[Exclusive] Best Cities For Students In Canada: The Definitive 2023 Ranking By HelloSafe
After a first edition in 2021, the HelloSafe ranking of the best student cities in Canada is back. Among the 47 cities ranked this year, Kingston (Ontario) is our new 2023 best student city in Canada, based on a set of 18 criteria combining academic excellence, student life, quality of life and attractiveness. Find out more about our 2023 ranking below.
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Rank: city.rank (city.evolutioncity.evolutioncity.evolution)
Final score: city.score
Kingston takes over from Sherbrooke as Canada's best student city for 2023!
After Sherbrooke in 2021, it is once again a medium-sized city that has taken the top spot on the HelloSafe 2023 ranking of the best student cities in Canada. Kingston (Ontario) has been named the best student city in Canada this year, after being ranked third two years ago. This is a great reward for this city whose university was ranked 6th this year in the prestigious MacLean's ranking this year.
Why did Kingston top the list of best student cities in Canada this year? Although it may come as a surprise, Kingston boasts a diverse set of strengths, which make it an ideal place to thrive as a student. These include:
- The excellence of its university, ranked 6th in the 2023 MacLean's ranking of the best Canadian universities, and accessible tuition fees
- With nearly 17% of students in the city and a diverse cultural and festive offer, Kingston offers a dynamic and varied student life
- Similarly, with its temperate climate, its preserved environment and easy access to nature, Kingston offers a very healthy living environment for studying.
Alexandre Desoutter, editor in chief for HelloSafe Canada :
"Kingston's rise to the top of the list of Canada's best student cities in 2023 will probably come as a surprise to many. I'm one of them! However, when looking a little bit deeper, Kingston is more than deserving of this first spot. If the city does not particularly shine in one or another category, it presents an overall balance that allows it to rank well everywhere, whether in terms of academic excellence, student life, living environment or attractiveness. We can also underline the good places of Montreal, Sherbrooke and Quebec City, which show that the Belle Province is more than ever a privileged destination for Canadian and international students. On behalf of the HelloSafe editorial team, I would like to congratulate the city of Kingston, its university, its students and all those whose contribution is essential to this excellent result".
HelloSafe ranking of the best cities for students in Canada: the definitive 2023 results
Discover below the complete 2023 HelloSafe ranking of the best student cities in Canada. If you have any questions about the methodology used, we invite you to consult the "Methodology" section at the bottom of this page.
| National rank | Cities | Province | Final score | Evolution (vs. 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingston | Ontario | 152 | +2 |
| 2 | Montreal | Quebec | 144 | = |
| 3 | Vancouver | British Columbia | 143 | +4 |
| 4 | Sherbrooke | Quebec | 139 | -3 |
| 5 | Calgary | Alberta | 135 | +4 |
| 6 | Edmonton | Alberta | 134 | = |
| 7 | Quebec City | Quebec | 133 | -3 |
| 8 | St. John's | Newfoundland and L. | 132 | +4 |
| 9 | Hamilton | Ontario | 131 | +1 |
| 10 | Toronto | Ontario | 130 | -5 |
| 11 | Ottawa | Ontario | 128 | +2 |
| 12 | Guelph | Ontario | 127 | +5 |
| 13 | Winnipeg | Manitoba | 126 | +7 |
| 14 | Waterloo | Ontario | 125 | -3 |
| 15 | Burnaby | British Columbia | 123 | +4 |
| 16 | London | Ontario | 117 | -3 |
| 17 | Surrey | British Columbia | 116 | -1 |
| 18 | Trois-Rivières | Quebec | 114 | -10 |
| 19 | Saint Catharines | Ontario | 113 | -6 |
| 20 | Victoria | British Columbia | 112 | +7 |
| 21 | Halifax | Nova Scotia | 108 | -1 |
| 22 | Windsor | Ontario | 105 | +3 |
| 23 | Nanaimo | British Columbia | 103 | -6 |
| 24 | Lethbridge | Alberta | 102 | +2 |
| 25 | Abbotsford | British Columbia | 99 | -4 |
| 26 | Kamloops | British Columbia | 98 | +1 |
| 27 | Peterborough | Ontario | 98 | +4 |
| 28 | Saskatoon | Saskatchewan | 98 | +3 |
| 29 | Sudbury | Ontario | 95 | +5 |
| 30 | Thunder Bay | Ontario | 94 | +10 |
| 31 | Gatineau | Quebec | 92 | -7 |
| 32 | Moncton | New Brunswick | 92 | +2 |
| 33 | Fredericton | New Brunswick | 91 | +3 |
