Australia vs Canada: Top Colleges, Cost, Funding, ROI

Canada and Australia are currently two of the most popular as well as prominent study abroad destinations among the international students. Australia is recognised as the most prominent place for students across the world. However, in recent years, most of the international students have shifted towards Canada in terms of their exemplary education and quality of life.

With the high quality of education and affordable tuition fees, Canada is gaining popularity for study abroad among the international students. In the year of 2021, around 7 lakhs international students have chosen Canada as their preferred choice for their studies. There are various types of colleges and universities in Canada that offer a range of courses for admissions to international students. Management and Science Courses are the most preferred degrees in Canada for international students.

Apart from Canada, Australia is also climbing in the ladder of study abroad destinations to reach the third pedestal. There has been a continuous rise in the population of international students looking to study in Australia since 2017. There are more than 1,100 institutions in Australia that provide a choice of over twenty thousand courses to choose from.

Admission Process

To get admission to any country, you first need to apply for the university of your choice and a student visa from the country. Most of the colleges and universities in both countries will open their application form on three different intakes: fall, winter or summer. There are different types of degrees offered at the universities and colleges of Canada and Australia. The master's degree program is of a duration of 1.5 to 2 years and the bachelor degree program can be completed within 4 years.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria for admissions to any of the programs varies from country to country. This is mostly determined in terms of the program a student wants to study. Since most of the colleges have the same eligibility criteria for admission that are standardized test scores of admissions along with the letter of recommendation, statement of purpose, reference, essays etc.

The universities of Canada necessitates the submissions of test scores such as GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS and the GPA test scores. The GPA and the language proficiency test scores are the most common test scores required at the universities of each country.

Costs of studying an undergraduate program in Canada vs Australia

International students who are studying in foreig universities have to bear different types of expenses such as tuition fees, application fees, living costs etc. This may include both post arrival as well as pre arrival costs of students. The application fees, registration fees, visa application fees come under the pre-arrival costs and other expenses such as tuition fees and living costs are post arrival costs.

Cost of studying a postgraduate program in Canada vs Australia

The cost of studying a postgraduate degree program in any study abroad destination is on a higher side as compared to the undergraduate degree program of the country. Post graduation is a highly respected degree in Canada and most of the universities in Canada provide admissions to a number of masters degree programs.

The costs of studying in universities in Canada is on the higher side with postgraduate students paying around 15,000 CAD to 45,000 CAD per year. On the other hand the expenses of an international student in Australia is significantly lower at around 18,000 to 22,000 AUD per year. Below we have discussed a comparison of different costs of a postgraduate students of both countries

For an international, the average cost of living in Australia is comparatively lower than the costs of studying in Canada.

Student Visa

The visa application process is quite simple and shorter, which encourages most of the international students to study in Canada. The Australian visa application is also as simple as a Canadian study permit. Below we have discussed about the visa application of both the countries.

Canada

The student visa of Canada is not as complicated as it is in other different countries. This country has a transparent as well as accessible visa policy for international students.

• The visa application processing time of an Indian students is around 11 weeks
• This is valid for the duration of the program and an additional 90 days.
• The application processing fees of a student visa in Canada is 150 CAD.

Some of the documents that are required in the visa permit are:

• An acceptance letter of admissions
• A valid passport size photograph
• Two recent passport size photograph
• Proof of your financial resources
• Statement of purpose

Australia

To study in Australian universities and colleges students will have to apply for a student visa. Most of the international students who want to pursue their education in Australia will have to apply for the Australian Student Visa Subclass. Some of the important points regarding the student visa are:

• The students can apply for the visa application through ImmiAccount
• The application fees for subclass 500 visas is around 630 CAD.
• Candidates will also be required to have sufficient funds.

Some of the documents that are needed for the Australian student visa are given below:

• An electronic enrollment certificate
• Genuine temporary entrant requirements
• The proof of sufficient funds.
• Language proficiency requirements
• Health and character requirements
• Submit OSHC

Post-graduate Work Visa

After completing post graduation education in countries, students will also have an option to apply for a work permit visa to find suitable employment opportunities and continue their stay in Canada. They also have the chance to lead a path towards a permanent residency once a candidate gets a suitable amount of work experience.

Canada

The post graduation work permit in Canada is a work permit for international students that allows candidates to work for any employer anywhere in Canada. Some of the points about the post graduate work visa are:

• The length of the work permit will depend upon the length of educational programs. The maximum duration is three years.
• The work permit is usually issued for the same length of time as the duration of the program.
• To become eligible for the work permit, candidates must be enrolled in a full time study program from a Designated Learning Institutes for at least 8 months of duration.

Australia

The post graduate work visa in Australia allows candidates to stay, work or look for a job in the country along with their studies. Some points of the Australian work permit visa are:

• The stay duration will depend upon the qualifications and region of the studies, that is between 18 months to 6 years.
• There are three different types of work visas for students in Australia that are Post-Study Work Stream, Graduate Work Stream and Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa.
• The Post study work visa is the most common visa for an international student and the Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa is for students who are enrolled in an engineering course.

Job Opportunities for Students - Canada & Australia

Both of the countries have a significant number of multinational companies that provide a number of career options to students. Canada is the most popular as it offers the highest paying jobs to overseas international students.

However, Australia is evolving into a big job market in the recent trends along with their education. On the other hand, Canada also provides a wide range of research opportunities and superior opportunities for international students to create a strong corporate network with the industries.

According to statistics, airlines, management, education, information technology and some of the highest paying jobs in Canada. Below we have compared the salary of some of the job fields of graduates of both the countries.

Also Check: Job Opportunities in Australia

Scholarships for International Students in Canada & Australia

Since the tuition fees of both countries' universities are cheaper than most of the other countries. However, getting financial aid or scholarships from the universities and colleges will help in managing the expense of education. Below we have given a list of some of the scholarships available for international students to make their education affordable in the country.

Best Cities for Students

Canada is one of the most recognised and popular study destinations across the world whereas Australia is counted as the top most abroad destinations among the international candidates for the higher education systems and students friendly cities. Below we have discussed the best cities for students in both countries Canada and Australia.

Australia

Australia is the home of seven best student cities in the world based on the QS World University Rankings of 2022. The country welcomes more than 3 lakhs international students around the world. The best cities of Australia boast to provide a comprehensive cultural environment to international candidates in terms of study diversity to employability rate. Some of the best ranked cities of Australia are

Canada

The cities of Canada are known for their natural beauty as well as the quality of education they offer to international students. According to the QS World Rankings, Montreal city is ranked at the number one position in terms of various factors such as safety, transportation, job opportunities, scholarships, and many more. Some of the best cities in canada are listed below:

Canada is the technology hub for students with its plethora of opportunities in the field whereas Australia is best known for fulfilling all the needs of students coming from all across the world. Technology as well as innovations are one of the prime focuses of the modern industrial worlds.

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