By Catherine Orr ’22, News Writer

Every year, students from all over the world apply to American colleges, but lately Canadian universities have been more popular than ever. Starting in 2016, Canadian colleges received an influx of American applicants, and the numbers have been rising ever since. Economic and educational opportunities are major factors behind these rising numbers. College applications are a stressful time for American highschoolers. Aside from having to keep good grades and other various activities and achievements, getting into good, competitive schools also requires serious money for tuition, and possibly student loans. But what if there are world-class schools at a commutable distance that offer good quality education, and are cheaper? According to the 2020 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Canada is home to 37 universities ranked in the top 300 global universities. They also have big city schools like the University of Toronto (UT), which is ranked 18th worldwide and 27th for engineering, and the University of British Columbia, which is ranked 34th worldwide, and 24th for business and economics. Recently, more and more American students have been looking north of the border for educational, economic, and political purposes. 

The biggest factor driving American students north is the tuition prices of American colleges. As of 2019, Canadian public colleges receive more than 80 percent of university funding from tax dollars and subsidies, while American public colleges receive just 47 percent. As a result, the average year of tuition for a Canadian public university would cost a citizen around $5,000 USD, while a U.S citizen attending an out-of-state public college would pay roughly $25,000 USD for a year of tuition. In 2018, after completing a four year degree at an American school, the average college graduate would incur more than $37,000 in debt. Going to school in Canada could mean an escape from student loan debt for many students, while still receiving a world-class education. 

As enticing as the educational and financial opportunities may be, the current political climate also factors into the increase in enrollment in Canadian schools. What is being called the “Trump Effect,” is an increase in applications to Canadian colleges not only from American youth, but from applicants globally, who are disenchanted with the current administration and/or immigration policies of the United States. Almost immediately following the 2016 election, American applications went up 30 percent at McGill University, 35 percent at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, and 75 percent at the University of Toronto, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. As for international applications, in 2017, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers surveyed over 250 American colleges and universities and found that 39 percent of American schools witnessed a decline in international applications in the last year. Canadian Schools, on the other hand, had a large increase in their international applications. For example, McMaster University saw a 33 percent increase and University of Toronto saw a 20 percent increase. Julie Lafortune, a spokesperson for Canada’s immigration department stated, “Our diverse, welcoming society, high-quality educational institutions and opportunities to work or immigrate after graduation have made Canada a leading destination of choice for students from around the world.”Although it is not the main factor of Canada’s increase in applications, America’s political state seems to be driving this increase. 

On top of these influences, the application process for Canadian universities also tends to be less onerous, usually based on academics alone. There tend to be fewer individual essays and no requirements for recommendations, with less emphasis on extraneous factors such as extracurriculars and legacy. 

An American college education is still one that is valuable and sought after, but it is important as high school students to analyze other educational opportunities in North America, not just in our country, and Canada offers an attractive option.