13 Private Colleges in Canada For International Students

In this article, you will find information about private colleges in Canada for international students. If you are an international student who does not wish to study in a public two-year institution in Canada, the private colleges that are in this article are a sure bet for you.

Private colleges in Canada are two-year higher institutions that do not grant degrees. However, some of them award degrees by offering programs jointly with some universities.

All the private colleges in this article are designated institutions (they have the approval to admit international students).

Private Colleges in Canada for International Students

Here is a compilation of private colleges in Canada for international students. These colleges programs leading to degrees, certificates, and diplomas. In addition, some of the colleges offer apprenticeship programs.

Thus, the private colleges in Canada for international students include:

  • LaSalle College
  • Alexander College
  • Columbia College
  • Coquitlam College
  • Fraser International College
  • Northern Lights College
  • Confederation College
  • Reeves College
  • Coast Mountain College
  • Sterling College
  • Stenberg College
  • ABC College

LaSalle College

LaSalle College is a private college in Quebec, Canada that was founded in 1959. The college comprises six schools including Fashion, Arts & Design, Hotel Management & Tourism, Business & Technologies, Social Sciences & Education, VFX & Game Design, and E-learning.

As one of the private colleges in Canada for international students, LaSalle College offers more than 60 pre-university, technical and professional programs

The college grants diplomas to its students in three types of programs. They include:

  • Pre-university and technical programs
  • Continuing education and technical programs
  • Vocational training

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Alexander College

Alexander College is a private degree-granting college in British Columbia, Canada that was established in 2006. It has two campuses in Vancouver and Burnaby.

The college has an enrolment of over 4,000 students out of which 2,000 are international students. Alexander College makes it into the list of private colleges in Canada for international students.

The college provides its students with different types of undergraduate degrees and transfer programs such as a University Transfer, an Associate of Arts degree, and an Associate of Science degree.

In addition, the college helps non-native English speakers to transit to university-level studies in the English language by offering them an integrated English for Academic Purposes program.

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Columbia College

Columbia College is a private not-for-profit two-year university transfer college in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada that was founded in 1936.

The college offers its students a University Transfer Program that allows them to take first and second-year university-level courses before transferring to the second or third year at a university. An associate degree is awarded under the university transfer program.

Additionally, Columbia College offers a High School program and an English for Academic Purposes program.

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Coquitlam College

Coquitlam College is a private degree-granting college in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada that was established in 1982.

As one of the private colleges in Canada for international students, Coquitlam College offers both on-campus and online programs to students from all parts of the world.

Coquitlam College offers different types of programs to students including a University Transfer Program, an Associate of Arts Degree Program, a Senior High School Program, and an English Studies Program. The programs cover the following fields of study; science, humanities, social sciences, and English language studies.

Under the University Transfer Program, students are granted one-year certificates in business, science, and arts and two-year diplomas in arts and business.

The senior high school program at Coquitlam College allows high school students to complete grades 10, 11, and 12 based on past school transcripts.

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Fraser International College

Fraser International College (FIC) is a private post-secondary institution in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada that was founded in 2006. The college functions under an agreement with Simon Fraser University.

Fraser International College offers one-year pre-university programs known as UTP Stage II. This program allows students that reach a certain GPA direct entrance into Simon Fraser University based on the majors.

Meanwhile, UTP Stage II programs are similar to year one courses at Simon Fraser University; so, students have to take the required courses and credits based on their majors before they can transfer.

The college also offers an Associate of Arts Degree that takes two (2) years to complete.

FIC, on the other hand, offers a Foundation program known as UTP Stage I. This program offers students the opportunity to prepare themselves for programs in the university such as Business Administration, Computing Science, Engineering Science or Arts and Social Sciences.

Fraser International College is one of the private colleges in Canada for international students that offer high-quality education.

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Northern Lights College

Northern Lights College (NLC) is a private community college in British Columbia, Canada that was established in 1975. The college operates under an agreement with the University of Northern British Columbia.

NLC has 5 campuses (Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Tumbler Ridge, and Chetwynd) and 3 Access Centers (Atlin, Dease Lake, and Hudson’s Hope).

