{"id":"e182","name":"University students in Toronto","type":"profile","typeLabel":"Audience profile","tags":["students","university","youth","campus","international students","part-time work","cost of living","U of T","York","TMU"],"what":"Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at the three large universities in the Toronto area (University of Toronto, York University, Toronto Metropolitan University), mostly aged 17-24, mostly living off campus, and mostly working part-time while they study.","languages":[],"reachNum":null,"reachUnit":"see facts","reachSource":null,"reachSeen":null,"website":"https://www.utoronto.ca/about-u-of-t/quick-facts","contact":{"route":"See the organizations listed under Where they gather","url":null,"email":null},"welcomes":[],"now":"","sources":["https://www.utoronto.ca/about-u-of-t/quick-facts","https://www.yorku.ca/about/","https://futurestudents.yorku.ca/your-community/international-students","https://www.torontomu.ca/content/dam/university-planning/student_enrolment_overview/Student_Overview_2024-25_update.pdf","https://www.torontomu.ca/budget/FAQ/","https://heqco.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Demographics-FORMATTED.pdf","https://www.utoronto.ca/news/campus-housing-u-t-create-thousands-new-residence-spaces-within-next-decade","https://www.yorku.ca/housing/keele-campus/","https://www.torontomu.ca/housing/future-students/residence-buildings/","https://assets.nationbuilder.com/casaacae/pages/4311/attachments/original/1742393499/Research_Report_-_PSE_Students_Struggle.pdf","https://www.canadianelectricalwholesaler.ca/labour-force-august-2026/","https://www.utsu.ca/","http://www.yfs.ca/","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Metropolitan_Students%27_Union","http://www.excal.on.ca/about-us/","https://thevarsity.ca/about/","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eyeopener","https://kpe.calendar.utoronto.ca/sessional-dates"],"verified":"checked","approach":"Every line carries its source and year. Use the size numbers to judge fit, the channels to decide where to show up, and the dates to time it. Check the source before you quote it.","eligibility":null,"cost":null,"profileKind":"audience","facts":[{"label":"University of Toronto enrolment (three campuses)","value":"103,140 students (81,412 undergraduate, 21,728 graduate), Fall 2025; 17,668 new undergraduate entrants; 1,800+ student clubs and organizations","year":"2025-26","source_url":"https://www.utoronto.ca/about-u-of-t/quick-facts","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"University of Toronto international students","value":"27,897 = 27% of enrolment, from 176 countries and territories","year":"2025-26","source_url":"https://www.utoronto.ca/about-u-of-t/quick-facts","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"York University enrolment","value":"53,500+ students in 200+ degree programs; 12%+ are first in their family at university","year":"2026","source_url":"https://www.yorku.ca/about/","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"York University international students","value":"10,000+ international students from 175+ countries","year":"2026","source_url":"https://futurestudents.yorku.ca/your-community/international-students","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Toronto Metropolitan University enrolment","value":"47,310 headcount (40,697 undergraduate, 3,386 graduate incl. law), Nov 1 count","year":"2024-25","source_url":"https://www.torontomu.ca/content/dam/university-planning/student_enrolment_overview/Student_Overview_2024-25_update.pdf","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Toronto Metropolitan University international share","value":"Just over 10% of enrolment (vs. a system average close to 20%); 54% of operating revenue from tuition","year":"2026-27 budget FAQ","source_url":"https://www.torontomu.ca/budget/FAQ/","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Age profile (Ontario postsecondary students)","value":"71% aged 17-24 (Canada: 66%)","year":"2021-22","source_url":"https://heqco.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Demographics-FORMATTED.pdf","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Where U of T students live","value":"Only about 10% live on campus; up to 5,000 new residence spaces planned over a decade","year":"2025","source_url":"https://www.utoronto.ca/news/campus-housing-u-t-create-thousands-new-residence-spaces-within-next-decade","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Where York students live","value":"4,000+ students live on campus in 16+ residence buildings on two campuses (of 53,500+ students)","year":"2026","source_url":"https://www.yorku.ca/housing/keele-campus/","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Where TMU students live","value":"About 1,144 residence beds in three buildings (of 47,310 students)","year":"2026","source_url":"https://www.torontomu.ca/housing/future-students/residence-buildings/","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Annual cost of living for a Canadian post-secondary student (CASA/Abacus, n=1,500)","value":"$21,890 per year: rent $11,704, other living $9,623, school costs $5,365, transport $2,198; 61% of funding from parental