Canadian Immigration News

The Most Preferred Cities in Ontario by International Students

1.5 minute read
"Do you want to come to Canada for further education? Do you want to start your Canadian education experience in Ontario? Ontario is one of the most popular provinces for international students. Recently, Ontario has been experiencing a spike in its non-permanent resident population due to an inflow of international students."
Written by My Visa Source Team
Published on:  Jul 15, 2021
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Do you want to come to Canada for further education? Do you want to start your Canadian education experience in Ontario? Ontario is one of the most popular provinces for international students. Recently, Ontario has been experiencing a spike in its non-permanent resident population due to an inflow of international students. 

What Are the Most Popular Cities in Ontario for International Students?

Toronto, Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge, and Kingston are the top most popular cities among international students in Ontario. These cities host the largest number of international students in Ontario. 

Toronto has the highest number of international students in the University of York, Ryerson, and Centennial Colleges. In 2018, 130,000 study permit holders were living in Toronto which was a 1.5% increase compared to 2015. 

The Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge (KWC) cities in Ontario saw an increase of 4% in their international student population over the last 3 years. During that time frame, another 12,000 study permits were registered. Other parts of southwestern Ontario are also identified as fast-growing cities for international students in Canada. These cities will benefit greatly from a young population adding to their local workforce. 

What Are the Most Popular Universities and Colleges for International Students?

Kingston which hosts prestigious universities like St Lawrence College and Queen’s university saw their international student population increase by tenfold in the last 3 years. St Catharines and Niagara Falls had their international student population double in the same time while other cities like Peterborough, Barrie, Thunder Bay, and Sudbury experienced less significant growth.

Also, another interesting thing that came to light was that international student growth in these cities was mainly in colleges rather than universities. The University of Toronto and Centennial College are the topmost favorite universities of international students in Toronto, while Conestoga College tops in Kitchener. St. Lawrence is the most popular college in Kingston.

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