Information on key aspects of a country’s education system, including governance, instructional language, and other structural features defined by national or regional regulations.
Ministry Responsible
Language of Instruction
Academic Calendar
The principal quality assurance and accreditation bodies.
| No. | Quality Assurance and Accreditation Body | Institution Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provincial and territorial governments | All postsecondary institutions (required to operate and grant degrees) |
| 2 | Universities Canada | Universities Canada membership often considered an unofficial form of accreditation for universities |
| No. | Institution Type | Entrance Examination | Administering Body |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Undergraduate programs | American College Testing (ACT) | ACT (American College Testing) |
| 2 | Undergraduate programs | Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) | College Board |
| 3 | Many graduate programs (particularly MA, MS, and PhD programs) | Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) | ETS (Educational Testing Service) |
| 4 | MBA and other graduate-level business programs | Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) | GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) |
| 5 | Law schools | Law School Admission Test (LSAT) | LSAC (Law School Admissions Council) |
| 6 | Medical schools | Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) | AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) |
Types and number of officially recognized institutions providing secondary education.
| No. | Institution Type | Number of Institutions | Qualifications Offered | Quality Assurance and Accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Universities (public and private) | 223 (98 members of Universities Canada as of 2026) |
|
Varies by province/territory |
| 2 | Public colleges, institutes, and polytechnics (including colleges d’enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEPs) [Quebec]) |
213 |
|
Varies by province/territory |
| 3 | Private colleges | 245 (2021) |
|
Varies by province/territory |
Source: Directory of Educational Institutions in Canada, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)
Not all awards or study patterns are included.
| No. | Degree Name | Admissions Requirements | Length of Program | Graduation Requirements | Post-graduation Pathways |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) Diploma of College Studies (DCS) [Quebec] |
|
2 years |
|
Access to:
|
| 2 | Associate degree [British Columbia] |
|
2 years |
|
Access to:
|
| 3 | Bachelor’s degree Baccalauréat |
|
3 to 4 years |
|
Access to:
|
| 4 | Graduate Diploma (GD) Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées (DESS, Specialized graduate diploma) [Quebec] |
|
1 semester to 1 year |
|
Access to:
|
| 5 | Master’s degree Maîtrise |
|
1 to 2 years (occasionally 3 years) |
|
Access to:
|
| 6 | Doctoral degree Doctorat |
|
4 to 6 years typically |
|
Access to:
|
| 7 | Doctor of Medicine (MD) Diplôme de médecine (MD) |
|
4 years Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination 2- to 7-year residency (varies by specialty) |
|
To practice, medical students typically need to:
|
| 8 | Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) Doctor of Dental Medicine (DDM) Doctorat en médecine dentaire (DMD) |
|
4 years |
|
To practice, dental school graduates must:
|
| 9 | Juris Doctor (JD) degree [all provinces except Quebec] |
|
3 years |
|
To practice, graduates must:
|
| 10 | Baccalauréat en droit (LLB, Bachelor of Laws) Licence en droit (LLL, Licentiate in Law degree) [Quebec and the University of Ottawa] |
|
3 years |
|
To practice in Quebec, LLB or LLL graduates must complete the licensure process, which includes:
|
| 11 | Master of Laws (LLM) |
|
1 to 2 years |
|
Access to:
|
Not all awards or study patterns are included.
| No. | Degree Name | Admissions Requirements | Length of Program | Graduation Requirements | Post-graduation Pathways |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Certificate Certificat |
High school diploma or equivalent | 1 year or less |
|
Access to:
|
| 2 | Attestation d’études collégiales (AEC) Attestation of College Studies (ACS) [Quebec] |
Diplôme d’études secondaires (DES), or Secondary School Diploma (SSD) (varies by program) |
1 to 2 years |
|
Access to:
|
| 3 | Diploma/College Diploma (regular) Diplôme |
High school diploma or equivalent | 1 to 2 years |
|
Access to:
|
| 4 | Advanced Diploma | High school diploma or equivalent | 3 years |
|
Access to:
|
| 5 | Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC) Diploma of College Studies (DCS) [Quebec] |
Diplôme d’études secondaires (DES), or Secondary School Diploma (SSD) |
3 years |
|
Access to:
|
| 6 | Associate degree [British Columbia] |
High school diploma or equivalent | 2 years |
|
Access to:
|
| 7 | Journeyperson certification (or “ticket”) Certificat de compétence compagnon (CCC) [apprenticeship] [Quebec] |
Varies | 4 years |
|
Access to:
|
Examples of the most commonly used grading scales.
| No. | Descriptor | Percent Range | Letter Grades | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excellent | 90 to 100% | A+ | 4.0/4.3 |
| 2 | Excellent | 85 to 89% | A | 4 |
| 3 | Excellent | 80 to 84% | A- | 3.7 |
| 4 | Good | 76 to 79% | B+ | 3.3 |
| 5 | Good | 72 to 75% | B | 3 |
| 6 | Good | 68 to 71% | B- | 2.7 |
| 7 | Satisfactory | 64 to 67% | C+ | 2.3 |
| 8 | Satisfactory | 60 to 63% | C | 2 |
| 9 | Marginal | 55 to 59% | C- | 1.7 |
| 10 | Marginal | 50 to 54% | D | 1 |
| 11 | Failure | 0 to 49% | F | 0 |
Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible official school-age population corresponding to the same level of education in a given school year.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Canada
Global Rank
Source: ShanghaiRanking Consultancy
Canada
Global Rank
Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds
Canada
Global Rank
Source: Times Higher Education