| 34 | Regina | Saskatchewan | 90 | +3 |
| 35 | North Bay | Ontario | 88 | +5 |
| 36 | Chicoutimi | Quebec | 87 | -13 |
| 37 | Brandon | Manitoba | 86 | = |
| 38 | Prince George | British Columbia | 83 | +9 |
| 39 | Oshawa | Ontario | 82 | -8 |
| 40 | Rimouski | Quebec | 81 | -11 |
| 41 | Rouyn Noranda | Quebec | 80 | -11 |
| 42 | Sackville | New Brunswick | 80 | +1 |
| 43 | Wolfville | Nova Scotia | 80 | +2 |
| 44 | Sault Ste Marie | Ontario | 75 | +4 |
| 46 | Charlottetown | Prince Edward I. | 74 | -1 |
| 45 | Sydney | Nova Scotia | 74 | -1 |
| 47 | Antigonish | Nova Scotia | 72 | -10 |
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Montreal ranks as the best Canadian city for students in the "Excellence" category
The "Excellence" category recognizes the quality of the academic and educational offerings in each city. Thus, the position of each university in MacLean's ranking of the best universities is a very important criterion. The tuition fees charged and the diversity of the academic offer proposed by the cities are also taken into account.
For the second edition in a row, Montreal wins the first position in this "Academic Excellence" category. Indeed, the city can count on a very diversified academic offer, relatively modest tuition fees on a national scale, and its universities rank very well in the MacLean's 2023 ranking. Hamilton (2nd) and Kingston (3rd) are among the top-ranked universities in this category this year.
Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton are the Canadian cities ranking best for their student life
The "Student Life" category aims to measure everything that makes a student have a pleasant life in a city. Thus, this category includes criteria such as the total number of students in the city and the proportion they represent in the population, but also the density of the cultural offer as well as the presence of leisure places (bars, cafés and nightclubs in particular).
This year, the top 10 Canadian cities offering the best student life include many big cities, often better endowed in terms of places to go out and cultural offerings, and which have large student populations. Thus:
- Montréal, with its 7 universities, its nearly 200,000 students and its offer of cultural and festive outings that needs no introduction, takes first place in this category
- Following are Toronto (2nd), Edmonton (3rd) and Vancouver (4th), which also offer very friendly conditions to the development of student life.
Sherbrooke, the best Canadian city for students in the "Quality of life" category
The "Quality of life" category evaluates the quality of living conditions offered by different Canadian cities to their students. This category takes into account criteria related to housing accessibility, air quality, climate and environmental conditions, access to nature and the size of the city.
This year, Sherbrooke stands out as the best Canadian city for the living environment offered to its students. In fact, Sherbrooke has significant assets in this area, including:
- Relatively inexpensive access to housing, with an average studio rental price below $800 in January 2023
- Easy access to nature inside and near the city, a relatively mild climate and good environmental conditions
- A medium-sized city, which brings its students real dynamism without the inconvenience specific to large cities.
Ottawa, the n°1 city for students in Canada in the "Attractiveness" category
The "Attractiveness" criterion aims to measure the economic opportunities that a city can offer to a population of students who will find themselves on the job market tomorrow. This category takes into account criteria such as the city's proximity to large urban areas that offer employment opportunities, the city's accessibility and its presence within a transportation network, as well as reference economic indicators such as the city's unemployment rate and average household income.
This year, the federal capital Ottawa comes first in this "attractiveness" category, ahead of Victoria and Kingston. Indeed, Ottawa has many assets that play in its favor, such as:
- Its geographical location at the heart of a dense and dynamic economic area, at the crossroads of Quebec and Ontario
- An average salary per household above $100,000 and an unemployment rate below 4.5% in January 2023
- Because of its capital location, access to a range of institutions and public and private employers.
