Toronto is a hub for almost everything in Canada. You're more likely to find a defensive driving course in Toronto as well as a specialty hospital, theater job, financial services position, etc. So of course there will be more education opportunities here in Toronto than in anywhere else in Canada. One of the largest and most popular post secondary schools in the nation is the University of Toronto. If you're thinking of studying while you're in Toronto or one of your children is thinking of studying, this article should give you an overview of the school so you can see if it's right for you.

The University of Toronto (or U of T, as it is more colloquially known) is a public university founded in 1827. It has a huge endowment of over 1 billion dollars and is home to more than 44,000 students at any one time. That's more than the population of most of Ontario's smaller cities. The University of Toronto has hollowed out a home for itself in the midst of central Toronto. Condos developers would love to get their hands on its 71 acre campus that lies in such a desirable neighborhood just north of the financial district.

Most of the university's students are engaged in studying for their undergraduate degree. Each faculty has its own building and administration and you might need a GTA limo to drive you between them. This creates the feel of several smaller universities rather than one large one. Undergraduate programs offered at the University of Toronto include international relations, film studies, engineering, astrophysics, literary criticism, nursing and theology. There are 18 faculties in all and hundreds of programs to choose from.

The rest of the students are undergoing graduate studies. The University of Toronto has a full range of professional and graduate studies that can help you reach your goal, whether it's to work with dental implants in Toronto or represent immigrants in court in Vancouver. Popular graduate programs include pharmacy, medicine, architecture and landscape design, dentistry, law, and management. U of T is ranked 27th in the world according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities and second in the McLean's magazine rankings of Canadian universities.

Though Canadian universities tend not to give out full ride scholarships to athletes like American universities, there are still more than 40 varsity teams you can play for. Under the colors of blue and white, the U of T Varsity Blues compete in Canadian collegiate football, ice hockey, Nordic skiing, rowing, badminton, fencing, figure skating, water polo, curling, lacrosse, mountain biking, and numerous other sports. Some athletes go on to professional sports, but more end up in real estate services in Toronto or journalism in Halifax and other professions.