
This piece outlines some good reasons why you should consider Canada in your international student recruitment strategy.
- Canada is a diverse and open country with a population that has grown by 1.8% over the past year, and 9.5% since 2020.
- Canada has one of the highest tertiary education participation rates in the world at 67%.
- Canada’s in the top 10 for average wages; higher than the OECD average.
If you're interested in recruiting Canadian students, we encourage you to read on. And if you'd like to tap into our database of over 1.4 million students, including 22,000+ who are interested in studying outside Canada, please let us know. We can help you reach the Canadian market through our fairs or our digital recruitment solutions.
Canada's Population is Growing Quickly
Canada's population has grown by 9.5% since 2020, adding 3.6m people to reach 41.5m in early 2025.
Canada's grown 13.1% since 2014 -- explosive, compared to USA at 5.1% and United Kingdom at 5.8% over the same period
Of the 13 provinces and territories in Canada, the province of Ontario has the largest population, with 39% of the total. It is followed by Quebec (where both French and English are spoken), British Columbia, and Alberta.
Canadian population, as of June 2025
| wdt_ID | Provinces and territories | Population | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newfoundland and Labrador | 545,899 | 1 |
| 2 | Prince Edward Island | 179,187 | 0 |
| 3 | Nova Scotia | 1,082,351 | 3 |
| 4 | New Brunswick | 862,465 | 2 |
| 5 | Quebec | 9,123,432 | 22 |
| 6 | Ontario | 16,245,157 | 39 |
| 7 | Manitoba | 1,509,897 | 4 |
| 8 | Saskatchewan | 1,253,836 | 3 |
| 9 | Alberta | 5,009,940 | 12 |
| 10 | British Columbia | 5,733,357 | 14 |
| 11 | Yukon | 47,284 | 0 |
| 12 | Northwest Territories | 45,105 | 0 |
| 13 | Nunavut | 41,962 | 0 |
In 2024, 42% of the Canadian population was between 0 and 34 years old. 12% of the population are between 15 and 24 years old; up 4% from the previous year. Canada's population is young!
Canadians Value Education
Canada ranks second behind Korea with 67% of the population between the ages of 25-34 years old having a tertiary education.
| wdt_ID | Rank | Country | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Korea | 69.6 |
| 2 | 2 | Canada | 67.0 |
| 3 | 3 | Japan | 65.7 |
| 4 | 4 | Ireland | 63.3 |
| 5 | 5 | Luxembourg | 60.0 |
Canadian Higher Education
There were over 2.2 million students studying at the tertiary level in Canada in 2022-23. The fastest growing segments over the past 5 years were Doctoral studies at 15%, followed by Master's studies at 11%.
| wdt_ID | International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) | 2022 / 2023 | Pace of change from 18/19 to 22/23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Total International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) | 2,211,345 | 3 |
| 2 | Upper secondary education | 21,078 | -27 |
| 3 | Post-secondary non-tertiary education | 237,003 | -6 |
| 4 | Short-cycle tertiary education | 441,714 | 10 |
| 5 | Bachelor's or equivalent | 1,100,325 | 4 |
| 6 | Master's or equivalent | 231,930 | 11 |
| 7 | Doctoral or equivalent | 63,027 | 15 |
| 8 | Not applicable, International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) | 116,271 | -24 |
There are over 400 publicly funded colleges and universities in Canada. There are many more privately funded colleges. Education is governed by provincial and territorial governments, and is supported by provincial and federal scholarships, grants, and loans.
Colleges predominantly offer 2 to 3-year diploma programs, though many are beginning to offer 4-year degree programs as well. and universities predominantly offer Bachelor, Master's, and Doctoral programs. You'll find a Canadian education system explainer here, or see the graphics below for details.
