With current National rankings (2020) by Times higher education, University of British Columbia aces University of Alberta by four places. Where UBC is ranked #2, U of A is ranked #6. However, if an international student finds it difficult to choose between the two universities listed below are some of the major factors that can help in decision making:
| University of Alberta | The University of British Columbia | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 5.7 Out of 10 | 6.7 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 125 Times Higher Education 2022 # 126 QS World University 2022 # 101 Center for World University Rankings 2021 | # 37 Times Higher Education 2022 # 46 QS World University 2022 # 31 US News 2021 |
| Subject Strength | # 125 for Psychology by Times Higher Education 2022 # 125 for Sports Sciences by Times Higher Education 2022 # 125 for Sciences by Times Higher Education 2022 | # 37 for Psychology by Times Higher Education 2022 # 37 for Sports Sciences by Times Higher Education 2022 # 37 for Electrical and Electronics Engineering by Times Higher Education 2022 |
| Programs | UG Programs -74 PG Programs -58 Doctorate Programs -7 | UG Programs -72 PG Programs -62 Doctorate Programs -2 |
| Acceptance Rate | 51.0 % | 53.0 % |
| Exam Score | GMAT-612 IELTS-6.5 PTE-75 TOEFL-90 | PTE-77.5 IELTS-6.5 TOEFL-90 GMAT-650 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 22125 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 13972 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 21800 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 33916 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 7304 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 27252 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Graduate employability Ranks QS: #87 | Top recruiters at UBC were Deloitte, P&G, Labatt, Netsle, Telus, GE Healthcare, etc. Base salaries offered were around $90,000 to the postgraduates. Finance graduates were highest paid: $107,000 |
| Campuses and B-Schools | School of Business, University of Alberta | Sauder School of Business The University of British Columbia, Okanagan |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.9/10 Read 77 reviews | 7.4/10 Read 193 reviews |
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| General Facts | University of Alberta | The University of British Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1908 | 1908 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 22:1 | 11:1 |
| Male:Female | 44% Male, 56% Female | 44% Male, 56% Female |
| Location Facts | Six campuses, with main (north campus) located on the edge of North Saskatechwan river. | Two campuses: Vancouver and Okanagan; Vancouver is the main campus located at the western tip of Point Grey Peninsula. |
| Library | Eight million volumes | More than 7 million printed books, over 2.1 million ebooks, 5.3 million microforms, and 923000 other multimedia materials. |
| Campus Life | Aboriginal Peoples Network, BearsDen (online student community), Fraternities and Sororities, Graduate Students' Association, Peer Support Centre, Sport Clubs, Student Music Ensembles, Students' Union, and Volunteer Opportunities | The campus has Astronomy Club, Beads and Craft Club, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (Great Wall Club), Food Society, Photographic Society, Red Cross International, Ski and Board Club and Vancouver Student Entrepreneurship Association. |
| Hostel | #1 - 3 Bedrooms - $9000 #Single Room - $8300 #Double Room - $4500 | #Shared Room - $4855 #Connected Single Room - $5712 #Single Room - $6133 #One Bedroom Apartment - $6452 |
| Famous Alumni | One Nobel laureate, four justice of supreme court, and 68 Rhodes scholars | Justin Trudeau (PM of Canada), Rick Hansen (Paralympic athlete), Kim Campbell (Former PM of Canada), Evangeline Lilly (Actress), William Gibson (Fiction writer), and Albert Bandura (Psychologist). |
| City Life | The capital of Alberta, Edmonton has the lowest unemployment rate in Canada | Vancouver itself serves 7.5% of Canada’s economy. Due to its prosperity, the freshers get good opportunities across Vancouver. The GDP is around 137 billion CAD. Some of the highly popular industries located in Vancouver are tourism, technology, housing and construction. |
| Weather |
Both UAlberta and UBC are two of the top ranking universities in Canada. When opting between either of the two universities, apart from the above mentioned data, an international student can compare universities on the following qualitative and quantitative aspects:
Studying at UBC
- Overall ranking of UBC is better than U of A. This includes both national and global rankings.
- Better library collection.
- Pursuing education through Univesity of British Columbia will help you land into jobs more easily with universities reputation.
- Vancouver is culturally more diverse city.
- Larger alumni community for help and support.
- Endowment funds received by UBC are more.
- Better research opportunities
- Hostel fees is slightly lower
- Engineering and MBA program at UBC is ranked better than University of Alberta
Studying at U of A
- Lower tuition fees
- Score requirements for exams to study in Canada is lower at UAlberta.
- Higher acceptance rate.
- Total cost of on-campus accommodation along with meals is lower.
- Geography and psychology programs at UAlberta rank better.
As per the above description, it can be clearly concluded that a students decision for opting between U of A or UBC should be inclined towards University of British Columbia. However, the only factors that can affect this decision include higher cost of study at UBC and higher standadized test score requirements. For international students who have been selected by both the universities, enrolling with University of British Columbia must be opted over enrolling with University of Alberta.
