When students are weighing their post-secondary options in Canada, academics are typically the primary concern. But if they’re being honest, students probably put just as much weight on the appeal, or lack thereof, of campus life. A university’s location has a huge impact on this appeal, and there are few more attractive places for a young, ambitious Canadian to study than the GTA.
For York University, Canada’s second largest university by enrollment at over 53,000, student life looks different from most other universities. The opening of York University’s new Markham campus has only further solidified its status as the post-secondary institution most fully immersed in the city’s life, nightlife, and business and cultural institutions.
The scale and diversity of York’s student population translates into a huge amount of student-run clubs and organizations – over 300, actually, with more added every semester. Students are encouraged to get involved in cultural, political, and social activities, and the sheer number of them means students can usually find a community that fits their interests.
This drive to achieve meaningful engagement in the community has an outsized impact on the community itself. And so does the proliferation of York University-sponsored events that bring art, athletics, and academic achievements to the streets of Toronto. The university’s size and funding base allow for events at a scale rarely seen at smaller institutions.
York students typically tap into an array of opportunities for on-campus jobs with university services, retail operations, and research projects, in addition to plenty of placements with external partners. Volunteering is also heavily ingrained into campus culture, with students engaging with nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups across Toronto through partnerships brokered by the university.
York students also occupy premium real estate with multiple residence halls and apartment-style housing, available online and throughout the city. They’re able to have easy access to Toronto’s nightlife and cultural events – a major part of the appeal of pursuing higher education in an urban environment. For thousands of small-town Canadians, this is the lifestyle they’ve dreamed of since they were old enough to know what they were missing.
It’s also a chance to find career opportunities that are unique to a major city and a forward-thinking institution like York. The University offers many programs and degrees that are the first of their kind, or at least exceedingly rare, in disciplines like Digital Technologies, Disaster and Emergency Management, Screenwriting, Space Engineering, and Environmental Arts and Justice.
The Markham Campus is contributing to this growth, with students forming new organizations tied to the tech industry and the surrounding community. York’s Keele Campus sits near major transit routes linking to downtown Toronto, while its Glendon campus offers a bilingual community in midtown.
That balance between campus life and the broader cultural and economic life of the GTA is increasingly appealing, particularly for international students. The university is expected to continue building student organizations and events into its urban expansion. For current students, the result is a campus life that reflects the city itself: diverse, fast-growing, and constantly changing.
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