Yes! Quebec is awesome for international students!
Although Quebec is a part of Canada, you’ve probably seen the many exemptions that Quebec has when it comes to living and studying there. However, Quebec is a wonderful place to go to and is worth putting the work into.
An Intro to Quebec
Quebec is a unique province because it’s the only truly French speaking part of Canada. People in Quebec are typically bilingual and most if not everything is labelled in French. This may be intimidating at first, but as long as you approach everything with an open mind, you’ll pick up the language and culture in no time.
Quebec has two two major cities which are Montreal and Quebec City. Most of the population lives in Montreal and Quebec City is the capital of the province. They’re also both popular tourist spots so if you’re worried about your French knowledge, you’ll be fine with English until you learn enough.
Nature and Attractions
Artistic and Musical Culture – Quebec is known for its art and music festivals. Along the streets of Montreal, it’s clear that they really value art. Everything is cleverly designed. There’s wall art all over the city.
Historical City– Quebec is one of the first established provinces in Canada. When you get there, you’ll see that many of the houses and buildings have been standing there for over two hundred years. They’ve just been readjusted to have electricity and heating.
The Best Poutine in Canada – Poutine originally came from Quebec so the best ones naturally are in Quebec. You’ll find a number of restaurants selling poutine and you should also check out their popular chain restaurants like Banquise.
Athletic Attractions – Montreal is one of those cities that is really easy to navigate on a bike. Many of its residents typically take their bicycles to work rather than drive. It promotes healthy living and environmentally friendly ways to travel.
Quality of Life
Affordable Housing in the City – Contrasting Montreal and Vancouver for example, you could pay at least three times more for a three bedroom apartment in Vancouver than you would in Montreal.
Low Crime Rate – Quebec is a safe province to live in. You don’t have to be on your guard all the time. It has one of the world’s lowest crime rates while having laws that promote prevention and accountability.
Relatively Mild Climate – Compared to other areas of Canada, the major cities in Quebec have decent weather year-round. The winters aren’t as cold as the prairies and the summer heat doesn’t get extreme.
International Student Life
Quebec is home to a number of internationally acclaimed post-secondary institutions such as:
- McGill University
- Concordia University
- Université de Montréal
- Université Laval
- École Polytechnique
- Centre de Formation Professionnelle (Multiple Locations)
- Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel (Multiple Locations)
McGill and Concordia are the most popular choices for international students to attend. Both are located in the heart of Montreal, making them very vibrant and lively schools.
What’s also unique about McGil is that they also offer immigration services. Many other schools around Canada don’t even mention immigration, but McGill helps you prepare for the possibility of staying in Canada permanently.
There’s nothing really stopping international students from going to these schools, but you may need to learn French before attending certain institutions. The schools located in Montreal will likely offer English instruction, but expect to hear more French outside of the city.
Why Study in Quebec
- Affordable tuition fees – Schools such as Concordia boast competitive tuition fees. In general, schools in Quebec do have slightly lower tuition rates than the other provinces.
- Culturally rich – You can have a taste of Europe in Canada. The eastern provinces of Canada resemble Europe more than the western provinces do.
- New language learning opportunities – If you’re someone who is fascinated with languages and is interested in studying in Canada, then you have the opportunity to pick up another language while in Quebec.
Immigration Pathways
Regular Skilled Worker Program (RSWP) – To qualify for RSWP, you have to express interest in working in Quebec permanently. Your skills and work experience also have to match what they need. Quebec is looking to add to their population, so you are encouraged to apply.
Permanent Immigration Pilot Program for Tech* – Quebec has unique pathways for workers in artificial intelligence, information technology, and visual effects. That is a wide range of in demand technology jobs in Quebec. You have until January 2026 to apply for this pathway and you would be a good candidate if you are:
- A Quebec graduate in artificial intelligence
OR
- A foreign worker in artificial intelligence
OR
- A foreign worker in information technology or visual effects
–
Still deciding on which province to settle in? Check out our other provincial highlights:
- Alberta: The Best Province to Study In
- Manitoba in Top 3 Provinces for Filipinos
- Saskatchewan: Destination for International Students
Sources: Study in Quebec Post Secondary Education in Quebec Post Secondary Schools in Canada Quebec Immigration