| Toronto is one of North America's greatest | | | | offering an immense variety of experiences, |
| cities. It offers architectural beauty, | | | | knowledge and training. Unlike their public |
| highly developed culture and a cosmopolitan | | | | counterparts, Toronto's private schools tend |
| quality of life. It is also the home to | | | | to be smaller and more oriented toward |
| numerous institutions of higher education, | | | | specific types of career training. |
| both public and private. Toronto's public and | | | | |
| private colleges offer a tremendous variety | | | | In the last few years, some of Toronto's |
| of experiences and opportunities. Here is a | | | | smaller private schools have come under fire |
| quick run-down of some basic differences | | | | for misleading international students into |
| between Toronto's private and public | | | | attending what students thought were high |
| colleges. | | | | quality programs with attractive campuses, |
| | | | only to find shabby buildings and sub-par |
| When you're talking about public colleges in | | | | course offerings. Though some of Toronto's |
| Toronto, you're talking about the University | | | | small private schools fall into this low |
| of Toronto, York University, Ryerson | | | | class, many don't. |
| University and the Ontario College of Art and | | | | |
| Design. With the exception of the Ontario | | | | Tuition at Toronto's private college varies |
| College of Art and Design, which has only | | | | greatly depending on which college. Toronto's |
| 3,000 students, Toronto's public schools are | | | | institutions of religious education such as |
| very large, with enrollments ranging from | | | | Master's College and Seminary or Tyndale |
| 30,000 to 70,000 students. | | | | College and Seminary tend to cost the least, |
| | | | about 8,000 Canadian dollars per year for |
| The University of Toronto is Canada's largest | | | | residents. Other schools, such as George |
| university and offers a very broad range of | | | | Brown University, which focuses on career |
| courses in the humanities and social and | | | | training and offers only a few bachelors' |
| physical sciences, as well as professional | | | | programs cost upwards of 5,000 Canadian |
| programs in medicine, engineering, | | | | dollars per semester. |
| architecture, dentistry, social work and | | | | |
| teaching. The U of T conducts many research | | | | Many of Toronto's private colleges, such as |
| programs and boasts a world-class medical | | | | Metropolitan College or the Canadian College |
| facility. | | | | of Business, Science and Technology offer |
| | | | affordable continuing education and career |
| York University is a smaller liberal arts | | | | training that costs a lot less and takes less |
| institution with a long history dating back | | | | time to earn than a Bachelor's degree. |
| to 1859. Ryerson is Canada's only polytechnic | | | | |
| institution, offering notable journalism, | | | | The ultimate difference between Toronto's |
| multimedia and business programs as well as | | | | public and private schools has to do with the |
| programs in fields like the Applied Arts or | | | | type of experience offered to students. If |
| Engineering. | | | | you want to attend a large school, with lots |
| | | | of young students living on-campus, |
| Public schools in Toronto are relatively | | | | experiencing an academic community and |
| affordable, costing around $12,000 to $17,000 | | | | choosing from a vast array of educational |
| Canadian dollars per year for a | | | | opportunities, sports teams, concerts, clubs |
| non-international student living away from | | | | and social events, then you would probably |
| home. Toronto's public schools all offer | | | | appreciate a public college. If you are |
| financial aid and scholarships to high | | | | interested in vocational or career training, |
| achieving and/or financially needy students. | | | | continuing education or a religious |
| | | | certification, then you would be best served |
| Toronto is home to dozens of private schools | | | | by a private school. |