The Ultimate Guide to Canadian Colleges

 The Canadian government really wants you to go to college. The country desperately needs more people with expertise in skilled trades, such as electricians, welders, mechanics and other essential professionals. Construction projects across the country, designed to ease the housing crisis, are stalled because of a shortage of carpenters and HVAC technicians. About 700,000 of Canada’s four million trades workers are set to retire by the end of the decade, which means if we don’t recruit more, fast, the situation will get worse. 

Despite the need for skilled labour, college enrolment in the under-20 age group has gone down in recent years. Why has there been a decline when a college education is a surefire way to secure a high-paying, in-demand job? In an insightful story in the guide called “The Case for College,” Maclean’s education editor Claire Gagne explains that high schoolers are often discouraged from thinking about a college education as a first choice. Rather, it’s presented as a backup option if an academic path doesn’t work out. 

Gagne reports that many young people only discover the value of a college program a little later in life. Increasingly, Canadians in their 30s, who often already have university degrees, see college as a way to acquire the skills they need to unlock their professional potential. That cohort’s college enrolment numbers are up. 

Some governments now realize they need to do more to make a college education attractive to youth. Starting this fall, new high school students in Ontario (where nearly 100,000 skilled trades jobs are vacant) will have to earn a technological credit in construction, transportation, manufacturing, hospitality, computer technology or some other practical field to graduate. The curriculum change is part of a sweeping set of initiatives designed to expose Ontario students to new careers. 

Students who do decide to make college part of their future have an incredible array of programs to explore. Maclean’s can help them navigate that journey.

The Maclean’s Ultimate Guide to Canadian Colleges is designed for everyone considering a college education: students who are interested in enrolling right out of high school (and their parents); early-career 30-somethings looking for credentials; and mid-career professionals who want to upskill—or change careers altogether. 

Our editors and writers answer practical questions (about applications, budgeting and scholarships), provide info on in-demand programs (in hot fields such as AI, sustainable construction and e-sports) and profile the top colleges in every region in the country. 

This guide also features many first-person testimonials from college graduates on their experiences. They’re the real experts. “Going to college wasn’t just about learning the hard skills of cooking,” says a recent culinary school grad. “I met key people in the industry who helped me get jobs at restaurants in the city. And it gave me the courage to confidently call myself ‘chef.’ ”

—Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief

The Maclean’s College Guidebook 2025 is available now for just $14.99. Order your copy here.