Primary and Secondary (K-12) Education

BC is the number one destination in Canada for international students in elementary and secondary (K-12) education. The province has an exceptional public education system and K-12 students consistently rank among the best in the world according to achievement tests such as the *OECD PISA test results. Both the public school districts and independent schools across the province have a long history of welcoming and supporting international students for short-term study, specialized summer camps, and longer term studies culminating in the BC graduation certificate (Dogwood diploma). Both public and independent schools may also offer enriched curricula options, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) or Advanced Placement (AP).

There are sixty public school districts in BC that offer students the chance to study in large urban centres, small cities and towns, and beautiful rural areas. Independent schools are also located throughout the province and provide day programs as well as boarding options. Both public and independent schools are inspected and approved by the BC Ministry of Education.

* PISA is the Programme for International Student Assessment. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) began administering PISA in the mid-1990s, responding to member countries’ demands for regular and reliable data on the knowledge and skills of their students and the performance of their education systems. Find out more on the last page of this guide.

BC Ministry of Education
www.gov.bc.ca/bced

International Public School Education Association (IPSEA)
www.studyinbc.org

Federation of Independent Schools Association (FISA)
www.fisabc.ca

Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)
www.cais.ca

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
www.pisa.oecd.org

Note about 'Find a School Map':

The names of school districts represented in the 'Find a School' map are sourced from the BC Ministry of Education school district directory. Available images are sourced from Canada’s Pacific Gateway International Education Directory. Please be aware that BCCIE will be in contact with your designated marketing/recruitment contact to identify how you would like to be represented on this map.

Post-Secondary Education

BC’s post-secondary education system is known around the world for the incredible choice and flexibility it offers students. Our outstanding and seamless transfer system allows students to move from one institution to another without losing credits. BC’s major research universities rank among the best in the world and our regionally based teaching universities rank each year among the best in Canada. BC’s colleges and institutes use a model emulated broadly in terms of diversity and quality of offerings. Studying in BC’s post-secondary system allows students to choose from the following types of institutions and programs:

Universities offer four-year undergraduate degrees and are located throughout the province, in both large cities and smaller regional centres. By choosing a smaller teaching university, students can in most cases transfer to a larger research university to complete their degree.  Research universities also offer you a range of graduate degree programs at both the Masters and PhD levels.

Community colleges and Institutes offer programs that prepare adult learners for further post-secondary studies and provide courses and programs in trades, vocational, career technical, and academic studies leading to certificates, diplomas, associate degrees and applied degrees.  Many community college programs also allow students to transfer into university programs to complete an undergraduate degree.

Education Planner: Explore Your Post-Secondary Options in BC
www.educationplanner.ca

BC: Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development
www.gov.bc.ca/aved

LearnLive BC
www.learnlivebc.ca

Private Career Colleges

BC also offers international students a wide range of privately-operated career colleges. These colleges and institutions generally offer shorter-term, career-focused certificate programs in specific areas of study. In BC, career colleges and training institutions register with the province through the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) and may seek voluntary accreditation through the same body.

Private Career Training Institutions Agency of BC (PCTIA)
www.pctia.bc.ca

English Language Programs

English as a Second Language (ESL) training is critical for many international students, and BC is the preferred destination for international students choosing Canada for ESL study. BC offers an exhaustive range of ESL programs throughout the province, from short one-week programs to extended academic and business English programs. In many cases English training may be combined with academic study through a single institution or through two institutions by way of a pathway program. Students may choose to complete their English language study through one of BC’s public post-secondary institutions (university or college) or through one of the many recognized private language schools throughout the province.

Languages Canada
www.languagescanada.ca