Many students wonder about Canada or Australia which is a better study abroad destination. As both these countries are highly preferred by Indian and other international students for their superlative educational systems, public amenities and high quality of life, it’s a difficult decision to make choose one for higher education. Yet, there are several parameters that students can carefully assess before taking any final decision.
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Canada or Australia which is better for students- Key highlights
The Australia vs. Canada debate has been ongoing amongst students keen on pursuing higher education in either of these two countries. Coming to the core question, is Australia better than Canada? Here are some key aspects that you can note in this regard.
- Australia is one of the most popular global higher education destinations for international students with its top-rated universities and various programs with high global accreditation.
- Australia lacks language barriers while offering unique specializations in courses along with top course content in tandem with high-quality and enriching student life.
- Australia offers an extensive research-based opportunity for interested aspirants and several universities are actively engaged in pursuing research driven initiatives alongside. Post-study visas are offered for students wishing to experience the benefits of a diverse workplace environment and cutting-edge work ethic likewise.
- Canada is also one of the leading educational destinations globally. The country is friendly to visitors and quite open towards immigration as well. The student life in Canada is fun and enriching with immersive experiences and good work opportunities. The country has close to a hundred top-rated universities that offer well-known programs and courses including Business Analytics, Data Science, Nursing, Engineering, Psychology and Computer Science among others.
- Canada is known for its linguistic, religious and ethnic diversity and students may choose bilingual courses with options in French and English. International students are greatly encouraged by Canada in terms of financial aid and grants along with scholarships. It is ranked as one of the best countries to work and live in the whole world.
Read More: Study in Australia from India | Career Opportunities in Australia
Canada vs. Australia- Study
Which country is better Australia or Germany from an educational perspective? Here’s finding out.
Canada offers educational expertise in several disciplines such as Business Management, Nursing, Engineering, Media, Hospitality and Computer Science. Australia offers educational expertise in fields like Information Technology, Accounting, Education, Healthcare, MBA and Hotel Management.
Canada
UG courses require completion of 12 years of schooling; aspirants have to appear for the SAT and degree courses cover 4 years while 2-3 year diplomas are also available. PG courses require GMAT scores for management and GRE scores for engineering. Cut-offs are not applicable concepts for colleges in Canada. These institutions provide average scores acceptable for diverse online courses. You may have to take examinations like TOEFL and IELTS irrespective of your degree. Some colleges may not require these tests but they are advisable anyway for the visa.
Australia
UG courses require 12 years of pre-university learning. PG courses can be applied for after completing the three-year UG course. Engineering is a four year course at the UG level in Australia. Management aspirants will have to take GMAT while GRE is required for science based courses. Work experience may not be needed for management courses at some Australian courses. If you do not have work experience, you may have to get enrolled in a graduate diploma or certificate program likewise. IELTS or TOEFL may be exempted by some universities although they matter for obtaining visas.
These comparisons will help greatly in choosing between Canada v Australia.
Read More: Cost of studying in Canada for overseas students | Cost of studying in Australia
Canada vs. Australia- Job Opportunities
When talking of Canada vs. Australia for Indian students or other international students, taking a closer look at job opportunities is highly necessary. Here are some key aspects worth noting:
- Canada offers jobs in various fields such as program analyst, nurse practitioner, financial manager, teacher, pharmacist, construction manager and more.
- Australia offers jobs in various fields like medical services, education, computer system design, hospitality industry and accounting among other disciplines.
A key point to note here is that the concept of campus placements or on-campus recruitment drives is not applicable for foreign universities. Global students are expected to seek out jobs and internships on their own without direct university assistance.
Start Your Study Abroad Journey: Bachelors in Canada | Bachelors in Australia
Canada vs. Australia- Cost of Living
A detailed cost of living Canada vs. Australia index will help international and Indian students greatly. Some other pointers are worth mentioning in this regard.
- UG courses cost roughly $10,000 to $30,000 annually in Canada while they may cost somewhere around $15,000 to $33,000 annually in Australia for UG courses.
- Room and living expenditure for UG students is usually around $10,000-12,000 in Canada and $19,000-20,000 annually in Australia.
- Course duration is 4 and 3 years in Canada and Australia respectively.
- Total costs range between $20-42,000 per year in Canada and $34-53,000 per year in Australia.
- Keeping other costs same, tuition fees hover between $15-35,000 per year for PG courses in Canada and between $20-37,000 per year in Australia.
- Total costs for PG students thus hover between $25-47,000 annually in Canada while this is between $39-57,000 annually in Australia. This difference or comparison will help you work out how much you will require pursuing your studies in both countries.
Read More: Reduce bachelor’s cost abroad by 20 lakhs | Cut down master’s cost abroad by 20 lakhs | Countries with best education system | Study Abroad in affordable and efficient manner
Canada vs. Australia- Ease of application
In most cases, visa applications are slightly easier for Canada in spite of recent initiatives highlighting the need for fluency in French or English. Both countries have a process based on points and have a preferred list of skills. Canada has fewer sub-classes for visas and application assessment procedures that are slightly less stringent.
