs that might constitute their whole living in either Canada or the USA.
Kind of Expenses |
Cost in Canada |
Cost in USA |
On-Campus Rent |
$7500 |
$10,000 |
Mobile Phone |
$400 |
$600 |
Public Transit Pass |
$500 |
$800 |
Groceries and Food |
$4000 |
$3000 |
Entertainment/Clothes/Gifts |
$1000 |
$1000 |
The cost of studying in Canada or the USA can be reduced much better if students have acquired exceptional academic marks in their senior secondary education. As they will be eligible for scholarships provided by both countries' governments and private universities, their financial burden will be much reduced.
Let us see some of the popular fully-funded scholarships provided by both countries' governments and private universities.
S.No |
Scholarships in Canada |
Scholarships in USA |
1. |
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships |
Fullbright Scholarships |
2. |
Trudeau Scholarships |
Stanford University Scholarships |
3. |
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships |
Yale University Scholarships |
4. |
SFU Canada Graduate and Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships |
University of New Haven Scholarship |
5. |
Loran Scholars Foundation |
University of Memphis Scholarship |
6. |
UDEM Exemption Scholarship |
AAUW International Fellowship Program |
7. |
International Major Entrance Scholarship |
ACI Foundation Scholarship |
Below, we have details given the student visa processes followed in both the countries, Canada and the USA. Students are advised to read them thoroughly and use the information in the best way possible.
There are three types of US Student Visas.
International students wishing to start their profession in Canada or the USA in any of the two countries have to acquire their post-study work permit. We have discussed the eligibility of the same in the below section.
If you fit all the criteria, you are eligible to get a post-study work permit in Canada.
To get a post-study work permit in the USA, international students should get the form I-765 which acts as a pass for employment authorisation. To be eligible for receiving the form I-765, students should fulfil the below requirements.
Canada's Immigration Process for International Students to Study in the Country
USA's Immigration Process for International Students to Study in the Country
There is a multitude of job opportunities in both Canada and the USA for international students. Students have to be aware of the multi-disciplinary courses and professional fields that prevail in both the North American countries. Here we have listed the top professions in both the countries to help students get a gist of the education fields that contribute much to the growth of their economies.
S.No |
Jobs Role |
Salary in CAD |
Salary in USD |
1. |
Accounting Manager |
$200,000 |
$130,000 |
2. |
CA |
$110,000 |
$100,000 |
3. |
Financial Analyst |
$200,000 |
$80,000 |
4. |
Graphic Designer |
$80,000 |
$80,000 |
5. |
Architect |
$150,000 |
$90,000 |
6. |
Business Analyst |
$200,000 |
$100,000 |
7. |
Engineer |
$110,000 |
$100,000 |
8. |
Mechanical Engineer |
$120,000 |
$100,000 |
9. |
HR Manager |
$200,000 |
$120,000 |
10. |
Biomedical Engineer |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
11. |
Pharmacist |
$200,000 |
$150,000 |
Both the countries present an immense variety of job opportunities for international students who studied in their country. Let it be other North American countries, European or Asian countries; these two countries stand tall in providing worthwhile job opportunities for international students. Students can confidently bet on them to have super successful careers and extravagant lives.
Thus we have come to the end of this blog. We hope we have covered all the necessary information and provided sufficient knowledge for international students to confidently commence their education journey in Canada or the USA. Students still finding it difficult or are in need for more information to plan their education travel in any of these two countries can contact AECC to talk to our expert counsellors. We have the best team who can support your journey from the start to the end.
US is better than Canada in terms of providing diverse courses, numerous universities and varied employment opportunities. Other than that, both the countries rank equally in terms of other factors such as high quality of life, salary benefits, PR opportunities, etc.
Both Canada and USA rank strong as popular study-abroad destinations. Students having a dilemma to choose between the two countries can consider the following factors: lifestyle, cost of living, tuition fees, scholarship opportunities and employment opportunities.
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