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COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN CANADA

Canada’s College System

Canada’s college system extends to all ten provinces and two territories, and
encompasses a diverse range of institutions that operate at several education levels
concurrently. In all, there are more than 200 community colleges or allied post-
secondary institutions throughout Canada. Included within the college sector are:

1) Community and regional colleges;
2) Colleges of applied arts and technology;
3) Institutes of technology;

4) Colléges d’enseignement général et professionnel (Cégeps);
5) Vocational centres;
6) Schools of specialized study ie. agriculture, horticulture and fisheries.

Common Distinguishing Features

Despite their organizational and structural differences, the institutions that comprise
Canada’s college system share four fundamental characteristics:

1) They are public institutions with low or no tuition fees for conventional full-
time students, but with a number of fully cost recoverable programs;

2) They are products of provincial legislation, functioning as components of
provincial post-secondary systems;

3) They offer diplomas, certificates and other credentials, but are not degree-
granting institutions;

4) They perceive part of their mission to be responding quickly and efficiently to
social and economic change.

Scale of the Community College Sector

Community colleges constitute the largest and fastest growing sector of post-
secondary education in Canada. College full-time enrollments surpassed university
full-time enrollments by the late 1970s, and the gap has grown annually since that
time. It is estimated that one in seven adult Canadians uses a service of a
community college.

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