UK and Canada are both top study abroad destinations and should be on your mind if you are looking to pursue your higher education abroad. 

However, it gets tricky when you have to choose one country over the other as both the countries are known for world-class education, great standards of living, good post-study work rights, and an unforgettable abroad education experience. 

That being said, not both countries have everything in common. It all boils down to the smaller things like the food you get to the bigger things like the kind of education you receive. So, here’s it, 8 reasons why UK is better than Canada to pursue higher education. 

1) Better universities

Ok, first things first. So, let’s get the obvious out of the way. The UK has better and way more universities than Canada. While Canada has only 3 of its universities in the top 100 World University Rankings, UK has 4 of its universities in the top 10 and a whopping 18 universities in the top 100. The UK is second only to the USA in the number of universities under 100 globally. With world-renowned institutions like the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London and many more, UK has the best universities compared to Canada. 

2) Greater study visa approval rate in UK

In the year 2018, Canada saw a 39% refusal rate of study visas to international students. given this current situation in Canada, it has become the most difficult country to obtain a study visa among English-speaking countries. On the other hand, after the reinstatement of the UK’s 2-year study visa, the number of students interested in studying in the UK has skyrocketed. Over 30,000 Indian students were granted UK’s Tier-4 study visa for the year ending September 2019. This is a 90% success rate for issuing study visas, especially to Indian students. As the numbers speak for themselves, you have a better off chance of obtaining a study visa from UK than Canada. 

3) IELTS waiver available for UK

Whichever country you choose to study in will require you to prove your English Language Proficiency. It is done through language tests like TOEFL and PTE. The most popular of these language tests is the IELTS and is the only accepted language test in the UK. While taking IELTS is required to get into elite universities it is not mandatory for other universities. The IELTS test can be ‘waived off’ if you secure more than 70% marks in 12th grade in English subject and the medium of instruction in your last 4 years of study is English. That being said,  even if your IELTS test is waived off, you will need to have good English language communication to pass immigration after reaching the UK. 

4) Shorter course duration compared to Canada

UK universities are famous for their 1-year master’s degree. It offers the same value as any 2-year Masters degree around the world. In addition to being globally accepted, the shorter degree provides you a quicker entry into the job market at half the expense in terms of tuition fees and living expenses. 

Whereas Canada Masters degree is a regular 2-year course. 

5) Climate in the UK is much bearable than in Canada

Many people fear Canada for its extreme Arctic climatic conditions, whereas the UK’s climate is more of an assorted one with warm summers, chilly winters, and rain frequenting in all seasons. To put it simply, for us Indians, the UK climate is much more bearable than Canadas. Temperatures in the UK go as high as 32° C and the lowest reaches 0°C. However, in Canada, it gets as cold as -25°C, and due to this very reason, many people move away from Canada or not go there in the first place. 

6) Everyone speaks English in UK

Canada is a bilingual country with English and French being its official languages. However, most parts of Canada only speak French like Quebec for example. On the other hand, the de facto official language of the land of English is obviously English, with over 98% of the population speaking that language. This not only helps you in communicating easily with the locals but also improves your English language fluency. 

7) UK food is more comparable to Indian cuisine

One of the main gripes of having to study in a foreign country is to get used to the local foods. Our Indian palates are used to eating food consisting of various spices and flavors, so much that, local food from a foreign land will taste bland most of the time. While this is the case with food in Canada, it is not the same in the UK. As English cuisine is influenced by many of its colonial territories, especially South Asian, the taste is similar to our food. Did you know that Indian restaurants in the UK are a random thing and that the Chicken tikka masala is the national dish of UK. 

8) Overall value for UK education is more

On the whole, if you are contemplating to study in the UK or Canada, the primary thing to consider is the educational value it holds. While Canada is known for creating an easy pathway to permanent residency, UK is popular for the educational value it provides. It has an international reputation for providing research capabilities and generating a profitable Return on Investment (RoI) which is worth the expense made. Right from having innumerable options in choosing a course, to having networking opportunities to transition smoothly into a job, it has everything. 

If you still could not make up your mind in selecting a country to study abroad, you can always contact our Student Support Team to have all your queries cleared.