Fields of Study Breakdown
Across all levels of tertiary education, the fastest growing programs since 2011 are in computer science, healthcare, mathematics, and engineering. Since 2022, we've seen a big jump in pre-technology/pre-industrial programs, too. The largest segments overall, by number of enrolled students, are business, healthcare, and the liberal arts and humanities.
| wdt_ID | rank | Field | 2022 / 2023 | % change since 2021 | % change since 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 126 | 1 | Agricultural and veterinary sciences/services/operations and related fields | 19,293 | 2 | 31 |
| Architecture and related services | 16,713 | -2 | 15 | ||
| Area ethnic cultural gender and group studies | 9,159 | -3 | 31 | ||
| Basic skills and general exam preparation (not for credit) | 11,391 | 5 | -37 | ||
| Biological and biomedical sciences | 86,688 | 1 | 35 | ||
| Business management marketing and related support services | 390,165 | 3 | 26 | ||
| Communication journalism and related programs | 28,905 | -4 | -6 | ||
| Communications technologies/technicians and support services | 9,426 | 5 | 16 | ||
| Computer and information sciences and support services | 115,599 | 11 | 214 | ||
| Construction trades | 8,691 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Culinary entertainment and personal services | 10,923 | 13 | 23 | ||
| Education | 100,710 | -1 | -5 | ||
| Engineering | 138,882 | 2 | 52 | ||
| Engineering/engineering-related technologies/technicians | 60,537 | 5 | 20 | ||
| English language and literature/letters | 15,891 | 0 | -27 | ||
| Family and consumer sciences/human sciences | 47,775 | 1 | 27 | ||
| French language and literature/letters (CAN) | 4,407 | -16 | -36 | ||
| Health professions and related programs | 220,104 | 1 | 19 | ||
| Health professions residency/fellowship programs | 837 | 10 | 197 | ||
| Health-related knowledge and skills (not for credit) | 1,614 | 13 | 32 | ||
| High school/secondary diploma and certificate programs | 30,270 | -5 | -24 | ||
| History | 12,687 | -2 | -32 | ||
| Indigenous and foreign languages literatures and linguistics | 13,764 | 9 | -35 | ||
| Legal professions and studies | 31,068 | -2 | 12 | ||
| Leisure and recreational activities and non-commercial vehicle operation (not for credit) | 2,295 | -1 | -8 | ||
| Liberal arts and sciences general studies and humanities | 172,548 | -4 | -29 | ||
| Library science | 2,580 | 0 | -21 | ||
| Mathematics and statistics | 19,935 | -3 | 73 | ||
| Mechanic and repair technologies/technicians | 12,084 | 1 | -11 | ||
| Medical residency/fellowship programs | 13,899 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Military science leadership and operational art | 183 | -21 | 336 | ||
| Multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary studies | 105,408 | -1 | 34 | ||
| Natural resources and conservation | 20,358 | -3 | 20 | ||
| Parks recreation leisure fitness and kinesiology | 41,496 | -1 | 20 | ||
| Personal awareness and self-improvement (not for credit) | 48 | 0 | -95 | ||
| Philosophy and religious studies | 8,205 | -5 | -19 | ||
| Physical sciences | 25,974 | -1 | 10 | ||
| Precision production | 4,572 | 5 | 2 | ||
| Pre-technology education/pre-industrial arts programs (CAN) | 942 | 17 | 15 | ||
| Psychology | 73,035 | 2 | 43 | ||
| Public administration and social service professions | 40,980 | -3 | 9 | ||
| Science technologies/technicians | 4,602 | 12 | 45 | ||
| Security and protective services | 31,938 | -6 | 4 | ||
| Social sciences | 98,340 | -5 | 4 | ||
| Theology and religious vocations | 2,721 | -8 | -12 | ||
| Total field of study | 2,211,345 | 1 | 13 | ||
| Transportation and materials moving | 3,885 | -3 | 33 | ||
| Unclassified field of study | 66,474 | -5 | -16 | ||
| Visual and performing arts | 73,323 | 0 | -3 |
Master's Level
At the Master's level, healthcare residencies, computer sciences, and engineering are growing fastest.
