BC Student Outcomes - Cultural Diversity in British Columbia’s Post-Secondary Student Population

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret

BC Student Outcomes fact sheet using results from the 2016 BC Student Outcomes surveys examines cultural diversity in British Columbia’s public post-secondary institutions. It analyzes country of origin and immigration status for former apprenticeship and baccalaureate students, including citizenship or visa status and prior English language training. Findings report the most common origin countries or regions and relate immigration categories to program fields such as trades, arts & sciences, business, engineering, and health.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Apprenticeship Students

Top countries or regions of origin

Immigration status and English language training

Trades of study

Baccalaureate Graduates

Top countries or regions of origin

Immigration status and English language training

Fields of study

BCStudent Outcomes Shaping Post-Secondary Education BC STUDENT OUTCOMES Cultural Diversity in British Columbia’s PostSecondary Student Population British Columbia’s post-secondary education system includes students from all around the world. Many have been in Canada since childhood; others recently arrived as international students. Their participation brings social and cultural benefits to communities and institutions throughout the province, as well as opportunities for all students to gain cultural experience and have a more global education. This fact sheet uses results from the 2016 BC Student Outcomes surveys to explore some aspects of this cultural diversity in B.C.’s public post-secondary institutions. The BC Student Outcomes surveys include questions on country of origin and immigration status. Survey respondents who were not born in Canada are asked for their status at the time they were studying: Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or on a visa. They are also asked about previous English language training. The post-secondary institutions that participated in the surveys were asked to identify the former students who attended as “international” students; this category generally applies to individuals on student visas who are paying international tuition fees for their programs. Apprenticeship Students Most of the former apprenticeship students who responded to the 2016 survey were born in Canada; only 8 percent reported a different country of origin. More than one-third (35 percent) of those respondents born outside Canada were from India, China and Hong Kong Administrative Region, or the Philippines. In all, apprenticeship respondents named 53 different countries of origin. | Top ten countries or regions of origin | Percent | | --- | --- | | India | 12% | | China & Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | 12% | | Philippines | 11% | | United Kingdom | 6% | | Germany | 5% | | United States | 5% | | South Africa, Republic Of | 3% | | Iran, Islamic Republic Of | 3% | | Korea, Republic Of (South Korea) | 3% | | Mexico | 3% | Notes: Percentages are based on respondents from apprenticeship programs whose country of origin was not Canada. The list of countries is based on Statistic Canada’s Standard Classi cation of Countries and Areas of Interest. At the time they were studying, a majority (62 percent) of the respondents from apprenticeship programs who were not born in Canada had Canadian citizenship. | Canadian citizen Permanent resident Visa (student or other) | | | 62% | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | |
1% | 37% | | Note: Percentages are based on respondents from apprenticeship programs whose country of origin was not Canada. Country of origin India or China and HongKong were the countries of origin reported most often. Immigration status Over 60 percent were naturalized Canadians. Prior to or during their apprenticeship training, 9 percent of the respondents whose country of origin was not Canada took English language training. During their training, over half (55 percent) of those not born in Canada were in the trades of Electrician, Plumbing, or Automotive & Other Mechanics. BC STUDENT OUTCOMES FACT SHEET • Page 2 | Electrician
Plumbing
Automotive & Other Mechanics Welding & Precision Production Culinary Arts & Personal Services Industrial & Heavy Duty Mechanics Other Construction Trades
Carpentry
Other Trades | 19%
18%
18%
11%
8%
8%
8%
7%
2% | | --- | --- | Note: Percentages are based on respondents from apprenticeship programs whose country of origin was not Canada. The post-secondary institutions did not identify any of the surveyed former apprentices as international students. Baccalaureate Graduates One quarter (25 percent) of the baccalaureate graduates who responded to the 2016 survey said their country of origin was not Canada. Almost half (47 percent) of those born outside Canada were from China and

FAQs

Which survey results does the fact sheet use?

It uses results from the 2016 BC Student Outcomes surveys.

How are immigration status categories defined for respondents not born in Canada?

Respondents are asked whether they were a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or on a visa, and the fact sheet describes how “international” generally maps to visa-based status with international tuition.

What patterns appear in the most common origin countries for apprenticeship and baccalaureate respondents?

Apprenticeship respondents show the highest shares from India, China & Hong Kong, and the Philippines, while baccalaureate graduates most often report China & Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, followed by Taiwan and the United States.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Margaret