Introducing The 2026 Maclean’s Ultimate Guide to Canadian Colleges

Artificial intelligence is dramatically changing the way we work and disrupting the labour needs of many businesses. Experts say we’re facing a “white-collar bloodbath,” as many low-level office jobs might be replaced by AI.

One of the smartest ways to build resilience in the face of this disruption is to develop skills that a bot doesn’t have. This is exactly the type of education Canadian colleges specialize in: hands-on, practical career paths that require human skills. Today at Maclean’s, we’re publishing The 2026 Ultimate Guide to Canadian Colleges, a special edition designed for everyone considering a college program to help navigate our turbulent labour marketplace: students looking to enrol right out of high school, early-career thirty-somethings eyeing additional credentials, and mid-career professionals who want to change careers altogether.

Our editors and writers answer practical questions about applying, budgeting and scholarships. The guide identifies in-demand programs (including cybersecurity, clean energy, data analysis and more) and offers intel on funding for careers in the skilled trades (carpenters, mechanics, welders, etc). Plus, profiles of the top colleges in every region in the country.

—Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief

This story appears in the 2026 edition of the Ultimate Guide to Canadian Colleges. You can buy the issue for $14.99 here or on newsstands.