Backgrounder


Improving Ontario's Postsecondary Education and Creating Jobs

February 1, 2012

Postsecondary education is a key pillar of Ontario's economic strategy to build one of the best-educated workforce in the world to help attract more jobs and new investments. Seven out of every 10 new jobs created in Ontario is expected to require postsecondary education or training.

Building on past success, the government is putting students first to help raise Ontario's postsecondary education attainment rate to 70 per cent. Under the plan, every qualified Ontarian who wants to go to college or university will find a place.

As part of its commitment to creating job opportunities for Ontarians, the government is investing more than $4.8 billion in postsecondary education this school year. In addition, since 2003-04, Ontario has invested more than $2.9 billion to help colleges and universities build state-of-the-art learning spaces and renew campus infrastructure for a growing number of students.

Results Of Postsecondary Investments

More Ontarians Participating

Now, more than ever, every qualified Ontarian has the opportunity to pursue a college or university education or a skilled trade.

  • Two hundred thousand more students are attending colleges, universities or learning a trade since 2002-03.
  • Postsecondary enrolment is growing 5 times faster than it did in the 1990s.
  • Approximately forty per cent of 18 to 24 year olds are attending college or university today — up from 35 per cent in 2002-03.
  • As of 2011-12, the number of graduate students at Ontario universities has increased by 57 per cent since 2002-03.
  • In 2010-11, there were 355,476 students enrolled at Ontario's 20 publicly funded universities, and 178,578 students enrolled full-time at Ontario's 24 publicly funded colleges.
  • Ontario has helped more than 52,000 people enrol in Second Career training.

Better Financial Support for Students

The government is making sure Ontario students have financial support to pursue a college or university education.

  • More than 270,000 students received OSAP funding in 2010-11.
  • More than 300,000 students are eligible to receive the 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant — a new program to keep postsecondary education within all families' reach.
  • Ontario Student Loan default rate has declined to 7.6 per cent in 2010, down slightly from the previous year, and is the lowest rate since the province began measuring the default rate in 1997.
  • The Student Access Guarantee is a promise to every student in Ontario — by government, colleges, and universities — that they will not be prevented from going to college or university because of a lack of financial means.
  • The Ontario Student Opportunity Grant caps annual student debt at $7,300 for a two-term academic year.

Higher Graduation Rates

More access to postsecondary opportunities and improvements to students' learning experiences have led to higher rates of student success at colleges and universities.

  • Seventy-nine per cent of undergraduate students now complete university — up from 74 per cent in 2002-03.
  • Sixty-four per cent of students now graduate from college — up from 57 per cent in 2002-03.

Greater Employment Opportunities for Graduates

Students are getting the high-quality education they need to get good jobs and help Ontario compete in the knowledge economy — now and in the future.

  • In 2010, almost 83 per cent of 2009-10 college graduates were employed within six months of graduation.
  • In 2008, 96 per cent of 2005-06 university graduates were employed within two years of graduation and 85 per cent were employed in careers related to their program of study.