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Should I study in the UK or Canada?

In the future, I'd like to move to Canada but I'm not sure whether I should go there for university. More UK universities are in the top 20 in the world than Canadian ones and I've heard that Canadian employers would be intrigued by a foreign British degree and would help them stand out. However, I'd be very interested in having a new experience and studying in Canada would also help and speed up the immigration process...

What are your thoughts/ experiences on this?
And what would the costs be like compared to the UK (especially for UBC, McGill, Toronto)?

By the way, I hope to do a natural sciences or physics degree since I'd like to become a physicist in the future (maybe work at the Perimeter Institute or the Canadian Space Agency)


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(edited 10 years ago)

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Original post by bobbricks
In the future, I'd like to move to Canada but I'm not sure whether I should go there for university. More UK universities are in the top 20 in the world than Canadian ones and I've heard that Canadian employers would be intrigued by a foreign British degree and would help them stand out. However, I'd be very interested in having a new experience and studying in Canada would also help and speed up the immigration process...

What are your thoughts/ experiences on this?
And what would the costs be like compared to the UK (especially for UBC, McGill, Toronto)?

By the way, I hope to do a natural sciences or physics degree since I'd like to become a physicist in the future (maybe work at the Perimeter Institute or the Canadian Space Agency)

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To be honest, I don't see why you should go to Canada for your undergraduate studies. After all, as you said, a lot more UK universities are more reputable than Canadian universities. Of course, unless you are going to the aforementioned Canadian universities, there is no point in going to the other ones, provided that you are accepted in one of them.

That being said, I am glad that you are considering Canadian universities, but I don't see much benefit given to you unless you are planning on staying in Canada in the future.

As for the costs, the costs of living will be significantly cheaper than UK, depending on where you are going (ex. Vancouver will have a high cost of living, albeit not as expensive as London). In terms of tuition, however, I believe you will be paying a lot more than what you would pay for UK universities.
Reply 2
Original post by zero_Gravity91
To be honest, I don't see why you should go to Canada for your undergraduate studies. After all, as you said, a lot more UK universities are more reputable than Canadian universities. Of course, unless you are going to the aforementioned Canadian universities, there is no point in going to the other ones, provided that you are accepted in one of them.

That being said, I am glad that you are considering Canadian universities, but I don't see much benefit given to you unless you are planning on staying in Canada in the future.

As for the costs, the costs of living will be significantly cheaper than UK, depending on where you are going (ex. Vancouver will have a high cost of living, albeit not as expensive as London). In terms of tuition, however, I believe you will be paying a lot more than what you would pay for UK universities.

Thanks :smile:
I'd like to move to Canada (hopefully) so do you think I would benefit more if I went to university there or if I went to a more or equally reputable university in the UK?

I've noticed that the international tuition fees for canadian universities (UBC, McGill etc) are higher than the tuition fees in the UK (£9000)- would these higher tuition fees be balanced out by the lower living costs or would university in Canada be more expensive overall?


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Original post by bobbricks
Thanks :smile:
I'd like to move to Canada (hopefully) so do you think I would benefit more if I went to university there or if I went to a more or equally reputable university in the UK?

I've noticed that the international tuition fees for canadian universities (UBC, McGill etc) are higher than the tuition fees in the UK (£9000)- would these higher tuition fees be balanced out by the lower living costs or would university in Canada be more expensive overall?


Posted from TSR Mobile


I don't know if you will benefit more if you went to a Canadian university, but I think it will be the same regardless of attending a Canadian university of a UK university.

The tuition fees are significantly higher for Canadian universities (depending on the program) than UK universities. Like I said, it really depends on the city you are living. Expect to be paying for a high cost of living in Vancouver or Toronto, as opposed to Montreal, where the cost of living tends to be lower.

I think it would be best to calculate an estimated cost of your tuition fees for the four years you will be attending at a Canadian university in comparison to the three years at a UK university. That being said, you also have to take into consideration of transportation, accommodation, food, etc.
Reply 4
Original post by bobbricks
In the future, I'd like to move to Canada but I'm not sure whether I should go there for university. More UK universities are in the top 20 in the world than Canadian ones and I've heard that Canadian employers would be intrigued by a foreign British degree and would help them stand out. However, I'd be very interested in having a new experience and studying in Canada would also help and speed up the immigration process...