Northern Lights College offers academic programs and training in Trades & Apprenticeships, Business Management, Applied Business Technology, Workforce Training, Clean Energy Technology (Wind Turbine Maintenance), Teacher Training, Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Academic and University Sciences and Arts, College and Career Preparation, Upgrading Preparation, Oil & Gas Training, Early Childhood Education, and Education or Care Assistant.

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Confederation College

Confederation College is a provincial college of applied arts and technology in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada that was founded in 1967.

It is made up of eight regional campuses including  Dryden, Fort Frances, Greenstone, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake, and Wawa.

Confederation College offers its students more than 60 full-time post-secondary programs, part-time credit and non-credit courses, specialty programs for business and industry, pre-employment and skills training programs, apprenticeship programs, and cooperative/workplace training programs.

The college comes into the list of private colleges in Canada for international students offering a wide range of top-notch academic programs to students.

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Reeves College

Reeves College is a private for-profit post-secondary institution in Alberta, Canada that was established in 1961. It has five campuses such as Calgary City Centre, Calgary North, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Lloydminster.

Reeves college grants a two-year diploma in the following fields of study; Legal Assistant (Paralegal), Graphic Design, Addictions & Community Service Worker, Business Administration Management, Digital, Social Media & Web Marketing, Health Care Administration, Hospitality Management, Accounting & Payroll Administrator, and Education assistant program.

In addition, the college offers students vocational training licensed under the Private Vocational Schools Act.

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Coast Mountain College

Coast Mountain College (CMTN) is a private post-secondary institution in British Columbia, Canada that was founded in 1975. CMTN has five campuses such as Hazelton, Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert, Smithers, and Terrace.

The college offers 80 certificates, diplomas, and bachelor’s degrees in the following programs;

  • Applied Coastal Ecology
  • Business Administration
  • Criminology Program
  • Early Childhood Care & Education
  • First Nations Fine Arts
  • Northern Collaborative Baccalaureate Nursing (NCBNP) – Registered Nurse
  • Social Service Worker
  • University Credit Program
  • Welding Foundation

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Sterling College

Sterling College is a private post-secondary institution in British Columbia, Canada. It has two campuses including Vancouver and Surrey.

The college offers a diploma in Business and dual credentials in Health Care Practice Management program and Software Development and Network Administration programs.

Meanwhile, these programs are administered by world-class industry professionals. These professionals help students to acquire the knowledge and skills required to build rewarding careers.

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Stenberg College

Stenberg College is a private college in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada that was established in 1990. The main campus of the college is in Surrey.

The college offers certificate and diploma programs across different fields of study including psychology, nursing & midwifery, curriculum & education studies, health sciences, sales & marketing, pharmacy, gerontology, and allied health science.

Stenberg College, as one of the private colleges in Canada for international students, offers students hands-on practicums that enable them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the workforce.

In addition, graduates at Stenberg College are offered a pathway for some programs with the British Columbia Institute of Technology or Yorkville University.

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ABC College

Access Business College also known as ABC College is a private business college in Toronto, Canada.

It offers a wide range of programs that lead to the award of diplomas as well as vocational programs. Courses offered at ABC College include graphic design, web design, hospitality/hotel management, finance, property administration, law clerk, legal studies, banking, accounting, administrative assistant/office support, customer service, food and beverage (HACCP), medical office/administration, payroll, and computer software.

These programs take just one year to complete and are administered by world-class teachers.

As one of the private colleges in Canada for international students, ABC partners with employers in Toronto to help them improve the skills of their workforce.

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Conclusion

Generally, colleges serve as a nursery bed that prepares students for a four-year degree in universities. Some colleges in Canada, however, grant degrees to students through a partnership with some universities.

International students that wish to pursue a two-year program in any private college in Canada should endeavor to find out if the institute is designated. This is because not all private colleges in Canada have the approval of the Canadian government to host international students.

As a matter of fact, all the private colleges in Canada for international students listed in this article have the approval of the Canadian government to admit foreign students.

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