MONTREAL 鈥� Quebec wants to cut the number of international students in the province, and has singled out private colleges that it says are using education as a "business model to sell Quebec and Canadian citizenship."
But federal and provincial data shows a recent rise in foreign students at colleges and francophone universities that seems to be aligned with Quebec's policy of attracting francophone students, especially in the regions. Enrolment at unsubsidized private colleges, meanwhile, has cratered.
Here are some numbers on international students in Quebec, from federal and provincial data:
Top 5 universities for international students in 2023
McGill University 鈥� 10,783
Concordia University 鈥� 8,669
Universit茅 de Montr茅al 鈥� 7,061
Universit茅 Laval 鈥� 5,736
Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Montr茅al 鈥� 4,373
Universities with the biggest increase in study permits between 2022 and 2023
Universit茅 du Qu茅bec en Outaouais 鈥� 1,665 students in 2023, an increase of 1,160
Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Chicoutimi 鈥� 3,020 in 2023, an increase of 1,120
Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Trois-Rivi猫res 鈥� 2,760 in 2023, an increase of 900
Universit茅 Laval 鈥� 4,590 in 2023, an increase of 880
Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Rimouski 鈥� 1,505 in 2023, an increase of 820
C脡GEPs with the biggest increase in study permits between 2022 and 2023
C脡GEP de Trois-Rivi猫res 鈥� 345 permits in 2023, an increase of 175
C脡GEP de Jonqui猫re 鈥� 345 in 2023, an increase of 165
C脡GEP de l鈥橝bitibi-T茅miscamingue 鈥� 245 in 2023, an increase of 135
C脡GEP Limoilou 鈥� 300 in 2023, an increase of 125
C脡GEP de Granby 鈥� 170 in 2023, an increase of 115
Private subsidized colleges with the biggest increase in study permits between 2022 and 2023
Institut Teccart 鈥� 2,235 permits in 2023, an increase of 1,345
Coll猫ge Ellis, campus de Trois-Rivi猫res 鈥� 1,140 in 2023, an increase of 1,015
Coll猫ge Sup茅rieur de Montr茅al 鈥� 1,320 in 2023, an increase of 760
Coll猫ge Universel 鈥� 720 in 2023, an increase of 535
Coll猫ge LaSalle 鈥� 1,465 in 2023, an increase of 535
Private unsubsidized college enrolment
2020 鈥� 19,225
2021 鈥� 12,854
2022 鈥� 7,765
2023 鈥� 1,370
Countries that saw the biggest increase in study permits between 2022 and 2023
Algeria 鈥� 5,875 permits in 2023, an increase of 2,315
Guinea 鈥� 2,810 in 2023, an increase of 1,995
C么te d鈥橧voire 鈥� 3,010 in 2023, an increase of 1,830
Cameroon 鈥� 3,225 in 2023, an increase of 1,740
Senegal 鈥� 3,025 in 2023, an increase of 1,575
Post-secondary institutions with the most asylum claims in 2024
Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Chicoutimi 鈥� 300
Coll猫ge Ellis, campus de Trois-Rivi猫res 鈥� 255
Universit茅 Laval 鈥� 215
Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Trois-Rivi猫res 鈥� 200
Universit茅 du Qu茅bec en Outaouais 鈥� 190
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2024.
Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