What are the best cities to study in Ontario?
This year, 15 Ontarian cities rank among the 47 best cities to study in Canada. Here are the details of how they rank overall and in each category:
| Cities | National rank | Final score | Evolution (vs. 2021) | Rank for "Attractiveness" | Rank for "Quality of life" | Rank for "Student life" | Rank for "Excellence" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston | 1 | 152 | +2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Hamilton | 9 | 131 | +1 | 18 | 31 | 12 | 2 |
| Toronto | 10 | 130 | -5 | 11 | 47 | 2 | 9 |
| Ottawa | 11 | 128 | +2 | 1 | 45 | 7 | 16 |
| Guelph | 12 | 127 | +5 | 13 | 28 | 17 | 7 |
| Waterloo | 14 | 125 | -3 | 5 | 46 | 16 | 14 |
| London | 16 | 117 | -3 | 9 | 44 | 19 | 11 |
| Saint Catharines | 19 | 113 | -6 | 10 | 37 | 22 | 18 |
| Windsor | 22 | 105 | +3 | 22 | 27 | 25 | 25 |
| Peterborough | 27 | 98 | +4 | 19 | 32 | 43 | 20 |
| Sudbury | 29 | 95 | +5 | 34 | 21 | 26 | 31 |
| Thunder Bay | 30 | 94 | +10 | 42 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| North Bay | 35 | 88 | +5 | 30 | 22 | 38 | 28 |
| Oshawa | 39 | 82 | -8 | 15 | 40 | 46 | 43 |
| Sault Ste Marie | 44 | 75 | +4 | 32 | 38 | 47 | 40 |
What are the best cities to study in BC?
This year, 8 British Columbian cities rank among the 47 best cities to study in Canada. Here are the details of how they rank overall and in each category:
| Cities | National rank | Final score | Evolution (vs. 2021) | Rank for "Attractiveness" | Rank for "Quality of life" | Rank for "Student life" | Rank for "Excellence" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | 3 | 143 | +4 | 4 | 26 | 4 | 4 |
| Burnaby | 15 | 123 | +4 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 5 |
| Surrey | 17 | 116 | -1 | 20 | 9 | 14 | 34 |
| Victoria | 20 | 112 | +7 | 2 | 42 | 31 | 15 |
| Nanaimo | 23 | 103 | -6 | 14 | 10 | 33 | 30 |
| Abbotsford | 25 | 99 | -4 | 21 | 12 | 21 | 45 |
| Kamloops | 26 | 98 | +1 | 33 | 7 | 30 | 27 |
| Prince George | 38 | 83 | +9 | 39 | 41 | 44 | 21 |
What are the best cities to study in Quebec?
This year, 8 Quebec cities rank among the 47 best cities to study in Canada. Here are the details of how they rank overall and in each category:
| Cities | National rank | Final score | Evolution (vs. 2021) | Rank for "Attractiveness" | Rank for "Quality of life" | Rank for "Student life" | Rank for "Excellence" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montréal | 2 | 144 | = | 6 | 35 | 1 | 1 |
| Sherbrooke | 4 | 139 | -3 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 17 |
| Québec Ville | 7 | 133 | -3 | 7 | 29 | 13 | 10 |
| Trois-Rivières | 18 | 114 | -10 | 29 | 3 | 11 | 41 |
| Gatineau | 31 | 92 | -7 | 17 | 39 | 28 | 36 |
| Chicoutimi | 36 | 87 | -13 | 37 | 4 | 37 | 35 |
| Rimouski | 40 | 81 | -11 | 41 | 8 | 39 | 37 |
| Rouyn Noranda | 41 | 80 | -11 | 38 | 14 | 45 | 38 |
What are the best cities to study in the Atlantic provinces?