What are your thoughts/ experiences on this?
And what would the costs be like compared to the UK (especially for UBC, McGill, Toronto)?

By the way, I hope to do a natural sciences or physics degree since I'd like to become a physicist in the future (maybe work at the Perimeter Institute or the Canadian Space Agency)


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Why is it that you want to move to Canada, it's quite a big step! I would say the only Canadian university I ever hear much about is McGill, which is very well respected. I wouldn't however go abroad for your undergraduate degree for financial reasons. You might end up paying more for a product that isn't as beneficial to you in the long run.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.
Reply 5
I can't really give any advice on which would look better on a cv.... But if you have the opportunity to go and study in Canada, just do it.... Because if you end up getting stuck here for some reason, time goes to fast and responsibilities will come quickly.
Before you know it, you'll have a misses, rent/mortgage to pay, marriage on the cards, twinkle in her eye for a child and no time to follow the wind.


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Reply 6
Original post by bobbricks
Thanks :smile:
I'd like to move to Canada (hopefully) so do you think I would benefit more if I went to university there or if I went to a more or equally reputable university in the UK?

I've noticed that the international tuition fees for canadian universities (UBC, McGill etc) are higher than the tuition fees in the UK (£9000)- would these higher tuition fees be balanced out by the lower living costs or would university in Canada be more expensive overall?


Posted from TSR Mobile


A degree from top Canadian unis like McGill, UBC and UofToronto are probably looked at with more interest than an UK degree from a uni not in say the top 5-10 solely because they won't know much about them.

That said it won't matter much and if you're not Canadian, the fees will be higher than in the UK (much cheaper if you are Canadian)

Cost of living won't be much cheaper, if at all, than cheap UK cities like Nottingham but will be compared to London. However, Canada is awesome.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 7
Thanks for the brilliant replies :smile:
So would studying at UBC, McGill or Toronto be all significantly more expensive compared to studying in the UK (e.g. Cambridge, Imperial, Manchester, Nottingham)?
Original post by bobbricks
Thanks for the brilliant replies :smile:
So would studying at UBC, McGill or Toronto be all significantly more expensive compared to studying in the UK (e.g. Cambridge, Imperial, Manchester, Nottingham)?


Again, it's really hard to say because the universities you've selected are spread out. I would say it would be more expensive to go to UBC or U of T than McGill. In comparison to UK universities, same thing. It will be significantly more expensive in London than in other cities. You also have to consider your ranking before making any decisions.
Reply 9
Original post by bobbricks
Thanks for the brilliant replies :smile:
So would studying at UBC, McGill or Toronto be all significantly more expensive compared to studying in the UK (e.g. Cambridge, Imperial, Manchester, Nottingham)?


Cost of living in Vancouver/Toronto won't be much lower than London/Cambridge but tuition is ~£15,000 and you won't be eligible for financial support so it will cost more.

Rent in London is ~£120-200p/w, Cambridge £100-150 p/w but places like Nottingham can be as low as £60p/w.

To be honest a degree from Cambridge is most likely going to look better/certainly not worse than one from a Canadian uni anyway. It's just that you won't be exposed to recruitment from Canadian companies much in the UK.
Reply 10
Original post by Mike93L
Cost of living in Vancouver/Toronto won't be much lower than London/Cambridge but tuition is ~£15,000 and you won't be eligible for financial support so it will cost more.

Rent in London is ~£120-200p/w, Cambridge £100-150 p/w but places like Nottingham can be as low as £60p/w.

To be honest a degree from Cambridge is most likely going to look better/certainly not worse than one from a Canadian uni anyway. It's just that you won't be exposed to recruitment from Canadian companies much in the UK.


Cambridge trounces all Canadian universities by a mile. You won't ever have a problem in Canada with a degree from Oxbridge. Most of the other universities have very little name recognition in Canada.

If 80% of Canadians knew oxbridge 20% would know LSE 15% St Andrews and >10% for everything else. Its a big gap between Oxbridge and the rest.