The Canadian Post Graduation Work Visa enables students graduating from any post-secondary institution to work after studying for a time period. However, it depends upon the duration of the course, subject to a maximum threshold of three years. Students may use this work permit to get employed in any industry or job field. Graduates who have completed Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees may apply for a two year after-study work visa. Other graduates may also have eligibility for applying for a sub-class 485 visa for 18 months via the graduate work stream as well. These are all crucial aspects that international students must make a note of before making a decision.
Canada vs. Australia- Permanent Residency
Canada enables applications for Permanent Residency during the period of the post graduation work permit under the Canadian Experience Class. Since the country has a lower population, there is shortage of skilled professionals. Getting a permanent residency is easier in Canada as compared to several other countries.
Getting a permanent residency permit in Australia is a lengthier procedure and immigration officials usually undertake extensive background checks on aspirants for ensuring that they are not fraudulent. Owing to a slightly complex procedure, the PR permit may require more time for approval in this case.
Read More: Study Abroad while preparing for IELTS | Prepare IELTS at home
Canada vs. Australia for Indian aspirants
Here are some points worth noting for Indian aspirants wishing to choose between Australia and Canada.
- Both countries rely on natural resources and mining and hence offer the highest-paid jobs for immigrants in various fields. There are some jobs which are superior in one country as compared to another. For example, nursing opportunities are superior in Canada in comparison to Australia. Canada is a slightly larger hub for manufacturing in comparison to Australia although the latter is hugely popular for its IT (Information Technology) sector and other fields of work. Blue collar wages are better in Canada while white collar wages are higher in Australia as per several reports.
- Costs of living are a little higher in Australia than Canada owing to taxes on housing. Housing is a little more affordable in Canada as compared to Australia. Regular living costs are also a little higher in Australia.
- Diversity-wise, both Canada and Australia have vast and hugely diverse populations although ethnicity factors are different. Canada has dominant populations of people from India, China, Sri Lanka and the Middle East while Australia has people from Lebanon, Thailand and Indonesia along with those from smaller South American or Central American communities.
- Getting permanent residency for Canada or Australia is based upon various eligibility criteria and aspects impacting future prospects of immigrants within the country of future residence including work experience, field/area of expertise, relations in the country and references.
- Skilled migrants should have work experience and qualifications assessed officially in Australia prior to applying, while the qualifications are only assessed in Canada. This is a key difference that international aspirants should make a note of.
- Canada has a slightly early assessment procedure while it is only advisory. In Australia, this assessment applies for all territories and States while formal acceptance of a qualification in a State does not guarantee acceptance in another State for Canada. Multiple such acceptances are required for immigrants looking to shift to various places. This is a key advantage for Australia.
- Education and healthcare systems are highly developed in both Canada and Australia. Getting access to Australia automatically means getting access to New Zealand too. Canada is the world capital of immigration with maximum people looking to settle in Quebec, Vancouver and Ontario.
- The employment rate is higher in Australia owing to the higher rate of participation for migrants. The higher migrant participation rate is linked to higher unemployment rate in Canada.
- You will have to wait for a couple of years to obtain social security benefits in Australia while Canada offers instant access to this much-needed facility.
- Canada is more community and family oriented in its lifestyles while Australia is more competitive by nature.
- Canada and Australia both have highly similar lifestyles. Both are diverse and secure countries. Australia is a laidback and relaxed country and quite welcoming, while Canada is also welcoming and simple enough for immigrants. Job opportunities are also quite similar in both these countries.
- Food and rentals are costlier in Australia in comparison to Canada, especially in the bigger cities. This should be a major factor in influencing Indian students. However, with the right program, you can save on costs greatly while also pursuing your educational dreams in Australia or even Canada.
Read More: Studying Abroad from home and earn credits in COVID | MIM v/s MBA Key Aspects
Important Exams to Study Abroad
Frequently Asked Questions on Canada or Australia Which is Better for Students
Q1.Which has lower cost of living- Canada or Australia?
Australia? A: Canada has lower costs of living than Australia, since the latter has higher housing taxes and slightly more expensive food and other miscellaneous expenses. Canada is slightly more affordable than Australia.
Q 2. What are the benefits of studying in Canada?
A: Canada is one of the foremost global educational tourism destinations. Canada welcomes visitors with an easier application procedure for visas and immigration policies. Student life is more fun and exciting along with offering high-quality and immersive experiences along with good job opportunities. It has almost a hundred highly accredited universities offering several courses including popular ones like Nursing, Engineering, Business Analytics, Computer Science, Data Science and Psychology among others. Canada has sizable religious, linguistic and ethnic diversity while students may also select bilingual courses. Global students can apply for varied scholarships and grants along with financial aid in Canada. It is ranked as one of the world’s best countries to live and work.
Q3. What are the benefits of studying in Australia?
A: Australia is one of the highly popular worldwide educational destinations for international students, courtesy of its highly rated universities and numerous courses and programs that have obtained global accreditation. Language barriers are not there in cosmopolitan and ethnically diverse Australia and there are unique specializations available for courses along with enriching student lifestyles. Australia has excellent opportunities for research and further studies with several universities actively pursuing research and encouraging skilled talents in these initiatives likewise. After-study visas are available for students who wish to work in a more diverse and top-rated work environment in Australia.
