Canadian Post Secondary Education Stats

If you’re thinking about getting a post secondary education in Canada, we think you should do it! (Though we’re a little biased). There are plenty of opportunities for international students to learn at Robertson and other private colleges and universities. Though it may seem overwhelming at first, know you’re not alone. We have plenty of support staff and resources to help you along your career journey. 

Read on as we tell you all about post secondary enrollment in Canada, a breakdown of different levels of study, popular career paths and programs we offer at Robertson.

 

Enrollment in Canada

Post secondary enrollment in Canada has grown substantially over the years. Back in the 1990s, enrollment was between 1.3 and 1.4 million Canadians. And what’s the most recent enrollment reporting? 2.5 million students. That’s 6.8 per cent of the Canadian population! This means in 2019, more people than ever are getting a post secondary education at colleges and universities. 

Canada is a great place for international students to study. In the late 1990s, there were just under 40,000 international students enrolled in post secondary education and by 2017, that number grew to over 245,000. By 2017, international students made up 14 per cent of all university enrollments and 11 per cent of all college enrollments. That’s a lot! 

Canada has plenty of supports in place to help international students through the admissions process. If you choose to study at Robertson, our team of Student Admissions Advisors can help you apply, make tuition payments and set up your health insurance. We will help make the transition as smooth as possible. You can visit our page to learn more about joining our Education Canada Group at Robertson. 

 

Canadian Post Secondary Education Stats Infographic

 

 

 

Where can you study in Canada? 

In Canada, you have many options for how and where you can complete your post secondary education. There are actually multiple levels of post-secondary study but most people start with an undergraduate education. Not sure what that is? That’s why we’re here. 

An undergraduate education is the next level of study you can pursue after you graduate from high school. A standard undergraduate education takes about three to five years—but it depends on how you structure your course load. If you take a full course load, your studies will naturally go faster. That’s the beauty of it. Most programs will let you tailor your schedule so you can make it work for your lifestyle. If you have to work part-time while you study or you simply don’t want to overload yourself, you have the option to take less courses. All it means is it’ll take you a little longer to finish your undergraduate studies, which is totally fine. We recommend international students budget at least four years to complete their undergraduate studies. 

You have the option to get your undergraduate education at a university, college or institute. These are three of the most common accreditations you can achieve: 

• Certificate
• College or university diploma
• Bachelor’s degree 

 

Let’s go into these accreditations in more detail. 

 

Certificate Programs

Certificate programs generally take three to eight months of full-time study in a single subject. There are many certificate programs available for the Business, IT and Healthcare industries. The goal of a certificate is to prepare you for an entry-level vocation or trade. Most of the work is very hands-on and you will graduate with the skills and knowledge to jump right into a position in the field. You can take certificate programs at both colleges and universities.

 

College or University Diploma

Most college diplomas are around two years of full-time specialized study. These diploma programs are designed to give students hands-on skills and experience needed for vocational careers and they’re typically more well-rounded than certificate programs. Diploma programs at colleges and universities often have an internship or practicum component so students will graduate with real-life work experience. You can view Robertson’s list of diploma programs here and see if any of them interest you. 

 

Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree in Canada usually takes around four to five years, which is equivalent to eight or more full-time semesters. As we mentioned above, the length of your degree largely depends on how full you pack your schedule. You can study a wide range of subjects including Business, Sciences, Education, Engineering and the Arts—to name a few. 

In the first few years of your degree, you’ll learn foundational knowledge across a variety of topics and then you will choose a “major,” or a specialized area of study. When you take courses for your major, you’ll learn skills and knowledge specific to that major. Usually you’ll also choose a “minor” area of study, which is similar to your major only less course hours. Students can also take elective courses to round out their studies, which gives them the opportunity to learn about other interests that don’t directly relate to their degree. 

 

What are people studying in Canada? 

There are many options for where you can get a post secondary education in Canada—and you have a choice in what type. You may be wondering what fields you can work in and the types of industries that are most popular in Canada. 

Here are the fields with highest to lowest enrollment in Canada: 

• Business
• Humanities
• Health
• Engineering
• Science
• Social sciences
• Arts & communication technology

 

Even though arts & communication technology is noted as the lowest enrollment, it’s a growing industry. At Robertson, we offer courses in many of the fields listed above and more! We have a large selection of courses in our School of Health, School of Technology and School of Business and we bet there’s something for everyone. If you like medicine, maybe you’d like to study to be a Pharmacy Technician? If computers are your thing, our Full Stack Web Developer program may be a great fit for you. Or if you’re into business, you can study to be a Digital Marketer. The opportunities are endless. 

 

How many students have graduated in Canada?

In Canada, we pride ourselves on the amount of students who have graduated from post secondary education. In 2017, there were 308,247 community college graduates and a staggering 835,407 university graduates! We bet that number has only grown since then. If these numbers mean anything, it means Canada is a great place to get an education and successfully graduate.

 

How can I enroll at Robertson? 

Now you’ve learned about the types of post secondary education, popular areas of study and the number of graduates in Canada. Does it seem like a great place to study? We think so. We can’t wait to connect with new international students and help them on their way to their dream career. 

If you’re interested in enrolling at Robertson, make sure to browse our program page to see what interests you. We have opportunities to study at our campuses across Canada and even online – learn more about our Winnipeg Campus and our Calgary campus! We also offer Language and Culture programs that will help you build on your English and communication skills before you start your program. 

Once you’ve found a course that interests you, you can start the application process. Our Student Admissions Advisors can help you along the way with any of your questions.