You won't get much "prestige" out of a Canadian university. Top local students are just as likely to attend McMaster, Queens and Western as they are UofT. UofT's undergrad is miles worse than Cambridge. There are hundreds of students per class in 1st year. UofT isn't very selective either, (in reality, none of Canada's universities are selective, there are selective programs, but no selective universities) so having a degree from UofT doesn't say what a degree from Cambridge would say. So in all reality, if you can get into oxbridge, I would even choose that over a Canadian university.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by ukmed108
Cambridge trounces all Canadian universities by a mile. You won't ever have a problem in Canada with a degree from Oxbridge. Most of the other universities have very little name recognition in Canada.

If 80% of Canadians knew oxbridge 20% would know LSE 15% St Andrews and >10% for everything else. Its a big gap between Oxbridge and the rest.

You won't get much "prestige" out of a Canadian university. Top local students are just as likely to attend McMaster, Queens and Western as they are UofT. UofT's undergrad is miles worse than Cambridge. There are hundreds of students per class in 1st year. UofT isn't very selective either, (in reality, none of Canada's universities are selective, there are selective programs, but no selective universities) so having a degree from UofT doesn't say what a degree from Cambridge would say. So in all reality, if you can get into oxbridge, I would even choose that over a Canadian university.


I wouldn't necessarily say that. There are one or two selective Canadian universities. For example, McGill requires its candidates to have a minimum requirement, which can be pretty high, for their programs. As for U of T, I would agree with you, but then I think that could be the case with UK universities, depending on the program.
Reply 12
Original post by zero_Gravity91
I wouldn't necessarily say that. There are one or two selective Canadian universities. For example, McGill requires its candidates to have a minimum requirement, which can be pretty high, for their programs. As for U of T, I would agree with you, but then I think that could be the case with UK universities, depending on the program.


Just adding to your point but there are some programs in Canadian universities that truly are top class and very prestigious.

For Example, McGill's graduate med school is highly selective and world renown. It's definitely on par with Oxbridge / other top U.S medical programs.
Reply 13
Original post by Zilch
Just adding to your point but there are some programs in Canadian universities that truly are top class and very prestigious.

For Example, McGill's graduate med school is highly selective and world renown. It's definitely on par with Oxbridge / other top U.S medical programs.


Oh yeah i was referring only to the undergraduate programs "generally". The graduate programs at the top research universities are very prestigious. Getting into any Canadian medical school is ridiculously difficult, and of course UofT and McGill have the highest medical research incomes. Canadian law schools are also very prestigious at the top research schools.

McGill has decently high requirements for undergrad although no where near the level of Oxbridge. McGill undergrad entry difficulty is similar to an IB 36 for home students. However, UofT's art/humanity programs have admissions of around IB 28-30. The top UofT program engineering science requires an IB 36 although the average student there is easily an IB 39-40. So for undergrad it strongly depends on the program.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by ukmed108
Oh yeah i was referring only to the undergraduate programs "generally". The graduate programs at the top research universities are very prestigious. Getting into any Canadian medical school is ridiculously difficult, and of course UofT and McGill have the highest medical research incomes. Canadian law schools are also very prestigious at the top research schools.

McGill has decently high requirements for undergrad although no where near the level of Oxbridge. McGill undergrad entry difficulty is similar to an IB 36 for home students. However, UofT's art/humanity programs have admissions of around IB 28-30. The top UofT program engineering science requires an IB 36 although the average student there is easily an IB 39-40. So for undergrad it strongly depends on the program.


I think the admission requirements don't indicate how prestigious one university is. As I've read on TSR IB forums regarding admission requirements, I believe Oxbridge are making it extremely difficult for them to get in, requiring grades as high as 42, as opposed to those doing their A-levels. who might only require AAA. McGill, on the other hand, is giving more reasonable requirements for IB candidates, and giving them the option of skipping first year to second year, provided that they have done well on their IB exams.

With regards to U of T, I totally agree with you that its admission requirements for IB students are minimal, but at the same time, it is hard for those students to excel in their undergrad years, despite their low requirements. That being said, those that did not do substantially well in their first year will eventually be kicked out, irregardless of their admission due to U of T's low admission standards for IB students.
RE: What undergrad would be "better"... I think this depends a LOT on where you would be going if you stayed in the UK. for Oxbridge I would say definitely stay, but for a lot of other universities I really don't think you would be "disadvantaged" for going to a Canadian university.
University is a great time to get out and explore the world, and this is a HUGE plus for employers. They like to know that you are willing to take chances, and living abroad for uni is VERY attractive to them. So even if you are weary of going to a school that "isn't as good" would would definitely be gaining an upper hand in that regard. Very useful for interviews and person statements.

