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Want to study in Vancouver? Vancouver (AKA the Couve) is one of Canada’s most diverse and culturally rich cities. 

With its laid-back West Coast vibe, British Columbia’s largest city is a top study abroad destination for international students. Regardless of whether you’re a nature lover or enjoy city living, Vancouver has something for everyone. The city boasts dramatic mountains on one side and the stunning Pacific Ocean on the other, ensuring that the great outdoors and an exciting adventure is truly on your doorstep. For those looking for a little culture, , shopping, and a renowned culinary scene are also at your fingertips. 

Here are six schools in the Metro Vancouver area that you should consider studying at.

Langara College

Langara College is a government-funded institution that provides university, career, and continuing studies to more than 23,000 students every year, including over 6,000 international students from over 80 countries. International students benefit from a wealth of choice when planning their education, including a variety of bachelor’s degree, associate degree, diploma, post-degree diploma, and certificate programs.

A half-century after first opening its doors, Langara College is recognized as a leading undergraduate institution with a reputation for providing exceptional learning opportunities. Through the collective contributions of its outstanding faculty and staff, its programs and services continue to grow and innovate to meet the community’s changing needs. 

The school has two campuses in downtown Vancouver—the main campus and Centre for Entertainment Arts—so students will be in easy reach of everything this exciting city has to offer.

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)

Since 1964, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has taught and trained experts, professionals, and innovators who shape the economy—across British Columbia and around the world. They are proud to deliver an education that goes beyond textbooks and the classroom. BCIT students gain technical skills, real-world experience, and problem-solving ability to embrace complexity and lead innovation in a rapidly changing workforce. Through close collaboration with industry, BCIT’s network of alumni and partners continue to achieve global success. 

BCIT offers practical career credentials designed for the workplace, from diplomas and certificates to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. It delivers programs and courses to nearly 50,000 students—including more than 4,500 international students from 110 countries—across six schools. BCIT’s faculty also work closely with industry to deliver training, provide expert advice, and help bring ideas to market. Its schools cover subjects as diverse as applied and natural sciences, business and media, computing and IT, engineering, health sciences, and trades.

The downtown campus, located in Vancouver’s influential business and tech core, is home to the state-of-the-art Technology Education and Collaboration (TEC) Hub, an innovative IT learning space. There are also campuses in Burnaby.

Douglas College

Founded in 1970, Douglas College is the largest degree-granting college in British Columbia, educating close to 24,000 students per year. If you plan to study in Vancouver, you can’t go wrong with Douglas.

Douglas College is noted for combining the academic foundations of a university with the career-ready skills of a college. More than 900 experienced, teaching-focused faculty bring both academic rigour and real-world experience to the classroom. Outside the classroom, over 900 other employees work to create a friendly, inspiring, supportive, and respectful environment.

The college has two major campuses in Metro Vancouver—New Westminster and Coquitlam—as well as several smaller training centres in Surrey, Burnaby, and Maple Ridge. With both main campuses directly on SkyTrain lines, Vancouver’s rapid-transit system, Douglas is one of the most accessible post-secondary institutions in Metro Vancouver.

Read about some of Canada’s top universities on our blog.

Vancouver Community College

Since 1965, Vancouver Community College has earned a strong and well-deserved reputation for its commitment to community, a student-centric approach, award-winning faculty, and range of access and applied career programming. The college strives to create new opportunities and offer enriched educational experiences for all of its students. 

Vancouver Community College offers academic, cultural, and social environments that inspire relevant real-world training. On-campus facilities—including gourmet restaurants, an auto shop, and the college’s newly renovated salon and spa—allow students to hone their skills and training while providing high-quality, lower-cost services to the local community.

Situated in the heart of the city, Vancouver Community College is proud to inspire a new generation of students to discover their passions, gain essential skills, and learn what it takes to succeed in a competitive workforce. Its connections to industry ensure that students have direct access to employers, while its model of access and partnerships across the post-secondary sector help students reach their goals at any stage of their educational journey.

University Canada West

University Canada West (UCW) is a contemporary independent university established in 2004. It offers a range of career-focused programs, including the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication, and Master of Business Administration. 

Students come from more than 52 countries around the world and contribute to the diversity and richness of the university. It’s an innovative business- and technology-oriented, teaching-focused institution, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees for domestic and international students. A dynamic and growing university, UCW is defined by its close connections to the business community and a commitment to outstanding student services. 

UCW is located in the historic London Building in the heart of Vancouver. Students will feel right at home surrounded by coffee shops, restaurants, entertainment, shopping centres, and gym facilities.

Fraser International College

Fraser International College provides international students with a direct pathway into year two at Simon Fraser University. University-designed programs, taught by expert instructors, ensure that students have the very best preparation for the demands of higher education in Canada. 

Students are treated like university students. With the added benefit of smaller classes, students receive more personalized attention in a dynamic and supportive environment that better equips them for life at university.

The college is located on the main Simon Fraser University campus in Burnaby, with more than three dozen academic buildings and eight faculties. Burnaby is a leafy suburb to the east of Vancouver—25% is parkland and open space!

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Do any of these acclaimed campuses sound like somewhere you’d like to study? Ask your study abroad advisor about schools in beautiful Vancouver. Or, use our personalized, AI-driven Program Matcher to get a personalized list of institutions and program options that best suit your needs.