According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada is the world's most educated country, with 56.7% of Canadian adults having received a post-secondary degree. This is a full 10% higher than the United States.
This is no surprise for a few reasons. Canada actively recruits highly educated immigrants to come to Canada for permanent residence and eventually to become Canadian Citizens. The immigration system awards points for education, which tends to favor highly educated and skilled applicants to be selected for immigration to Canada. The benefit spans generations as well, since these families typically place a high value on education, and support their kids to pursue higher education as well.
Another important reason for the high rate of post-secondary education Canadians is cost. Canada's universities receive significant government funding to help them maintain relatively low tuition costs. On average, Canadian students spend $9,300 per year in tuition fees. International students who are not Canadians typically pay significantly higher tuition fees, since they typically do not contribute to paying taxes to the same extent as Canadian citizens. Nonetheless, reasonable tuition costs makes higher education accessible to almost all Canadians. The government also provides interest free student loans to assist any Canadian in pursuing higher education.
Another factor that contributes to Canada having the most educated population in the world is the fact that Canadian universities are highly ranked and very competitive worldwide. Nine Canadian universities are ranked among the top 200 universities in the world by Times Higher Education. The University of Toronto is ranked 21st in the world. For a country with a relatively small population of just over $35 million people, these results are quite impressive.
Canada's strong education system is a key attraction for people considering immigration to Canada. Canada offers children of immigrant families excellent opportunities to gain a strong education that is highly respected globally and that opens the doors to the best employment opportunities. If you are considering immigration to Canada, please contact us to discuss your situation or answer any questions you may have.
References:
