University of Toronto officials said the enrollment of students from the United States for this fall had doubled from last school year,
with a “yield” — the percentage of accepted students who commit to attend — of 25 percent compared with about 20 percent last year.
Enrollment of international students will be sharply higher, universities say,
and the incoming freshmen include large numbers of high school students from the United States.
But Canadian university officials say the early numbers suggest
that Canada will be educating many more international students than ever this fall, particularly from the United States.
While plenty of students who have chosen Canada for higher education cite the political climate in the United States, admissions officers
and students say economics remains the main motivation.
Tuition at Canadian colleges is generally lower than at comparable universities in the United
States, even though students from outside Canada pay a higher rate than locals do.
Also, the Canadian currency’s weakness relative to the United States dollar gives students headed to Canada an instant discount of about 26 percent.
B.C., I will be right in a city, at a very large university, right on the ocean, an hour from Whistler,” she said in an email, referring to the
popular Canadian ski resort, “and I will be paying almost the same amount as my in-state tuition without factoring in any financial aid yet.”
Besides the cost and the political climate, students also say they were attracted by
affordable health care, relative safety and a more relaxed atmosphere in Canada.