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Education in British Columbia

British Columbia is a popular destination for international students who are seeking world-class academic, technical and vocational training combined with an exceptional quality of life.

The province has five universities, the Open Learning Agency, five university-colleges, eleven colleges, and six provincial institutes. For a map of institution locations in BC, visit the Opening Doors Institution Information page.

International students are welcome to apply to any program at BC's post-secondary institutions, however, it may be difficult to be admitted into certain programs due to a high demand by Canadian students.

Requirements for Studying in British Columbia

There are a number of requirements that international students must meet before beginning their academic studies in British Columbia's post-secondary institutions, such as:

• meet minimum age requirements (usually 17 or 18);
  
  
• demonstrate minimum proficiency in English. ESL upgrading support is available at most institutions (see below for more information on ESL);
  
  
• meet application deadlines;
  
  
• enroll in the BC Medical Services Plan if students studying in BC for longer than three months. For more information, visit the BC Centre for International Education Services for International Students page and then go to “Medical Coverage”
  
  
• acquire a student authorization (Visa) if students are studying in BC longer than three months. For more information, visit the BC Centre for International Education Applying for Student Authorization page.

Language Requirements / English as a Second Language (ESL)

Students from countries where English is not the official first language will be required to demonstrate that their English language skills are sufficient to study in BC.

Many institutions require TOEFL and/or IELTS scores for entry into academic programs, while some institutions provide their own testing upon the student's arrival. Many institutions also provide ESL training and support services for students who require additional English language training.

Students who wish to improve their English language skills for communication or academic preparation should visit the BC Centre for International Education's BC ESL Information Centre to find out which ESL programs are available, their start dates, costs, and other valuable information on ESL.

Student Housing

Students who are considering attending a post-secondary institution in British Columbia and who require assistance finding accommodation should visit the Opening Doors listing of Student Housing for BC's post-secondary institutions. For homestay inquiries, please contact the institution directly through its office of international education.

Assistance and Applications

Most of BC's post-secondary institutions have counsellors who provide counselling and advising services to international students. These services can range from personal counseling and housing assistance, to study skills and program-planning assistance.

Check out the International Student Information page to find out what services are available to international students at BC's post-secondary institutions.

Once you have finished researching programs in which you may be interested, and you wish to apply to one of BC's post-secondary insitutions, click here to visit the Post-Secondary Application Service of British Columbia (PASBC), where you can apply online to most of BC's post-secondary institutions.

BC's Public Post-Secondary Institutions.

You can click the link to get detailed information from each institution.

UNIVERSITIES	UNIVERSITY COLLEGES
Royal Roads University	Kwantlen University College
Simon Fraser University	Malaspina University-College
University of British Columbia	Okanagan University College
University of Northern British Columbia	University College of the Cariboo
The University of Victoria	University College of the Fraser Valley
COLLEGES	INSTITUTES
Camosun College	British Columbia Institute of Technology
Capilano College	Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design
College of New Caledonia	Institute of Indigenous Government
College of the Rockies	Justice Institute of British Columbia
Douglas College	Nicola Valley Institute of Technology
Langara College
North Island College
Northern Lights College	LEARNING AGENCIES
Northwest Community College	Open Learning Agency
Selkirk College
Vancouver Community College

Private Career Training Schools,
and Private Language Schools

If you’re interested in taking courses to brush up English for entring university, or to become a computer specialist, or any other career-related training, please click this link: Private Training Institutes (BC WorkinfoNET)

You can obtain brief descriptions of main programs of study. The above link let you access 141 private training institutes in BC.

Private High Schools,
and Private Colleges

BC Independent / Private Schools with Web Sites (Community Learning Network)

The above link displays an alphabetical list of schools hyperlinked to Web site.