4.1 British Columbia is home to more than 200,000 international students.
Our high-quality education, friendly and diverse society, and outdoor lifestyle make BC an attractive study destination. Communities in BC are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse, with immigrants accounting for approximately 28% of the population. An additional 6% of BC’s population is made up of Indigenous people, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.
English is the primary language spoken in British Columbia. However, the province is home to a rich diversity of languages, including Cantonese, Mandarin, Punjabi, German, Italian, French, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Farsi, and many Indigenous languages. The people of BC, as in the rest of Canada, are friendly and welcoming.
4.2 We have one of the world’s top 100 universities
Established in 1908, BC’s oldest university, The University of British Columbia (UBC), counts eight Nobel prize winners and three Canadian Prime Ministers as alumni, and is one of the top 100 universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025.
4.3 B.C.’s Transfer System
BC is a leader in Canada and the world in offering a flexible education system at the post-secondary level. A student can start at a college or a public institute and transfer to any BC university afterwards. BC’s seamless transfer system allows students to move from one institution to another and to get credit for previous coursework.
Benefits
By allowing students to begin their studies at a less expensive college and then transfer those credits to a larger university
Allows students to pursue a career in one field, and change part-way through without losing their full credit load
By allowing students to transfer to schools around BC and experience different programs that fit their needs
BCTransferGuide.ca and EducationPlanner.ca
BCCAT maintains the BC Transfer Guide, which publishes transfer agreements between members of the BC Transfer System. BCCAT also manages Education Planner, which provides program and admission information for post-secondary institutions in BC.
BC’s post-secondary institutions offer a variety of programs, and transfer opens up new possibilities for accessing these programs. For example, if a student does not meet the admission requirements for entering a BC university directly, they may be eligible to apply for admission later as a transfer student. Students can complete up to two years of credit and transfer to a university to finish their degree
Students can also transfer between non-degree programs. For example, you may start a Business Diploma at one college and finish it at another. Or you can take distance education courses from a variety of places, and transfer the credits back to your “home” institution
Beginning your studies at a college offers many advantages. Colleges are close to home, class sizes are smaller, tuition fees are more affordable, and the quality of education is excellent.
For more information about transferring between institutions in BC, visit the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT).
4.4 Education Quality Assurance
BC is the first province in Canada to provide students with a globally recognized seal of quality for post-secondary education, the Education Quality Assurance (EQA) designation. Students choosing an institution with an EQA designation can be assured that it has met or exceeded government quality assurance standards and offers consumer protection.
Source: Study in BC – Facts about Studying in BC for Students
