Best Canadian city for international student: Prospective college students can pick from a wide variety of countries and educational institutions throughout the world when determining where to further their education.
Consequently, why should foreign students consider studying in Canada’s Calgary?
Calgary is one of the youngest major cities in Canada, and it offers a wide variety of educational, occupational, and recreational options.
In addition to its booming economy and active tech industry, Denver boasts a relatively inexpensive cost of living and a convenient location near the scenic Rocky Mountains.
More than 120 languages are spoken in Calgary, and international students may bask in an average of 333 sunny days a year, more than in any other large Canadian city. The city keeps getting praise from all over the world.
Calgary was voted the third most livable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2022. The city scored particularly well in the categories of culture, environment, and education.
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary is committed to playing a significant role in the academic and professional success of international students from all over the world.
SAIT offers more reasonable tuition rates. Affordable education is another reason why many international students choose to study in Alberta, particularly in Calgary, which is home to more than 65 different DLIs. The provincial and federal governments of Canada only allow international students to study at DLIs.
Calgary is one of the most reasonably priced major cities in Canada for students from outside the country.
Preliminary figures from Statistics Canada (StatsCan) for 2022/2023 show that the average cost of tuition for international students in Alberta is lower than in some other major Canadian educational destinations, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Alberta has cheaper than average university and college tuition rates compared to neighboring provinces British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
The total cost of attendance each year at SAIT is $21,000. Tuition at other Canadian universities typically costs between $23,000 and $39,000 more per year than at SAIT, thus this is a significant savings.
Tuition for overseas students at UBC in Vancouver in 2023/24 will cost between $44,000 and $58,000 (depending on the chosen degree).
In the academic year 2022/23, overseas students studying for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) at McGill University in Montreal paid a total of $31,500.50.
In the 2023-24 school year, the average tuition for international students in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto will be $60,510.
This makes SAIT one of the least expensive DLIs in the country’s most populous provinces. SAIT helps international students find employment in Calgary’s diversified economy by providing them with career services.
Calgary’s promising job market is a major attraction for students from other countries. Many overseas students attend SAIT in the hopes of finding a way to stay in Canada after graduation and start a new life here.
Graduates from overseas programs at SAIT may apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) in Canada, which will allow them to stay in the country and work for an additional one to three years (depending on the length of their SAIT degree).
One of the many advantages of a PGWP is that international graduates who have professional job experience with this work permit can strengthen their application for Canadian permanent residence.
Because studies conducted by the Canadian government reveal that immigrants’ economic integration is aided by their time spent studying and working in Canada, this is the case.
Calgary is one of the most desirable places in Canada for ambitious international students to settle after finishing their degrees due to the abundance of job opportunities available to them in a wide range of fields. It is also very important to know Canadian permanent resident and Canadian Citizen: What’s the Difference
In reality, the province has almost 38,000 job openings in the five occupational categories that Canada has prioritized in its new category-based draws, based on statistics from 2022. Calgary, the most populous city in Alberta, is where you’re most likely to find one of these openings.
Calgary has many available employment opportunities for international students who graduate from a post-secondary institution in some of the most in-demand employment industries across Canada, such as healthcare, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), agriculture/agri-food, transport, and trade.
SAIT provides its students with free Career Planning and Career Advancement Services to help them prepare for the job market when they graduate from post-secondary education.
Individual career counselling sessions last two hours and consist of a student taking a standardized test of their interests, personality, and values and then meeting with a guidance counsellor to discuss the results and make a plan of action based on them.
However, SAIT offers career development services such as workshops and assistance to help students network and connect with possible employers, enhance their resume to best highlight their talents, prepare for and succeed in interviews, enhance their LinkedIn profile, and ultimately find employment.
Calgary is an attractive destination for global talent, and it intends to increase its attractiveness in order to support its economic growth. The tech industry in Calgary has grown by over 20% between 2017 and 2021, from over 40,000 workers to over 60,000.
IBM, Mphasis, Amazon Web Services, Unity, and Infosys are just a few of the prominent tech companies that have set up shop in Calgary. Increased economic expansion is anticipated.
The Metropolitan Region Growth Plan for Calgary went into force this past summer, and it includes a strategy to improve the city’s services, infrastructure, and opportunities.
Summary on Canadian city for international student:
- Economy and Tech Attraction
- Affordable for Students
- SAIT’s Job Support
- Diverse Job Opportunities
- Tech Growth Boosts Economy