Education

British Columbia has a high-quality education system. From learning the basics to completing a Ph.D and building a career, B.C.’s educational system helps students find what they are looking for.

Kindergarten – Grade 12

British Columbia offers an education system with a strong focus on literacy, mathematics and science. There are about 650,000 full-time students enrolled in about 2,000 public and independent schools across the province.

The provincial Ministry of Education funds the system and sets the curriculum, requirements and standards. Schools and staffing are managed by 59 school districts and one French Education Authority.

Graduation certificates are awarded after students complete Grade 12.

The public education system is free for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and refugees. If you have not immigrated here but would like to study at British Columbia schools, find out more about being an International Student in B.C.

Students have the choice of studying at a public school, independent school, or at home. In order to graduate and receive a graduation certificate, all students must meet the provincial graduation requirements.

China, Egypt and India offer a B.C. high school curriculum. If you live in these countries and are thinking of immigrating to British Columbia, you might consider enrolling your children in one of these schools (PDF). This could help their transition into school or university once you move here.

Many public school districts have schools that offer distributed learning. This means that students are allowed to learn at a distance from their teacher, whether they are at home, school or another learning facility. If you are a Grade 10-12 student living in B.C., you can take one or all of your courses through distributed learning. LearnNow BC is a website that provides access to distributed learning schools and courses. This website also offers academic advising and tutoring services for students in B.C.

For more information about schooling in British Columbia, visit the parent and student sections of the Ministry of Education website.

Post-Secondary Education

British Columbia’s post-secondary system offers students a wide range of options to consider. With hundreds of public and private institutions, you can choose from small rural colleges and large urban campuses trades and academic programs that will help you build a career in B.C. Students can attend class full-time or part-time or even study from home by enrolling in an online program.

Universities

There are 11 universities in B.C. offering an array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Some also offer courses and programs in trades, vocational and career technical studies that can lead to a certificate or diploma or help you prepare for post-secondary studies. Some universities engage in original and applied research on a range of disciplines or applied research and scholarly activities to support their programming.

Colleges

Eleven colleges located all over British Columbia offer developmental programs that can help you prepare for post-secondary studies. They also offer courses and programs in trades, vocational, career, technical and academic studies that lead to certificates, diplomas, associate degrees and applied degrees.

Institutes

There are three institutes in B.C. that focus on career, vocational and technical specialties that cover a variety of occupations. They offer credentials from certificates to degrees and one institute has an Aboriginal focus.

English as a Second Language

English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are offered in British Columbia by both public and private post-secondary institutions. These classes provide language instruction at basic, intermediate and advanced levels to people whose first language is not English.

New immigrants and refugees may qualify for beginner-level ESL courses through the English Language Services for Adults program. For more information about this program, please visit the ELSA Net website.

To find out more about ESL programs offered at British Columbia public and private post-secondary institutions, contact the institution directly, or visit the Canada Language Council website or the Canadian Association of Private Language Schools website.

You can also find more information on the Ministry of Regional Economic and Skills Development website and the Languages Canada website.