High School Study Abroad in Canada

Canada might be the second largest country in the world by land area, but it is actually very sparsely populated. Only 35 million people live in the “Great White North,” about the same population of people that reside in Uganda, a country roughly 1/50th its size.

Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. When it comes to English-speaking cities, Vancouver and Victoria in the west, Calgary and Edmonton near the center, and Toronto and Ottawa in the east host the largest number of high school programs. Toronto is Canada’s largest city by a significant margin, with over 5 million residents, and is also the country’s leading global city in many elements of business, arts, and culture.

The most popular cities for high school programs in Canada’s French speaking regions are Quebec City and Montreal. Though English is a common second language in these cities, French is spoken at home by the majority of the population, making both of the latter cities great locations for high school students who want to expand their French language skills. French Canada (primarily centered in the province of Quebec) is a fascinating place to travel and live, as it is quite distinct culturally from the rest of the country.

Some high school programs in Canada will also take you on a tour of multiple cities throughout Canada, so you aren’t forced to choose just one. These programs typically tend to be more adventure based than academically oriented.