The increase in tuition fees for non-Quebec students seems to have spared McGill University, which recorded a slight increase in registrations this fall.
Overall, Quebec universities recorded a 1.7% increase in registrations compared to last fall, according to preliminary data from the Office of Interuniversity Cooperation.
At McGill University, enrollment increased by 1.1%. Among new full-time undergraduate students, the increase is even 8.1%.
The establishment had opposed the increase in tuition fees for non-Quebec students, in effect since this fall, claiming that it would harm its registrations. Like Concordia, McGill even filed a lawsuit against the government to reverse its decision.
Since this fall, Canadian students from other provinces have had to pay $12,000 instead of $9,000 per year to study at an English-speaking Quebec university.
According to McGill, the increase in registrations is mainly attributable to Quebec students, whose number increased by approximately 9%. The University also emphasizes that it implemented a scholarship program to compensate for the increase in tuition fees, which helped to maintain registrations among students from the rest of Canada.
For its part, Concordia recorded an overall drop of 2.6% in its registrations, which represents just over 1,000 students.
At the end of August, the University reported a significant drop in new registrations among students from the rest of Canada, which it attributed to the increase in tuition fees.
At Bishop’s, enrollment fell 2.8% this fall, even though the University was granted an exemption after arguing that such a measure would jeopardize its survival.
Only the University of Quebec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières also report a respective drop in their registrations of 2.3% and 0.2%.
Foreign students on the decline
In total, more than 318,000 students registered in Quebec universities this fall. The increase in enrollment is mainly attributable to full-time students, who recorded an increase of 3.1%. Conversely, the number of people registered part-time is decreasing.
Once again this year, women are in the majority: they represent 59.2% of registrations for 1er cycle, 59.3% at 2e cycle and 52.3% at 3e cycle.
The number of foreign students decreased by 1%. Since this fall, they have had to pay a floor rate of $20,000, an amount from which Quebec receives around $3,000. Since 2018, universities could charge them whatever they wanted and keep the money.
This fall, international students represent 18% of the total student population, compared to 18.5% last year.
TELUQ University is the institution recording the largest increase in registrations this fall, almost 15%. The University of Montreal, HEC Montreal and Polytechnique Montreal report an overall increase of 3.4%. Finally, the University of Quebec network recorded a 2.8% increase in registrations.