University of British Columbia vs Lighthouse Labs vs Canadian Tourism College - CTC vs VanWest College vs Columbia College - CC

Side-by-side comparison from 193 verified student reviews. Scan one row at a time — winners are highlighted

Quick verdict
Higher overall rating: Tie
University of British Columbia: wins 1/5 categories
Lighthouse Labs: wins 0/5 categories
Canadian Tourism College - CTC: wins 0/5 categories
VanWest College: wins 0/5 categories
Columbia College - CC: wins 1/5 categories
VGC International College: wins 3/5 categories
Comparing
Best programme: Arts
Vancouver, Canada
Not rated
Read more reviews
0 reviews
×
Vancouver, Canada
3.50
Read more reviews
2 reviews
×
Best programme: Marketing
Vancouver, Canada
5.00
Read more reviews
1 reviews
×
Best programme: Communication
Best programme: Communications with Business Management
Category ratings
Facilities
4.22
Not rated
Not rated
3.00
4.00
5.00
Win
Location
4.45
Not rated
Not rated
5.00
5.00
5.00
Professors
4.10
Not rated
Not rated
4.50
5.00
5.00
Internationality
4.35
Not rated
Not rated
3.00
3.00
5.00
Win
Student life
4.31
Not rated
Not rated
4.00
4.00
5.00
Win
Value
4.08
Win
Not rated
Not rated
3.50
4.00
4.00
Accommodation
3.86
Not rated
Not rated
3.00
4.00
Win
3.00
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • +Excellent professors and engaging courses
  • +Valuable career preparation and practical learning opportunities
  • +Abundant resources, study spaces, and campus support services

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  • +Supportive and professional instructors and advisors
  • +Creative teaching approach and personalized attention
  • +Close-knit and supportive campus environment
  • +Practical learning and real-world application
  • +Resources and materials for engagement
  • +Passion development and field familiarity
  • +Supportive and helpful teachers
  • +Practical co-op experiences
Cons
  • -Administrative & course selection issues are frustrating.
  • -Social life can feel superficial and exclusive.
  • -Inconsistent teaching quality, with some professors subpar.

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  • -Administrative and management issues cause significant frustration.
  • -Facilities and resources are frequently described as outdated and inadequate.
  • -Course content and teaching methods are often perceived as unengaging and irrelevant.
  • -Administrative and management issues are a recurring problem.
  • -Outdated facilities and insufficient resources are frequently mentioned.
  • -Lack of clear communication and support for students is a common complaint.
  • -Outdated and poorly maintained facilities are a common complaint.
  • -Administrative issues and poor communication are frequently mentioned.
  • -The curriculum and teaching quality are sometimes seen as lacking.
Rating summary
What students say

This institution's surveyed areas reveal a mixed performance. The strongest aspects are Location, scoring 4.45, closely followed by Internationality at 4.35 and Student Life at 4.31. Facilities also received a commendable 4.22 rating. Conversely, Accomodation stands out as the weakest area, with a score of 3.86, while Professors and Value fall within the mid-range.

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This institution demonstrates a notably strong performance in its **Location**, receiving a perfect score. Conversely, **Facilities** and **Accommodation** are identified as the weakest areas, each scoring a 3. The university also received solid ratings for its **Professors** (4.5) and **Student Life** (4), with **Internationality** and **Value** falling in the mid-range.

This institution demonstrates exceptional strengths in its academic offerings and campus environment. Professors and location both received perfect scores, indicating a highly regarded faculty and desirable setting. Student life, facilities, and accommodation are also strong points, scoring a solid 4 out of 5. The university's weakest area is its internationality, with a rating of 3, suggesting room for improvement in global engagement. Overall, the university presents a well-rounded and appealing option.

Remarkably high scores characterize this institution, with exceptional ratings of 5 in Facilities, Professors, Location, Student Life, and Internationality. These areas represent the university's strongest points. Conversely, the Accomodation rating of 3 indicates a relative weakness, while the Value score of 4 suggests a generally positive but not outstanding offering in that regard.

Reviews summary
Highlights

With 4.23/5 stars from 191 reviews, approximately 74% of feedback is positive, highlighting strong academics, professors, and resources. Negative feedback, representing about 1.1%, mentions course selection difficulties and inconsistent professor quality.

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With one positive review out of two, approximately 50% of feedback highlights a supportive campus environment and creative instructors. The average rating is 3.5/5, with no negative reviews.

The sole review is highly positive (100%), awarding 5/5 stars. Students praise opportunities to explore passions and access to resources for real-life practice.

The sole review is highly positive (5/5), praising the Applied Communications course for being helpful to responsible, self-driven students with clear goals. Teachers are noted as very supportive.

Rating distribution
5★
38%
0%
0%
0%
100%
100%
4★
50%
0%
0%
50%
0%
0%
3★
12%
0%
0%
50%
0%
0%
2★
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
1★
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Most useful review
Most liked
Underwhelming

I was there as an exchange student from Europe, attending classes at Sauder Business School and the Mechanical Engineering Department. Studying at UBC is definitely a mixed bag in terms of the quality of education. I did have a few great professors who held wonderfully challenging and well-thought-out classes, making me feel that UBC punches above its weight in terms of educational quality. However, some other lectures were undoubtedly subpar. Grading seemed quite arbitrary at times (moving goalposts seems to be a recurring theme at UBC), and the lectures were not nearly as good as they should have been, in my opinion. It is quite fair to say that other exchange students and I were often shocked that UBC allows these courses to occur annually without making efforts to improve them. At UBC as a whole, less is expected from students than at my home university. I've seen people never show up to class and hold presentations that would never fly at my home uni. Professors seems to welcome all questions even if they are about things a fourth-year engineering student just months before graduation needs to know. I am not sure if UBC ensures that its graduates are adequately educated, and would definitely think twice if I was a recruiter and had to hire someone who attented there. From what I have seen, I would tentatively recommend Sauder Business School. For Mechanical Engineering (and probably also Electrical and Civil Engineering), UBC is simply too small, offering a lack of choices and not many lectures; usually, only introductory courses are offered for most topics. I recommend attending a more engineering/science-focused university, such as Waterloo or others in the US or Europe. It is quite astonishing how much money people pay to attend these subpar classes. Enjoyed having a beach on campus.

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