Students in private postsecondary education, 2020: Results of a feasibility study

Release date: June 6, 2023
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Description: Students in private postsecondary education, 2020: Results of a feasibility study

The vast majority of postsecondary students (89.0%) were attending a public institution, yet most postsecondary institutions (84.5%) were private.Note 1

89.0% - Students who were attending a public postsecondary institution
11.0% - Students who were attending a private postsecondary institution

210 – Number of public institutions (13,180 students on average)
1,150 – Number of private institutions (300 students on average)

Private postsecondary enrolments and institutions, by region
Table summary
This table displays the results of Private postsecondary enrolments and institutions Percentage of students who were attending a private institution, by region and Percentage of private institutions among all postsecondary institutions, by region (appearing as column headers).
Percentage of students who were attending a private institution, by region Percentage of private institutions among all postsecondary institutions, by region
Atlantic provinces 5.6% 77.0%
Quebec 6.1% 72.3%
Ontario 9.8% 88.7%
Prairies 7.9% 81.9%
British Columbia 12.8% 90.8%
Territories 0.4% 40.0%
Note: Some institutions, with students from a wide range of geographical locations, could not be assigned to a single region and were therefore not included in the regional analysis. They accounted for 20.8% of students in private institutions and 1.7% of students in public institutions.

Men and women attended private institutions at similar rates.

Percentage of students who were attending a private institution, by genderNote 2 and age groupNote 3
Table summary
This table displays the results of Percentage of students who were attending a private institution Percentage of students who were attending a private institution (appearing as column headers).
Percentage of students who were attending a private institution
Women+ 11.4%
Men+ 10.2%
15 to 24 years 4.8%
25 years and older 17.9%

Among all students who attended private institutions, the majority were aged 25 or older. 76.3% of students who were attending a private institution were at least 25 years of age, compared with 42.8% of students at public institutions.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Postsecondary Student Information System, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, Census of Population, 2021, and T2202 file – Tuition and Enrolment Certificate, 2020. E. Fecteau and M. Van Bussel, 2023, “Students in private postsecondary education, 2020: A feasibility study,” Technical Reference Guides for the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP), Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 37-20-0001.

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Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2023

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Catalogue no. 11-627-M

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