It's hard to compare marks-based admission requirements because the standard of grading is different

Also, would you be pursuing a Masters degree afterwards? If so, I think that this is even LESS of an issue, given that you will be getting high enough grades to do so.

I am from Canada, so let me know if you have any other questions.
Reply 16
Original post by laurarachelle
RE: What undergrad would be "better"... I think this depends a LOT on where you would be going if you stayed in the UK. for Oxbridge I would say definitely stay, but for a lot of other universities I really don't think you would be "disadvantaged" for going to a Canadian university.
University is a great time to get out and explore the world, and this is a HUGE plus for employers. They like to know that you are willing to take chances, and living abroad for uni is VERY attractive to them. So even if you are weary of going to a school that "isn't as good" would would definitely be gaining an upper hand in that regard. Very useful for interviews and person statements.

It's hard to compare marks-based admission requirements because the standard of grading is different

Also, would you be pursuing a Masters degree afterwards? If so, I think that this is even LESS of an issue, given that you will be getting high enough grades to do so.

I am from Canada, so let me know if you have any other questions.


Thanks- that was very useful! :smile:
I'm planning on, hopefully, moving to Canada when I'm older (preferably BC or Ontario) so do you think the more expensive costs of staying and studying there be worth it? Or would a UK degree look more attractive over there?

I've heard about the Canadian Experience Class visa where a Canadian degree and work experience in Canada would boost my chances but don't know too much about it :colondollar:




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Reply 17
Original post by bobbricks
Thanks- that was very useful! :smile:
I'm planning on, hopefully, moving to Canada when I'm older (preferably BC or Ontario) so do you think the more expensive costs of staying and studying there be worth it? Or would a UK degree look more attractive over there?

I've heard about the Canadian Experience Class visa where a Canadian degree and work experience in Canada would boost my chances but don't know too much about it :colondollar:




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I doubt an UK degree would look more attractive than any of the top Canadian unis but to be honest I don't think it would be worth the extra cost (especially the fact you can't get student finance more than anything). However you should investigate if studying in Canada would make it much easier for you to get a work visa/residence. However, I'm not sure it would.
Original post by bobbricks
Thanks- that was very useful! :smile:
I'm planning on, hopefully, moving to Canada when I'm older (preferably BC or Ontario) so do you think the more expensive costs of staying and studying there be worth it? Or would a UK degree look more attractive over there?

I've heard about the Canadian Experience Class visa where a Canadian degree and work experience in Canada would boost my chances but don't know too much about it :colondollar:

Posted from TSR Mobile


I've actually never heard of that type of Visa before, but then again, I've never looked into Visas at all.
If the main thing holding you back right now is the potential cost, you should take some time to look into scholarships that are available to you. I think the Canadian government has some reserved for people coming to Canada to study, and I'm sure there are things like that from the British gov as well. Also, most universities in Canada will give renewable entrance scholarships to students with good grades. I'm not sure what your levels transfer to in the percentage range, but if you have an overall percentage of 85% or higher you could probably get some money from that as well.

Personally I do think its worth it, but I may be biased because I did time abroad in Scotland and I think that everyone should go away if they have the opportunity.
Also, moving for a degree is less permanent than later on in your life. You'd be able to take this time to decide what part of Canada you like (or don't like), etc. Canada is VERY big and all the major cities are very different!

Also, I'm not sure where you would be going in the UK but even from my time in Glasgow (which is not an expensive place to live) my costs of living were higher than they are here in Ontario... So I think your main concern is tuition, not necessarily housing.
Reply 19
Original post by Mike93L
I doubt an UK degree would look more attractive than any of the top Canadian unis but to be honest I don't think it would be worth the extra cost (especially the fact you can't get student finance more than anything). However you should investigate if studying in Canada would make it much easier for you to get a work visa/residence. However, I'm not sure it would.


Just to clarify, studying in Canada is one of the easiest entry routes to gain residence. You basically study and get a post secondary diploma/degree, work for a year and that makes you eligible to apply for Permanent Residency under the Canadian Experience Class.

The only requirement is a Canadian Qualification and a year's worth of work experience.

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