10 Interesting (and Secret) Facts About Canadian Colleges

If you’ve been wracking your brain trying to figure out where you want to go to college, look no farther than Canada. Canadian colleges are pretty popular with international students and there’s a high graduation rate.

If you’re worried about the language barrier, you can take a sigh of relief knowing that Canada has two official languages. Universities in Canada also have a rather interesting history.

Students at McGill University formed the first hockey association and did you know that you can major in brewing beer? Check out this guide for an entire list of facts that will make you say yes to going to college in Canada.

1. McGill Students Formed the First Hockey Association

Hockey has always been big over in Canada. It’s so big that students at McGill University founded their own association way back in 1877. This was a pretty huge deal considering it was the first hockey association in the entire world. 

As soon as the club was established, they began practicing by playing their first game. It took them a hot minute but the club’s determination paid off in 2011 when they won their first championship. 

2. Canadian Schools are Popular with International Students

Canadian schools are pretty popular among international college students. A good portion of the international population consists of Chinese and Indian students. 

Many of the international learners find Canada so warm and welcoming that they decide not to leave. They go ahead and apply for permanent residence once their studies are finished. 

3. Einstein’s Brain

At McMaster University, you’ll find part of Einstein’s brain perfectly preserved. The brain was split into 14 pieces. The University managed to get about a fifth of it. 

Researchers at the school have claimed that they’ve been able to study the brain’s structure and find out what made Einstein such a mathematical marvel. 

4. The Alberta Tunnels

Underneath the University of Alberta, there are a series of wide tunnels. So wide, in fact, that the staff and workers can drive motorcycles through it. 

The tunnels stretch to about 21 kilometers and aren’t currently open to the public or the students. 

5. Canada Has Two Different Languages

If you’re worried about the language barrier, you’re in luck. You should still be able to order off the to-go menu and understand your professor’s PowerPoint. 

Canada has two different languages: English and French. The majority of Canadians can speak both so they can switch up to accommodate you. 

6. Royal Roads University

Royal Roads is located in British Columbia, Canada. When looking at it from a distance, it appears to be a beautiful castle. This has made the school pretty popular in the film industry. 

Disney movies and TV shows have used it but it appears most often in the X-Men franchise as the Xavier School for the Gifted. If that doesn’t convince you that this is the school where you want to learn, they also have a sustainability program. They support any student’s research that goes into combating climate change. 

As far as finding something to do outside of the classroom, there’s a little something for everyone. There’s plenty of parklands where you can go hiking, biking, and walking. 

7. Canada Has a High Graduation Rate

If you meet any random person on the street in Canada, there’s a good chance that they have some kind of college degree. The graduation rate is higher than in most other nations. 

This can vary depending on which college you attend. At Queen’s college, your chances are pretty good. They have almost a 90% graduation rate. 

Meanwhile, at Winnipeg, you may struggle a little. Their graduation rate is only about 45%. That’s still half, which says positive things for the Canadian education system.  

8. Get a Degree in Beer

If you love beer, why not make it one of your college majors? You can at Bishop’s College in Quebec. They have a two-year program that you can attend to learn how to brew your own. 

As you can imagine, you’re going to need a little bit more than a love of beer to complete the certificate program. They’ll expect you to have a B.Sc. in chemistry, biology, or biochemistry before the admissions department will even consider you and no. You can’t get a degree from samedaydiplomas.com and try to work your way into the program with it. 

9. Shinerama

Shinerama is one of the largest fundraisers that go on each year in Canada. Thousands of students and faculty members gather around to spend the day raising money for cystic fibrosis. 

This event dates back to 1961. It was started by students at Wilfrid Laurier University and sort of caught on. 

10. Happy-Face Observatory Dome

As soon as you walk onto campus at the University of Victoria, one of the first things you’ll notice is the smiley face on the observatory dome.  

As a prank, a few students painted two black dots on the dome. Much later the curved line for the smile was added to make it one of the happiest places on campus. A pretty harmless prank if you ask us. 

Everything You Never Knew About Canadian Colleges

Are you looking around for a university to spend the next four years of your life? Why not throw your application to Canadian colleges? They have an impressive graduation rate and are more than accommodating to international students. 

On top of that, no matter where you go, you’ll find some kind of interesting piece of campus culture to be a part of. There are worse places to study. 

Are you looking for interesting facts about schools that are closer to your area? Check out our blog to get all the information that you need.