Picking a study destination is both exciting and exhausting. At Studywise International, we meet thousands of students to map their career paths with their interests and goals. While the level of education, demographics, financials and potentials vary with each student, we have outlined a pattern. This pattern formed with selection helps us assist them in the selection of courses and universities. Once that is done, the visa process, English tests and interviews are a piece of cake.
When the USA has universities like Harvard, Canada competes with McGill University. For the MIT in the USA, Canada has the University of Waterloo. While they are still to achieve the stature which Harvard University and MIT have in the academic world, they make up with their acceptance rate, lifestyle and career options. Both studying in the USA and Canada have some exciting aspects of studying internationally. Every year, it witnesses admission applications from lakhs of Indian students. Perhaps, the question isn’t which study destination is better. But which suits your interests and goals better?
Universities
As a matter of fact, Canada houses 223 public and private universities, and 213 public colleges and institutes. Amongst these, 31 ranks in the Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings 2024. On the other hand, 53 universities among the 5,300 universities and colleges in the USA rank well. With numbers, Canada seems to have the upper hand. However, the top 10 universities in the ranking board are all in the USA. Further, 15 out of the top 20 too are USA universities.
Choice of Programs
Engineering, Computer Science, Business Management and Analytics, and Medicine are equally rewarding in both destinations. With Canada’s historical influence by France, it is an incomparable destination for language and fashion learning. Apart from academic courses, their vocational courses and certificate courses are well-regarded too. At the same time, technology is evolving within the USA. Consequently, all its sectors like agriculture, finance, production and trade among others are flourishing alongside. When aspiring to study IT or Finance, the USA is an ideal choice.
Financial Aspects
The expenses start with college and visa applications. The university application could cost about 50 USD – 100 USD in the USA or 50 CAD – 250 CAD in Canada. Notably, this cost is applicable to each university one applies to. Moving ahead, the US student visa costs 160 USD with 350 USD as a SEVIS fee whereas the Canadian student visa costs 150 CAD. Further, there will be travel expenses.
The cost of education for a UG course is similar in both destinations. A BTech course in the USA could cost INR 26.98 Lakh or INR 21.92 Lakh per year in Canada. The postgrad programs could be higher in the USA. On the other hand, they could be shorter when studying in Canada. However, this varies as per the choice of program and university. The cost of living in the USA is INR 10.5 Lakh per year. That in Canada is INR 7.1 Lakh per year. Additionally, students can manage their finances by setting a budget or taking a part-time job. Exceptionally, the USA student visa doesn’t permit working during the course.
Career
After the completion of their courses, graduates can stay back in both these countries to gain practical knowledge. The USA offers them OPT with temporary employment permission of 12 months. Graduates also need an Employment Authorization Document to begin working in the USA. After at least 5 years of employment, they can also apply for the PR. Similarly, the Canadian Post Graduation Work Visa allows students to work post-study. Notably, this visa permits them to stay back for 3 years during which they can apply for the PR.
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