πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦ The Landscape of Post-Secondary Schools

 

Division 1...

U Sports is the governing body of the following Member Schools. There are 4 Conferences in Canada. See below for representation of each conference.  

This is the highest competitive division in Canada and typically has the largest of the post-secondary 4 year degree granting schools. 

Women's Soccer is represented by 53 teams.

Men's Soccer is represented by 48 teams. 

The regular season is eight to nine weeks long, depending on the conference starting from the end of August through to early November. Teams play between 12 and 16 regular season games, depending on conference or division, with playoff matches leading to the National Championship held in November each year. All regular season games are in-conference play.

Of the four conferences; here is a breakdown of women's soccer championships won per conference since 1987.  Data updated to 2021.

CanWest has won 50% of the championships thus far suggesting it is a VERY competitive conference to play in.  

Within CanWest, the following schools are located in these general geographic areas. CanWest also has one of the greatest distances to travel within a conference.  

Division 2...

CCAA (Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association) is the governing body of the following Member Schools.  

Many of these members are colleges; what is considered the "division 2 level" in Canada. The level of competition can vary and although some schools offer 4 year academic programs; MOST offer 2 year diploma style programs.  

*Not every school has a soccer program.  

The CCAA has 6 Conferences in Canada as shown.

This diagram provides a representation as to the average cost of tuition in Canada per region based on a general Arts program; noting Manitoba to be the cheapest while Nova Scotia is the highest according to Statistics Canada.  

What are some of the advantages of attending school in Canada πŸ‡¨πŸ‡¦?

Educational Advantage: 

  • Canadian post-secondary education is uniformly strong and much more standardized than that of the USA. Canada’s education system ranks among the best in the world.
  • The United Nations ranked Canada as one of the best places in the world to live.
  • Co-op programs are much more developed here.
  • The possibility to work on campus and off campus; would your degree or professional qualifications transfer over?
  • Medical insurance is inexpensive/inclusive of tuition fees.
  • No entrance exams: SATs, ACTs; less emphasis on reference letters, essays, extra-curricular, and test scores for admission – a much more straightforward system of evaluation.
  • Canadian public universities, even the large ones, are usually, very user-friendly.
  • Canada is more tolerant of differences – a multicultural country.

Social Advantage: 

  • Role models for the local players
  • Friends / Family established networks
  • Many athletes that leave to study remain in the location/country they study in… πŸ€” (parents are you going to be okay with that?)