Canada which is nowadays a champion of education offers us a number of universities, and students from various corners of the world are flocking there for quality studies. And when it comes to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), Canada certainly plays the trump card, obviously because its universities—especially the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, and the University of British Columbia—have been spawning ace engineers, mathematicians, scientists, and technologists.

Now the question is: if you are to select one among the three universities how do you know which one matches your requirements for studies, and other concerns so you may know which one you tick for. In fact, it is really a fix until and unless you get the whole hog of information about each of the universities, right? Here you will find answers to all your needs—the most relevant as well as essential details with a quick comparison among the three.

UofToronto vs Waterloo vs UBC: Overview

Here is a brief snapshot for you.

	University of Toronto	University of British Columbia	University of Waterloo
QS World Ranking	26	46	149
Times World Ranking	18	37	201 - 250
CS Ranking (US News)	37	42	52
Overall Acceptance Rate (UG & MS)	43%	52%	53%
MS CS Acceptance Rate	5 - 10%	7.04%	4.03%
Annual Tuition Fees (CS)	$60,000	$48,000	$63,000
Average Annual Salary (STEM)	$176,000	$171,000	$191,000

Now, we will look at the individual components.

Computer Science at the University of Toronto vs Waterloo vs University of British Columbia

University of Toronto (UofT)

Located in Canada’s largest city—and also one of its most multicultural—this university has been at the forefront of Computer Science for over 50 years. Consistently ranked among the top 25 universities in the world for computer science on the QS World University Rankings list.

The University of Toronto has seen an increase in international student enrollment in recent years and, by 2021, it’s predicted that foreign students will make up 20% of the university’s student body!

University of Waterloo

With over 70 courses to choose from and a faculty of more than 80 industry experts, the University of Waterloo’s computer science department sets students up for success.

Co-op is a major focus at the university, allowing students to graduate with up to two years of paid work experience. The university is located in the heart of Canada’s thriving tech sector, so students have access to hundreds of local companies in need of computer scientists.

University of British Columbia (UBC)

UBC has got one of Canada’s most beautiful campuses and happens to have one of the oldest (and greatest) computer science departments in the country. Founded in 1968, its Department of Computer Science is also one of Canada’s leading research institutions.

Undergraduates can choose from six different majors, including a unique Combined Major in Business and Computer Science. With a large and diverse student body, incredible location, and excellent reputation, the University of British Columbia is a terrific choice for studying computer science.

University of Toronto vs UBC vs Waterloo – Rankings

All three Universities are names across the globe. In point of rating, The University Of British Columbia (UBC)—working with excellent engineering faculties—ranks 46th. World Report (2015) hails UBC with the prestige of being one of the top 20 public universities in Canada. Now to Toronto University—it is 26th among the Best Global Universities and number 1 in Canada.

In comparison to the two, the University of Waterloo is comparatively lower in rank: 149th (199th back in 2015) in the list of Best Global Universities. However, they give such ranks by reckoning the universities’ research output, faculty potential, and so forth. So this becomes a small part- and not the whole picture that goads a student into choosing a university. Check out the QS World University Rankings here.

UBC vs UoToronto vs Waterloo – Student Life

UBC

At UBC you can have a classic life as a student. With a mixture of students flowing in from different countries with different cultural backgrounds. You may find gorgeously decked UBC precincts in the city of Vancouver, tucked in the nest of nature, with the North Shore Mountain on one side and Mount Baker on the other, of course with immense options for restaurants, cafeterias, etc.

You can also avail food and lodgings,l hands down both inside the University campus and outside, as per your pocket and principle. Hence, Vancouver is really going to be a treat for a UBC student.

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto, on the other hand, is located in downtown Toronto, giving its students all the extra-curricular scopes like games plus social, cultural, and interactive communication; simultaneously the pupils can also take part in other recreations like a club or casual chats found at ease. This makes it quite interesting and nourishing.

University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo students would also find people around to cheer them up. But maybe not as many as you may spot in the other two. Waterloo University is situated in the city of Waterloo, 110 km west of Toronto.

Quite naturally it is a bit less happening when compared to the other two. You, however, would not have any issue plying their everyday lives, because there you find ample stay facilities inside or outside of the University campus with the huge availability of shops and restaurants.

Studying Costs at UBC, Toronto, and Waterloo

We have already summarized the expenses in the table above. UBC is the most affordable among the three universities. The other expenses will vary based on your living preference in all three cases.

However, if you are a Waterloo undergraduate, your co-op programs can give you the opportunity to work during studentship and thereby meet a portion of your college fees, whereas this scope is comparatively much less if we speak about the two other universities.

University of Toronto vs UBC vs Waterloo Co-op Programs and Research Scopes

The University of Waterloo provides excellent professional support and industry connections in the bargain. The Waterloo co-op program which is year-round and quite flexible hones its students with a real acumen for practical work experiences.

Many recruiters appreciate the skills of Waterloo students, thanks to their preps there, where the very teaching materials, strategies, and instructors always focus on preparing their cadets with practical sessions. Mind you, the University of Waterloo gives its students master’s training in software engineering.

However, if you want to ply your studies based on research, Toronto or UBC might serve as a better choice, because they are ready with their bounty of A-1 research resources, research groups, and wise advisory, all of which make the best imbrication of any research success.

Almost all these facilities are at hand in UBC too, though many would just avert admission into this university seeing the high budget for it.

Jobs and Salaries

To speak about jobs for the graduates, there’s no question of saying bad. Every year 100,000 skilled students pass out of these three Universities. And all of them are placed across different global companies with lucrative salaries and perks.   

What matters at the end of the day is individual quality, and that’s what gravitates the employers. For example, companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and the like just wait for Waterloo graduates who are going to serve their work fields with brilliance. To be frank, in point of such employability, Waterloo University is slightly ahead of the others.

In fine, the University of Waterloo gives you a fillip to an industry-based world-spread career, while from the two other universities one might have the advantage of scholastic accomplishments.

Featured Image Source: ApplyBoard

The post University of Toronto vs UBC vs Waterloo – Which is Better for Computer Science? first appeared on Stoodnt.