Education and research
Each year, over 20 000 foreign students register at Québec’s schools, colleges and universities, mostly at the university level.
Education is of primary importance in Québec. Its education system is one of the most highly developed and effective in North America. Education costs in Québec are extremely competitive, but degrees from a Québec university are universally recognized and give foreign students access to key jobs around the world. Several post-secondary institutions have gained an international profile, and some are affiliated with major research centres.
For students, the advantages of studying in Québec include:
- being able to take college and university level courses in French-language or English-language institutions;
- paying some of the lowest tuition fees for foreign students in North America;
- taking advantage of the student exchange programs of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (CREPUQ, the conference of Québec university rectors and principals);
- having access to hundreds of bilateral agreements between universities in Québec and abroad concerning study periods, internships, research projects, joint research publication, etc.;
- taking advantage of the extra tuition fee exemption program for some foreign students;
- gaining access to the scholarships offered to foreign students and interns for study in Canada;
- living in one of the safest societies in the world, with some of the lowest housing costs in North America.
