Are Canada’s private colleges that bad for international students?

Government officials have often blamed private colleges for creating these abhorrent conditions. In 2023, Canada’s former Immigration Minister Marc Miller famously critiqued certain private educational institutions as “the diploma equivalent of puppy mills that are just churning out diplomas.” In 2024, Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, echoed Miller by blaming “bad actors in the private sector colleges.” Miller and Ford’s comments are, in some ways, supported by evidence. Earlier this year, two private colleges in British Columbia were ordered to refund international students who arrived in Canada with promises of robust education only to be greeted with inadequate programming that failed to deliver the promised results.

Private colleges are an easy place for government officials to place blame; however, the reality is more complex.

A bigger problem than private colleges

The exploitation of international students in Canada is not isolated to private colleges. To understand this landscape of exploitation, it’s necessary to illuminate the role international students play in the context of university and college funding.

In recent years, governments across Canada have cut funding for post-secondary educational institutions. For example, in 2019, the province of Ontario froze post-secondary funding and reduced the cost of domestic tuition. To offset these cuts, educational institutions have been incentivized to increase their international student cohorts—international student tuition is often three, four, or even five times higher than domestic tuition rates, allowing colleges and universities to offset funding cuts from elsewhere.

The end result? Unsurprisingly, international student rates dramatically increased. Between 2018 and 2023, 1.5 million study permits were approved, the majority granting students multiple years’ admission to Canada for their studies.

This wave of international students was highly lucrative for the colleges and universities who took advantage. Conestoga College in Ontario more than doubled its student population between the years 2020 and 2023. In 2023, the college had more than 37,000 approved or extended study permits, with international students making up more than 80% of the student population. In 2023, Conestoga reported a surplus of $252 million—up from only $2.5 million a decade earlier. The college attributes this surplus to the increase in international students.

How did this impact international students? At Conestoga College, students reported difficulty finding housing and employment. Some students were forced pay high rates to share crowded accommodations with significant damage. Others were scammed into paying for accommodations that simply didn’t exist. Faculty and union members at Conestoga critiqued the school for failing to provide students with the quality education they had paid for with resources stretched thin.

Conestoga College may be one of the most successful institutions to profit off international students in recent years, but it is not the only institution. Worth noting: most. of the biggest culprits were not private colleges, they were public institutions.

CBC Report: Public institutions issued vast majority of study permits during spike

According to a blockbuster report by CBC News in 2024, public colleges and universities—not private ones—were responsible for the majority of study permit increases during the spike between 2018 and 2023. Of the 30 colleges and universities which granted the most study permits in 2023, all but one were public.

In 2023, the study permit spike was led by Conestoga College in Ontario—where more than 30,000 study permits were approved—and followed by University Canada West in British Columbia—where nearly 14,000 study permits were approved. Notably, Conestoga College is an accredited public college, while University Canada West is a private for-profit university, demonstrating that responsibility for the study permit spike bridges the public-private divide.

How to avoid getting scammed as an international student in Canada

To avoid getting scammed as an international student in Canada, we recommend the following steps.

Check your eligibility for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP).

Many international students come to Canada to study as a first step towards permanent immigration. After completing a study program in Canada, many international students are eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) which allows them to stay in Canada and gain valuable Canadian work experience which can unlock immigration pathways like Express Entry’s Canadian Experience Class and certain Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).

However—not all programs at all education institutions are eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).

As a precaution, it is vital to ensure that your preferred school and program are eligible for a PGWP. You can verify this by searching for your school on the list of Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs).

It’s important to make sure that there are no program limitations for your preferred institution. For example, University Canada West is on the list of DLIs, but only certain academic programs are eligible for a PGWP.

Research, research, research.

A quick search on Google and Reddit will reveal hundreds of critiques of programs at schools like Conestoga College and University Canada West. You’ll find media articles and online commentors critiquing the quality of education, access to housing and employment, and more.

Consider your ‘why’.

Each year, thousands of international students choose to study at private colleges like University Canada West and public colleges like Conestoga. Depending on your ‘why’, studying at an institution like this might make sense. Maybe you want a low-pressure means of testing out life in Canada before committing long term? Or, maybe you want to immigrate at any cost and you’re able to obtain a study permit to one of these institutions?

If the study program fits your goals—go for it! But please do your research beforehand. We want you to make an informed decision about your future, so you know what to expect when you arrive for your study program.

Can’t find much information about your school/program? Be cautious.

If you’re unable to find much information about a school or program online, you should be very cautious. In recent years, many scammers have tried to profit off international students. A lack of online presence may indicate questionable behaviours.

What is the government doing to help international students?

In 2024, the Canadian government imposed a cap on the number of study permits that can be issued each year. For 2025, a total of 437,000 study permits will be issued, a 10% reduction from 2024 (which already saw a reduction in study permits).

There are both positive and negative consequences to the study permit cap. While the cap will prevent institutions like Conestoga College and University Canada West from profiting off dramatic increases to international student cohorts, it also limits opportunities for foreigners who wish to study in Canada, making immigration even more competitive.

In recent weeks, Canadians elected a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney. His government has already suggested they will be reinforcing the cap on international students. In the recent Speech from the Throne, the government committed to limiting the number of international students and temporary foreign workers to less than 5% of the Canadian population by 2027.

As challenges remain for international students in Canada, it is vital to become self-advocates. Canada offers incredible opportunities for education, immigration, and employment, but prospective newcomers must conduct a baseline level of research to ensure they are not exploited by bad actors in the system—both public and private.