Similar to the UK, education in Canada at the elementary and secondary levels is the responsibility of the regional governments. Although there are similarities in the thirteen education systems, each reflects the diversity of its own regional history, culture, and geography. To apply for admission to an elementary or secondary school in Canada you should contact the appropriate provincial ministry of education directly.


The school year normally runs from September to June. In general, Canadian children attend kindergarten at the age of four or five on a voluntary basis. They begin Grade One at about six years of age. Secondary schools go up to Grades 11, 12 or 13, depending on the province. From there, students may attend university, college or Cégep studies. Cégep is a French acronym for College of General and Vocational Education, and is two years of general or three years of technical education between high school and university. Only the province of Québec has the Cégep system.



MAJOR CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES

These large institutions usually have student populations over 20 000.

University of Toronto

McGill University

University of Western Ontario

University of BC

Queen's University

University of Alberta

Universite de Montreal

Universite de Laval

Universite de Sherbrooke

University of Saskatchewan

University of McMaster

University of Ottawa

University of Calgary

Dalhousie University





MID-SIZED CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES

These schools educate both undergraduate and graduate students, but typically lack medical schools.

University of Waterloo

University of Victoria

Simon Fraser University

University of Guelph

Memorial University

University of Regina

University of New Brunswick

Carleton University

Concordia University

York University