v256.0 · education · CA · verified 2026-04
Canada education system
Education in Canada — public + private K-12, international schools, university system, tuition costs, scholarships, language of instruction, and expat-family pathway.
System overview
Provincial control — 10 provinces + 3 territories · World-class PISA · 13yr K-12 · CMA + U15 research universities · Strong international student magnet
K-12 schools
| Public K-12 | Free public K-12 universally · 90%+ Canadian children · Bilingual French immersion programs widely available · Quebec separate French-language secular + private religious · French Immersion English-Canada extensive |
| Private K-12 | ~7% private · Day CAD 15-30K/yr · Boarding CAD 50-75K · Tier-1 (UCC University of Toronto Schools, St. Andrew's, Branksome Hall, Lakefield) · IB widely offered |
| International schools | Toronto French School · Branksome Hall (girls) · UCC Upper Canada College · Toronto+Vancouver strong international networks · IB schools provincially recognized |
University system
| University system | 97 universities · U15 research-intensive (UofT, McGill, UBC, McMaster, Alberta, Calgary, Dalhousie, Laval, Manitoba, Montréal, Ottawa, Queens, Saskatchewan, Waterloo, Western) · Toronto, McGill, UBC consistently top globally |
| Tuition costs | Canadian domestic: CAD 6-12K/yr (Ontario higher) · International: CAD 28-65K/yr (Engineering+Business higher) · Quebec residents at Quebec unis cheaper |
| Scholarships + financial aid | Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (PhD CAD 50K/yr × 3) · Banting Postdoctoral · Pierre Elliott Trudeau · OGS Ontario · QEII · University entrance · Indigenous-specific |
Language of instruction
English + French officially bilingual · French-medium universities (Laval, Montréal, Sherbrooke, Ottawa partial, Moncton) · French Immersion K-12 widespread · Indigenous languages emerging
Expat-family pathway
Study Permit (CIC) · PAL Provincial Attestation Letter 2024 introduced · Proof CAD 20,635 + tuition · PGWP Post-Graduation Work Permit 1-3yr · Express Entry CRS points · 90K-160K+ PR pathway from international students
Recent changes (2023-2026)
2024-25: 2-yr international student cap (Jan 2024) reducing 35% from peak · PAL required · PGWP narrowed (programs reduced) · Spouse work-permit eligibility narrowed · Quebec tuition hike caps out-of-province · Federal-provincial tensions on cap allocation
Source: official Canada Ministry of Education · Last verified 2026-04
See also: Canada country profile · education atlas