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Study in Canada

Your guide to studying in Victoria, Canada

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  • 5 min
  • Published: 25 July 2024
  • Updated: 14 December 2021

Know why Victoria is one of the cheapest Canadian city to study in

Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, is popularly tagged as the City of Gardens and one of the top 15 friendliest cities in the world. It is a clean, quiet and medium-sized city with a population of 350,000. Victoria is a world-famous and year-round tourist destination located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island that offers an unlimited array of things to see and experience along with exemplary opportunities to study and learn about Canadian culture. Victoria is considered one of the most desirable places to live in Canada. Its climate is the mildest in Canada, and Victoria receives 60% less rain than Vancouver, which is an hour away from the provincial capital and can be reached by scenic ferry ride or by air.

What does Victoria offer to international students?

Here’s what Victoria offers to international students:

  • Two renowned universities and a college: University of Victoria, Royal Roads University, Camosun College

  • International students can enjoy numerous Victorian gardens, excellent IMAX theatre, and whale watching or go for a food hunt and take a taste of the Victorian Food Tour, history and arts enthusiasts can pay a visit to Royal BC Museum and Victorian Arts Gallery

  • Victorians are outdoor activity enthusiasts and love to golf, cycle, take up hiking, cycling and sailing throughout the year, owing to its mild climate

Did you know? The unemployment rate in Victoria is only 4.3% and it gets over 1 million tourists in a year! Victoria is a great place to find part-time jobs with Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail, Education, Public Administration and Professional Services being its core industries.

Fun fact about Victoria

  • Victoria is well-known for its gardens and flowers which get counted annually since the 1970s. The total number of flowers counted last year was over 3.4 billion

  • Victoria also ranks among one of the top 15 friendliest cities in the world and has been called the most romantic city in Canada

  • Victoria is one of the most favourable biking cities in Canada, with dedicated biking lanes all across the urban environment, with the world’s known trails such as Galloping Goose Trail, Seaside Loop and Lochside Trail

  • Strong support for all things local: Vancouver Island has over 2,800 farms, with nearly 1,000 in the Greater Victoria Region and 700 in the Cowichan Valley

Average living cost in Victoria, British Columbia

  • The cost of living in Victoria is approx. CAD 2,500 per month for a single occupant for 1 bedroom apartment, which on a sharing basis amongst 2, drops down to CAD 1,500 per month. Despite the higher living cost than some cities, Victoria can still be called an affordable city for international students as international students easily make up to CAD 35,000 a year at an average income of CAD 22.43 per hour.

Did you know? Average annual tuition fees: The average tuition fees for international students to pursue their diplomas is approx. CAD 16,000; bachelor’s degree is approx. CAD 22,000*, while for master’s degree it may range between CAD 35,000 to CAD 50,000*.

Popular programs available in Victoria’s institutions

Institutions in Victoria offer courses like Hospitality Management, Culinary Management, Master in Tourism Management, Master in Global Management, Dental Hygiene, Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, and Bachelor of International Hotel Management/ Global Tourism Management/ Environmental Science.

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