This year, 8 cities from the Atlantic provinces rank among the 47 best cities to study in Canada. Here are the details of how they rank overall and in each category:
| Cities | National rank | Final score | Evolution (vs. 2021) | Rank for "Attractiveness" | Rank for "Quality of life" | Rank for "Student life" | Rank for "Excellence" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's | 8 | 132 | +4 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 8 |
| Halifax | 21 | 108 | -1 | 28 | 34 | 6 | 26 |
| Moncton | 32 | 92 | +2 | 40 | 13 | 27 | 29 |
| Fredericton | 33 | 91 | +3 | 23 | 20 | 35 | 33 |
| Sackville | 42 | 80 | +1 | 46 | 17 | 29 | 39 |
| Wolfville | 43 | 80 | +2 | 45 | 11 | 34 | 42 |
| Charlottetown | 46 | 74 | -1 | 36 | 30 | 36 | 46 |
| Sydney | 45 | 74 | -1 | 43 | 16 | 40 | 47 |
| Antigonish | 47 | 72 | -10 | 47 | 6 | 32 | 44 |
What are the best cities to study in the Prairies?
This year, 7 cities from the Prairies rank among the 47 best cities to study in Canada. Here is the details of how they rank overall and in each category:
| Cities | National rank | Final score | Evolution (vs. 2021) | Rank for "Attractiveness" | Rank for "Quality of life" | Rank for "Student life" | Rank for "Excellence" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | 5 | 135 | +4 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 13 |
| Edmonton | 6 | 134 | = | 12 | 33 | 3 | 6 |
| Winnipeg | 13 | 126 | +7 | 27 | 23 | 15 | 12 |
| Lethbridge | 24 | 102 | +2 | 24 | 2 | 42 | 23 |
| Saskatoon | 28 | 98 | +3 | 35 | 43 | 20 | 22 |
| Regina | 34 | 90 | +3 | 31 | 36 | 23 | 32 |
| Brandon | 37 | 86 | = | 44 | 25 | 41 | 19 |
Our Methodology
To establish the ranking of the best student cities in Canada, we applied a set of 4 categories of criteria, divided into 16 sub-criteria, all established upon expert sources. To measure each criteria, we established factors that categorize them, following their relative importance on what defines a good city for students. Each category is rated on 50 points, so the final grade is out of 200. The selection of these criteria and their weighting are largely inspired by the methodological criteria used for similar rankings in European countries. Find below the whole list of criteria applied in the elaboration of this ranking.
Criteria "Quality of life":
- Factor n°1: Monthly cost for the rental of a studio in the city center in January 2023. Source: Numbeo
- Factor n°2: The number of inhabitants, which influences the dynamism of a city. Source: United Nations Organization
- Factor n°3: The access to nature i.e. the number of parks/green spaces and hikes. Source: All trails
- Factor n°4: The climate: we applied an average of the global temperatures within a year. Source: National Centers for Environmental Information
- Factor n°5: The air quality and the environmental contamination. Source: AQI Index
Criteria "Attractiveness":
- Factor n°1: Number of big cities (more than 500,000 inhabitants) in a radius of 500 kms.
- Factor n°2: Accessibility by road, train and plane (presence of an airport in/close to the city).
- Factor n°3: Unemployment rate in January 2023. Source: Statistics Canada
- Factor n°4: Average household income per city in January 2023. Source: Statistics Canada
Criteria "Quality of student life":
- Factor n°1: Number of students within the city. Source: universities' websites
- Factor n°2: The proportion of students within the total population of the city.
- Factor n°3: Number of bars/restaurants in a radius of 10 kms within the city.
- Factor n°4: The cultural offer i.e. the number of museums/cinemas/events in a radius of 10 kms within the city.
Criteria "Academic excellence and cost of studying":
- Factor n°1: Number of universities within the city. Source: universities' websites
- Factor n°2: University fees for the fall term in 2022-2023. Source: Statistics Canada
- Factor n°3: The academic ranking by "reputation" from McLean's for the year 2023. Source: McLean's
About HelloSafe Canada
HelloSafe is a leading platform for comparing financial products (insurance, credit, investments) in Canada. Powered by its unique and powerful technology, HelloSafe provides users with dozens of free and anonymous comparison tools, calculators and expert, up-to-date content. Its platform empowers users to make the best decisions for their wallets and find the right products at the right prices for them.
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