2006 Census: Educational Portrait of Canada, 2006 Census: Provincial and territorial highlights

British Columbia: Lowest proportion of adults who had not completed high school

Only 12% of the adult population of British Columbia had not completed high school in 2006, the lowest proportion of all provinces and territories. Conversely, 62% of adults in the province were postsecondary graduates, second to the Yukon Territory.

About 24% of British Columbia's adult population had a university degree; 20% had a college diploma; and 12% had a trades certificate. These proportions were virtually on par with the national averages. An additional 26% of the adult population had a high school diploma.

Of all the provinces, British Columbia had the highest proportion of its adult population that studied outside Canada. Just over one-fifth (22%) of adults aged between 25 and 64 who had a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree had obtained it in another country.

British Columbia had a substantial net inflow of university graduates, about 9,900, between 2001 and 2006. This was the difference between the estimated 36,200 adults with a university degree who settled in British Columbia from other provinces or territories, and the 26,300 who moved out.

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