| wdt_ID | Field | 2022 / 2023 | % change since 2021 | % change since 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic skills and general exam preparation (not for credit) | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Health-related knowledge and skills (not for credit) | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | High school/secondary diploma and certificate programs | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Leisure and recreational activities and non-commercial vehicle operation (not for credit) | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Mechanic and repair technologies/technicians | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Military technologies and applied sciences | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Personal awareness and self-improvement (not for credit) | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Precision production | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Pre-technology education/pre-industrial arts programs (CAN) | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Science technologies/technicians | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Transportation and materials moving | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Culinary, entertainment, and personal services | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Construction trades | 15 | -44 | 0 |
| 14 | Unclassified | 3,459 | 4 | 2,856 |
| 15 | Health professions residency/fellowship programs | 792 | 14 | 218 |
| 16 | Computer and information sciences and support services | 10,404 | 13 | 194 |
| 17 | Engineering/engineering-related technologies/technicians | 1,050 | 27 | 130 |
| 18 | Security and protective services | 813 | 15 | 119 |
| 19 | Engineering | 23,976 | 9 | 87 |
| 20 | Multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary studies | 5,151 | 0 | 86 |
| 21 | Health professions and related programs | 41,976 | 1 | 57 |
| 22 | Parks, recreation, leisure, fitness, and kinesiology | 1,911 | -1 | 40 |
| 24 | Family and consumer sciences/human sciences | 849 | 6 | 34 |
| 25 | Business, management, marketing and related support services | 34,203 | 0 | 29 |
| 26 | Psychology | 4,056 | -1 | 28 |
| 27 | Mathematics and statistics | 1,479 | -1 | 25 |
| 28 | Education | 22,428 | -3 | 25 |
| 29 | Legal professions and studies | 17,139 | 2 | 23 |
| 30 | Liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities | 525 | -10 | 21 |
| 31 | Agricultural and veterinary sciences/services/operations and related fields | 3,210 | 2 | 15 |
| 32 | Biological and biomedical sciences | 7,494 | 1 | 15 |
| 33 | Public administration and social service professions | 7,944 | -1 | 15 |
| 34 | Communication, journalism and related programs | 2,019 | 0 | 11 |
| 35 | Architecture and related services | 3,063 | -3 | 10 |
| 36 | Natural resources and conservation | 3,213 | -3 | 10 |
| 37 | Theology and religious vocations | 816 | 1 | 8 |
| 38 | Area, ethnic, cultural, gender, and group studies | 1,101 | -1 | 5 |
| 39 | Social sciences | 7,140 | -5 | 3 |
| 40 | Physical sciences | 3,150 | -2 | 2 |
| 41 | Medical residency/fellowship programs | 13,827 | 0 | -1 |
| 42 | Visual and performing arts | 3,414 | -4 | -2 |
| 43 | Indigenous and foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics | 1,014 | 2 | -3 |
| 44 | History | 999 | -1 | -16 |
| 45 | Philosophy and religious studies | 996 | -8 | -17 |
| 46 | French language and literature/letters (CAN) | 633 | -3 | -23 |
| 47 | English language and literature/letters | 858 | -7 | -25 |
| 48 | Military science, leadership and operational art | 21 | 0 | -30 |
| 49 | Communications technologies/technicians and support services | 39 | -38 | -32 |
| 50 | Library science | 723 | 3 | -40 |
| 51 | Citizenship activities (not for credit) | |||
| 52 | Interpersonal and social skills (not for credit) |
Canadian Student Mobility
Approximately 11% of Canadian undergraduate students participate in a study abroad experience. For the 2022-2023 academic year, over 41,000 Canadians studied in the United States, making Canada the 4th largest sender of students to the USA, after China, India, and South Korea.
In this same period, Canada ranked in the top 10 of non-EU countries sending students to the United Kingdom, with over 7,400 students studying in the UK.
Other top countries of interest, according to a 2023 report by CBIE, include Italy, China, Japan, Germany, Australia, and Spain. Business, social sciences, humanities, health sciences, and natural sciences are the most popular areas of interest for Canadians who study abroad.
SchoolFinder Group / Recruit in Canada Student Database
Over 22,000 Canadian students in our database have indicated an interest in studying in one or more countries outside of Canada since 2023. The full list contains dozens of countries, and we're adding more destinations to the portal every year. Still, the top destinations for our audience remain consistent, with the United States in first place, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, and France. See the SchoolFinderGroup.com report for more detailed information.
