Why BC, Canada?

With British Columbia’s (BC) international reputation for top-quality public schools, safe and vibrant cities, a stunning natural environment, and unrivaled recreational opportunities, visiting international students receive an experience of a lifetime.

Studying in Canada at a BC public school, whether starting in Kindergarten or graduating in Grade 12, brings great rewards: an excellent education, a chance to understand Canadian culture, and the opportunity to learn English in a friendly environment.

Set between the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Rocky Mountains in the east, BC is Canada’s westernmost province, the gateway to Canada. BC boasts a wide variety of geography from seashores to mountains to forest in its 944,735 km2 of varied terrain.

BC is Canada’s third most populated province. In all, 5.1 million people live in cities, towns and villages across six major regions. BC’s diverse landscapes shape our people and culture. From massive mountain ranges and windswept beaches to rainforests overflowing with life, there is a unique beauty and advantages to each region and there are IPSEA school districts in all regions that host international students.

Learn more about why to study in Canada and the regions of BC and the IPSEA school districts from the Where in BC? page.

The Canadian education system consistently ranks as one of the top in the world.  Canada’s young people are well-prepared to meet the challenges of developing skills that will help them flourish in the future.

Why study in Canada? Education is very important to Canadians and the country is one of the leaders in education spending (as a percentage of GDP) among the G8 countries. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) recently released information on student assessment with Canadian students ranking consistently high for reading, mathematics, and science of 65 countries.

British Columbia’s public education system is among the most respected in the world, which is reflected in the number of international students studying in our Province. Each year more than 100,000 international students come to live in our communities and study in our province. They are enrolled from Kindergarten to University.

Schools in Canada typically begins with Kindergarten at the age of five and continues from Grades 1 through Grade 12, when students graduate. The school year usually begins in September and end in June. It is often possible for International students to begin mid-year in February.

Choose a program to study in Canada at BC Schools.