University of British Columbia vs University of Washington

UBC vs University of Washington

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University of British Columbia is one of the top three universities in Canada and University of Washington ranks within top 25 Universities in USA. 

Overview Comparison
The University of British ColumbiaUniversity of Washington
Collegedunia Score6.7 Out of 107.2 Out of 10
ranking (overall)# 38 QS World University 2025
# 34 QS World University 2024
# 41 Times Higher Education 2024
# 76 QS World University 2025
# 25 Times Higher Education 2024
# 40 US News 2024
Subject Strength# 25 for Engineering by QS World University 2024
# 42 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2024
# 24 for Medicine by QS World University 2024
# 25 for Engineering by US News 2024
# 12 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2024
# 13 for Medicine by US News 2024
ProgramsUG Programs -79
PG Programs -101
Doctorate Programs -3
UG Programs -77
PG Programs -59
Doctorate Programs -2
Acceptance Rate69.0 %45.4 %
Exam ScoreGMAT-550
IELTS-6.5
PTE-65
TOEFL-90
GMAT-560
IELTS-6
SAT-1190
TOEFL-76
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   46295
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  9500
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 29650 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   35166
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  31473
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 26913 Per Year
placement (average package)

Top recruiters at UBC were Deloitte, P&G, Labatt, Netsle, Telus, GE Healthcare, etc. Base salaries offered were around $160,000 for Executive MBA,$91,000 for Master in Finance, $80,000 for MBA,$68,000 for Other Degrees,$67,000 for Master Of Science,$68,000 for Master Of Arts


Employability Ranking- #60 (QS); 93% engineering graduates placed within first placement cycle; Average salary- 78,172 USD; Top recruiters: The Boeing Company, University of Washington, Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp, Expedia Inc.; Highest paying degrees: Doctorate (118,000 USD), Ph.D. (112,000 USD), MBA(111,000 USD), Masters in Science (93,000 USD), BBA (85,000 USD).


application requirements

Core subject requirements like Maths, Science, Language. 
Other subjects may be requried at the basic level depending upon the choice of program

Coallition Essay
Answers to University of Washington Questions
Essay/Profile submitted to UW

Campuses and B-SchoolsSauder School of Business
The University of British Columbia, Okanagan
NA
CollegeDunia Reviews7.2/10 Read 105 reviews7.8/10 Read 6 reviews
General Facts Comparison
General FactsThe University of British ColumbiaUniversity of Washington
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1908
1861
Student:Faculty Ratio15:1
11:1
Male:Female46% Male, 54% Female47% Male, 53% Female
Location Facts

Two campuses: Vancouver and Okanagan; Vancouver is the main campus located at the western tip of Point Grey Peninsula.


Bordered by two lakes of Seattle, Cascade Range view on East, Olympic Mountain view on West, and Red square is the heart of campus. The university has been relocated twice in the past (1876 and 19th century). The main campus lies shores of Portage and Union Bays. 
 


Library

More than 7 million printed books, over 2.1 million ebooks, 5.3 million microforms, and 923000 other multimedia materials.


Largest collection in Pacific Northwest
Won Excellence in Academic Libraries Award
Over 9 million collection of books, microforms, journals, etc
Over 3000 audio records of Pacific Northwest indegineous languages


Campus Life

The campus has Astronomy Club, Beads and Craft Club, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (Great Wall Club), Food Society, Photographic Society, Red Cross International, Ski and Board Club and Vancouver Student Entrepreneurship Association.


Over 60 fraternities and sororities
The Daily: UW Newletter
Over 100 registered student organizations
Ethnic Cultural Center
Museum of Arts and History
Graduate & Professional Student Senate
Varsity sports are a great part of campus life


Hostel#Shared Room - $4855
#Connected Single Room - $5712
#Single Room - $6133
#One Bedroom Apartment - $6452
#On campus - $12117
#Off campus (not with family) - $12117
#Off campus (with family) - $2679
Famous Alumni

Justin Trudeau (PM of Canada), Rick Hansen (Paralympic athlete), Kim Campbell (Former PM of Canada), Evangeline Lilly (Actress), William Gibson (Fiction writer), and Albert Bandura (Psychologist).


Four Nobel laureates, eight Pulitzer prize winners. 
Bill Gates Sr., Bruce Lee, Marilynne Robinson (novelist), Mark Edward Pope (former American basketball coach), Linda Buck (biologist) 


Weather
Comparison Notes

Studying in Canada or USA, can be both beneficial for an international students career. When applying for various universities, it is important for a student to keep in mind parameters like subject rankings, placements, graduate employability, location, campus life, and other parameter when comparing among two universities at two of the most popular study abroad destinations. 

Why Study at University of British Columbia?

  • Lower tuition fees and cost of accommodation.
  • Higher acceptance rate
  • No standardized test score required for admissions in UG programs. 
  • Larger alumni community
  • Ranked better for programs like Psychology, Engineering and Technology.
  • Canada has better student visa acceptance rate and offers higher chances of obtaining a PR. 

Why Study at University of Washington?

  • Choice of programs available is more
  • Exam scores requried for admissions are lower. Both TOEFL and GMAT scores requried to study at University of Washington are lower than UBC. 
  • Better MBA rankings and weighted salaries as per Financial Times. 
  • Bigger library collection
  • More funding opportunities offered to students. 
  • Ranked for its graduate employability by QS Rankings
  • Higher returns on investment. 

Both Canada and USA are two of the top international student destinations. Though for a variety of reasons as mentioned above, University of Washington outstands UBC, but for an international student on a budget UBC can be an apt choice. Additionally for aspirants of engineering degrees, UBC is a better option for its rankings across the world. The decision can also depend on whether you wish to live in the country or move back to home country. Getting a Canadian PR is easier than USA. These are the reasons that can incline a students decision towards University of British Columbia. 

While MBA aspirants, students with lower score on GMAT or TOEFL, those expect better salary packages and want to pursue education at the dream destination for international students- USA can preferably enroll for University of Washington