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, it even filed a lawsuit against the government to get it 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.
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 rising tuition fees.
At Bishops, 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% 0.2%.
International 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 international 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.
TÉLUQ 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.