Best Community Colleges In Canada For International Students

Canada is known for its higher education ecosystem due to the umpteen number of universities offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in various areas of specialisations like computer science, applied arts, biotechnology, etc. Most of these universities are publicly funded, but there are plenty of privately-owned institutions as well.

This article primarily focuses on a type of public college called community college. Many international students do not know how a community college works and what are the best community colleges in Canada. This post is for them.

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Introduction to Community Colleges

A community college is an institution that offers post-secondary education. The degrees that are offered in a community college are different from the ones that are offered in other universities. Community colleges usually offer diplomas, associate degrees, apprenticeship certificates, etc., in place of the usual bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Usually, the courses in a community college are for two years, after which you can transfer to a university to complete your bachelor’s degree. International students who wish to study at community colleges in Canada should have completed their senior secondary schooling in their home country.

Best Community Colleges in Canada

Here are 7 best community colleges in Canada for international students:

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Red River College

Situated in Manitoba, the RRC Polytech is a powerhouse of knowledge with more than 100 full-time diplomas and polytechnic courses. All the courses offer best-in-class hands-on training that is tailored to be career-oriented. The courses have a close relationship with the latest industry practices so that students do not feel lacking after their course is completed. All the courses are also offered through the part-time mode, enabling students to work while studying. This gives them a chance to apply their classroom knowledge instantly at work.

Bow Valley College

Bow Valley Community College is one of the oldest community colleges in Canada. It was established in the year 1965. The college offers various diplomas and certification courses in various specialisations that make you industry-ready. Some of these specialisations include:

• Business administration diploma in the supply chain.
• Digital marketing.
• Human services management.
• Post-diploma certificate in data analytics.
• Post-diploma certificate in cloud computing.

Apart from these, it also offers courses in various community studies and health care. The diploma courses in this college require successful completion of schooling from the home country along with good scores in an English language proficiency test. To get admitted, you need to submit the following documents –

• High-school transcripts.
• Statement of Purpose.
• IELTS/TOEFL score.

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Douglas College

Douglas College is one of the largest colleges in Canada, with close to 30,000 students becoming a part of the institution annually. Situated in Greater Vancouver, this offers two types of degrees, namely diploma and associate. The specialisations offered by this college include courses in applied community studies, science & technology, health sciences, life sciences, business administration, etc. The academic requirements for international students include –

• High school graduation with a minimum 60% score.
• Minimum 60% in mathematics for most courses.
• Overall score of 83 in TOEFL or 6.5 in IELTS.

Vanier College

Located in Montreal, Quebec, Vanier College is an English-language community college in Canada. The courses offered are industry-focused and thus help you get a job immediately after graduation. The admission for the winter program for international students starts in January and ends by March 31st. Students who are shortlisted based on the applications need to apply for the Québec Certificat d’acceptation along with a study permit. The tuition fee for international applicants ranges from $7,000 – $10,000 per semester, depending upon the course.

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)

Situated in Calgary, Alberta, SAIT is undoubtedly one of the best community colleges for international students. The count of international students here from different countries has been increasing year-on-year owing to the high quality of education offered and the global recognition of its diploma degree. SAIT has state-of-the-art facilities, qualified and experienced faculties, live classrooms, internships, and projects. It offers a wide variety of courses, including business administration, aviation engineering, culinary arts, film and video making, hospitality and tourism management, etc.

Humber College

Situated in Ontario, Toronto, this college has a special place amongst many international students. The college offers diplomas, certificate programs, and advanced diplomas in many specialisations, ranging from commerce to telecommunications. A student seeking admission to Humber diploma must have completed high school graduation, which is the equivalent of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The student must submit proof of the completed education along with additional transcripts (if applicable). The student must also satisfy the English language criteria with a 6.5 score in IELTS or a minimum of 560 in TOEFL.

New Brunswick Community College

NBCC has courses in both part-time as well as full-time models. Some of the courses offered include automotive technology, service technician courses, administrative professional, civil technician, machinist, etc. A person who has completed a diploma in these courses is in great demand today and has high prospects of getting placed in MNCs soon after graduation. Hence, this college can be suitable for students who wish to work and study together. NBCC stresses that students need to know English to enjoy their life at NBCC. It has been made mandatory for all international applicants to showcase their English proficiency as part of their admission process to NBCC. Achieving the passing scores in any of the following English proficiency tests makes a student eligible for admission into NBCC.

• A minimum score of 6.0 in IELTS.
• A minimum score of 80 in TOEFL.
• 100 out of 160, with no test score less than 90 on the Duolingo English Test.
• Overall score of 169 in Cambridge English.
• A minimum score of 60 in the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL).
• The Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST) with a score of 4.5.
• A minimum score of 65 in the Pearson Test of English.

Conclusion

That concludes our list of the best community colleges in Canada. But this is in no way an exhaustive list. There are plenty of others, including Centennial College, Seneca College, Selkirk College, and Fanshawe College. The international student population is also increasing manifold due to the variety of courses and global recognition. But which college would you pick from this list? Confused? That’s where overseas education experts like LeapScholar can help. We will guide you in securing admission to the best community colleges in Canada.

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