While Canadian students have long traveled to the United States for their higher education, only recently have large numbers of Americans headed north for their bright college years. The latest count, to be released this week, shows that more than 6,000 American students are currently enrolled at Canadian colleges–up from about 2,500 in 1998.
Why the boom in northern exposures? Some of the credit goes to Canadian marketers. They’re promoting the quality of their schools globally and have become regulars at American college fairs across the country.
But the biggest draw is low tuition. While Canadian schools charge foreigners, including Americans, more than natives, their tuitions are still a bargain. The University of Toronto, for example, charges just $13,600 for tuition, room, meals, books and fees. Compare that with the cost of tuition alone at Washington University in St. Louis ($29,700) or the University of Michigan ($25,647 for out-of-state students). The savings weren’t lost on Brendan Behrmann of Sylvania, Ohio, who will be a freshmanat Toronto this fall. “If I went to a college that charges $35,000 a year, I wouldn’t be able to pay for the third year,” he says. “By going to Toronto, I’m hoping I’ll still have some money left when I’m done.” Sounds like he’s learning already.