These figures are a one-month snapshot of signups from summer 2024 and summer 2025.
| wdt_ID | Rank | Destination Country | Y-O-Y Change | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Canada | 1 | 89 |
| 2 | 2 | United States | 21 | 25 |
| 3 | 3 | United Kingdom | 1 | 13 |
| 4 | 4 | Australia | 3 | 10 |
| 5 | 5 | Germany | 9 | 10 |
| 6 | 6 | France | 5 | 10 |
| 7 | 7 | Italy | 7 | 10 |
| 8 | 8 | Ireland | 9 | 9 |
| 9 | 9 | Switzerland | 5 | 9 |
| 10 | 10 | Spain | 7 | 9 |
| 11 | 11 | Japan | 12 | 9 |
| 12 | 12 | New Zealand | 2 | 9 |
| 13 | 13 | Netherlands | 5 | 9 |
| 14 | 14 | Sweden | 2 | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | Belgium | 6 | 8 |
| 16 | 16 | Norway* | 0 | 8 |
| 17 | 17 | Finland* | 0 | 8 |
| 18 | 18 | Greece | 8 | 8 |
| 19 | 19 | Denmark* | 0 | 8 |
| 20 | 20 | China | 11 | 8 |
| 21 | 21 | Singapore | 9 | 8 |
| 22 | 22 | Korea, Republic of | 6 | 8 |
| 23 | 23 | United Arab Emirates | 12 | 8 |
| 24 | 24 | Portugal | 7 | 8 |
| 25 | 25 | Austria | 8 | 8 |
| 26 | 26 | Poland | 5 | 8 |
| 27 | 27 | Hong Kong | 9 | 8 |
| 28 | 28 | Luxembourg | 7 | 8 |
| 29 | 29 | Saudi Arabia | 9 | 8 |
| 30 | 30 | Turkiye* | 0 | 8 |
| 31 | 31 | Mexico | 10 | 8 |
| 32 | 32 | Hungary | 8 | 8 |
| 33 | 33 | Puerto Rico* | 0 | 8 |
| 34 | 34 | Costa Rica | 6 | 8 |
| 35 | 35 | Romania* | 0 | 8 |
| 36 | 36 | Peru* | 0 | 8 |
| 37 | 37 | Russia* | 0 | 8 |
| 38 | 38 | Fiji | 9 | 8 |
| 39 | 39 | Thailand | 8 | 8 |
| 40 | 40 | Czech Republic | 9 | 8 |
| 41 | 41 | Malaysia | 8 | 8 |
| 42 | 42 | Philippines* | 0 | 8 |
| 43 | 43 | Argentina* | 0 | 7 |
| 44 | 44 | Georgia* | 0 | 7 |
| 45 | 45 | Taiwan, Province of China* | 0 | 7 |
| 46 | 46 | Malta* | 0 | 7 |
| 47 | 47 | South Africa* | 0 | 7 |
| 48 | 48 | Chile* | 0 | 7 |
| 49 | 49 | Barbados | 7 | 7 |
| 50 | 50 | Cyprus | 6 | 7 |
| 51 | 51 | Guatemala | 8 | 7 |
| 52 | 52 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7 | 7 |
| 53 | 53 | Saint Lucia | 7 | 7 |
| 54 | 54 | Estonia* | 0 | 7 |
| 55 | 55 | Jamaica | 41 | 7 |
| 56 | 56 | Dominica | 8 | 7 |
| 57 | 57 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 7 | 7 |
| 58 | 58 | Grenada | 7 | 7 |
| 59 | 59 | Cayman Islands | 6 | 7 |
| 60 | 60 | Liechtenstein | 8 | 7 |
| 61 | 61 | Sri Lanka* | 0 | 7 |
| 62 | 62 | Tunisia* | 0 | 7 |
| 63 | 63 | Israel | 8 | 7 |
| 64 | 64 | Lebanon* | 0 | 7 |
| 65 | 65 | Kazakhstan | 9 | 7 |
| 66 | 66 | Nicaragua | 9 | 7 |
| 67 | 67 | Aruba | 8 | 7 |
| 68 | 68 | Ecuador* | 0 | 7 |
| 69 | 69 | Belize* | 0 | 7 |
| 70 | 70 | Iran, Islamic Republic of* | 0 | 7 |
| 71 | 71 | Antigua and Barbuda | 7 | 7 |
| 72 | 72 | Bangladesh* | 0 | 7 |
| 73 | 73 | Anguilla | 7 | 7 |
| 74 | 74 | Yemen* | 0 | 7 |
| 75 | 75 | India^ | 0 | 2 |
| 76 | 76 | Croatia^ | 0 | 2 |
* These countries were added to the platform on or after June 2024.
^ These countries were added to the platform in 2025.
We hope that helps!
For more information on how we can help you can reach our community of Canadian Students interested in studying in your country, contact us at:
The SchoolFinder Group Team info@schoolfindergroup.com





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