Canada has become one of the most popular destinations for international students. In fact, over the past decade, the number of international students who have chosen Canada for their study abroad adventure has tripled. Almost 650,000 students from around the world attend Canadian institutions, which places it in the top five study destinations globally along with the USA, UK and Australia.
A significant number of international students say that the education quality, post-graduation work options and Canada’s multicultural society are the main reasons for choosing to study there. With eight institutions rated in the top 200 in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2023, it’s not hard to see the attraction.
If you’re considering studying in Canada we’ve highlighted the top five undergraduate and postgraduate degrees chosen by international students in Canada. Here’s a quick overview for you:
| Undergraduate | Postgraduate |
| Medicine | Medicine |
| Nursing | Psychology |
| Civil & mechanical engineering | Civil & mechanical engineering |
| Sociology | Accounting |
| Business studies | Public health |
Now let's look at them in a little more detail.
Top five undergraduate degrees
Medicine
Medicine is a popular choice for students looking for good career prospects, including high salaries and the potential to work around the world. In fact, graduates from the field who work in Canada can expect a salary of about CAD178,000 per year, depending on their area of expertise.
Some of the top institutions for undergraduate medicine programmes in Canada are:
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University of Montreal
Nursing
Nursing qualifications continually attract the attention of international undergraduate students. The subject offers particularly good employment prospects with over 90 per cent of nursing graduates finding work after their studies.
Nurses working in Canada can earn an average salary of CAD 81,150 per year. There is the added bonus of having skills that make you attractive to employers in Canada or globally, depending on where you want to go. A career in nursing is often very rewarding as you are able to help people on a daily basis in a variety of specialised areas.
Top institutions for undergraduate nursing degrees (QS World University Rankings 2022) in Canada include:
Civil and mechanical engineering
International students continue to show an interest in engineering degrees in Canada. This is particularly true of the civil and mechanical engineering specialisations. The skills developed during these courses, such as problem-solving and decision-making, along with the practical nature of the degrees means there’s always a demand from employers globally.
Civil engineers can earn an average salary of about CAD 68,400 with mechanical engineers earning in the region of CAD 74,500. Careers in these fields can be both interesting and diverse with graduates being able to fill a number of roles.
Some of the institutions that offer engineering courses in Canada include:
Sociology
If you’ve always had an interest in the way in which society works and how people behave, studying sociology may be right for you. It’s certainly a popular choice for international students in Canada.
Giving you both research skills and critical analysis competencies, the subject can set you up to work in a variety of fields including the charity sector, human resources and teaching. If you have a bachelor’s degree in sociology you may earn up to CAD 54,300.
Universities in Canada offering majors in the field of sociology include:
-
University of Alberta
Business studies
International students with an eye on Canada often place business studies on their priority list. The qualification develops some key skills that businesses and employers like graduates to have. These include financial expertise, communication skills and analytical abilities.
With a business studies undergraduate degree, you can also go on to specialise in other areas of business, finance or commerce making it a flexible option.
With a business studies qualification, you can expect to earn an above-average starting salary. Some industries you may find yourself working in include marketing, insurance, banking, human resources and financial services.
Canadian universities that offer the subject include:
Top five postgraduate degrees
Medicine
Mirroring the undergraduate demand for medical degrees, international postgraduate students place it top of the list of most desired qualifications in Canada. Postgraduate medical degrees are designed for professional development, research and perfecting the skills in a medical specialisation. This can be everything from clinical oncology to biomedical research.
There is little doubt that having an advanced degree in the medical field increases your career prospects and in some cases, it is mandatory for being able to practice in certain medical fields.
Some institutions you may want to check out for postgraduate medical courses include:
Psychology
International postgraduate students have shown a keen interest in postgraduate qualifications in psychology. One of the primary motivations is that an advanced degree in the subject is often a pre-requisite or requirement for being professionally certified and being able to practice as a psychologist. An advanced degree in the subject fine-tunes critical thinking and analytical skills.
Although you may wish to practice as a psychologist there are numerous other fields where your skills may be applied such as in business, social work and even market research.
Universities offering postgraduate psychology programmes in Canada include:
-
Queen’s University
Civil and mechanical engineering
Students aiming to enhance their professional skills or specialise after taking a general undergraduate engineering degree or a programme in a related field, favour the specialisations of civil and mechanical engineering. With demand for skills in these fields, it’s a good career move and improves your employability. These courses may also count towards or are critical for your certification and accreditation as a professional engineer.
The top three universities for engineering courses in Canada are:
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University of Toronto
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University of British Columbia
Accounting
Advanced accounting qualifications remain popular with international students. Not only do they enhance your professional skills, but candidates in possession of these degrees are also desired by employers. With a significant real-world focus, courses are geared towards professional practice.
Three of the more prominent universities in Canada offering postgraduate accounting programmes include:
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University of Toronto
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University of British Columbia
Public health
Students who follow a major in public health are exposed to a degree with an international focus that attempts to address critical global health matters. You’ll learn a variety of analytical skills and also be exposed to information from various other subjects, such as economics, international relations and politics. These degrees can open up opportunities for work in the aid sector, with governments and international organisations like the UN.
Make sure to take a look at some of the more popular universities offering this course:
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McGill University
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University of Calgary
Now that you know what other international students are looking to study in Canada it may have given you some ideas and could be the right time for you to start your research.
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