savings","year":"2024","source_url":"https://assets.nationbuilder.com/casaacae/pages/4311/attachments/original/1742393499/Research_Report_-_PSE_Students_Struggle.pdf","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Working while studying (CASA/Abacus survey of Canadian students)","value":"66% work during the academic year (81% in summer), averaging 11.1 hours per week","year":"2024","source_url":"https://assets.nationbuilder.com/casaacae/pages/4311/attachments/original/1742393499/Research_Report_-_PSE_Students_Struggle.pdf","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Financial hardship and mental health (CASA/Abacus survey of Canadian students)","value":"40% skipped meals to save money; 19% used a food bank; 24% struggled to pay rent; 31% skipped textbooks; 36% showed negative mental-health outcomes (19% in 2022)","year":"2024","source_url":"https://assets.nationbuilder.com/casaacae/pages/4311/attachments/original/1742393499/Research_Report_-_PSE_Students_Struggle.pdf","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Youth and student unemployment (Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey, August 2026)","value":"Youth 15-24 unemployment 12.9%; returning students 15.9% average May-August 2026 (15.6% in August); Toronto CMA overall 6.7%","year":"2026","source_url":"https://www.canadianelectricalwholesaler.ca/labour-force-august-2026/","tag":"Likely"},{"label":"University of Toronto Students' Union (St. George campus)","value":"Represents 41,000+ students","year":"2026","source_url":"https://www.utsu.ca/","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"York Federation of Students","value":"Represents 50,000+ undergraduate members","year":"2026","source_url":"http://www.yfs.ca/","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"Toronto Metropolitan Students' Union","value":"Represents 45,000+ students","year":"2026","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_Metropolitan_Students%27_Union","tag":"Likely"},{"label":"Excalibur (York campus newspaper) audience","value":"60,000+ students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members; founded 1966","year":"2026","source_url":"http://www.excal.on.ca/about-us/","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"The Varsity (U of T campus newspaper)","value":"Weekly print edition every Monday plus daily online, serving all three campuses; founded 1880","year":"2026","source_url":"https://thevarsity.ca/about/","tag":"Certain"},{"label":"The Eyeopener (TMU campus newspaper) print circulation","value":"10,000 copies per week during the school year","year":"2026","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eyeopener","tag":"Likely"},{"label":"Academic calendar rhythm (U of T 2026-27 sessional dates)","value":"Fall classes begin Sept 8; reading week Oct 26-30; exams Dec 10-22; Winter classes begin Jan 11; reading week Feb 15-19; exams Apr 14-29","year":"2026-27","source_url":"https://kpe.calendar.utoronto.ca/sessional-dates","tag":"Certain"}],"summary":"About 204,000 students across three universities: U of T 103,140 (Fall 2025), York 53,500+ and TMU 47,310 (2024-25); international share runs from just over 10% (TMU) to 27% (U of T).","howTo":"Three institutions concentrate the audience, so work through the bodies that already have everyone's attention: the student unions (UTSU 41,000+, TMSU 45,000+, YFS 50,000+ members), U of T's 1,800+ clubs, and the weekly campus papers (The Eyeopener 10,000 copies a week, Excalibur audience 60,000+). Because only about 10% of U of T students live on campus, pair campus posters and club channels with online and transit-corridor placements. Time activity to the term rhythm (class starts in early September and mid-January, quiet during the Dec 10-22 and Apr 14-29 exam windows) and lead with money and jobs: 66% work during term, 40% skip meals to save, and returning students faced 15.9% unemployment in summer 2026.","gathersAt":["University of Toronto (St. George, Mississauga, Scarborough campuses)","York University (Keele, Glendon, Markham campuses)","Toronto Metropolitan University (downtown campus)","University of Toronto Students' Union (UTSU)","York Federation of Students (YFS)","Toronto Metropolitan Students' Union (TMSU)","U of T student clubs (1,800+)","The Varsity (U of T)","The Eyeopener (TMU)","Excalibur (York)","Campus residences (York 4,000+ residents; TMU ~1,144 beds)"],"hiringNow":null,"extraLinks":{},"place":{"country":"Canada","cc":"CA","region":"Ontario","city":"Toronto","scope":"metro","label":"Toronto & GTA"},"intents":{"reach":true,"grow":null,"job":false,"volunteer":false,"specialist":null,"opps":false,"housing":false,"money":false,"info":true,"marriage":false},"minAge":null,"district":null,"costBand":"Not stated","reachBand":null,"guideTitle":"How to use this","added":"2026-09-30","applicationProcess":null,"requiredDocuments":null,"waitTime":null,"hours":null,"accessibility":null,"whatNext":null,"topics":["students","youth"],"channels":[],"welcomesRaw":[],"checked":"2026-09-30","checkEvery":180,"reachKind":"none","map":null,"spaceKind":null,"steps":[],"phone":null,"format":null,"rules":null,"order":null,"free":false,"waliRole":null,"mixing":null,"maxAge":null,"routes":[],"spaceCount":0,"routeCount":0,"primaryRoute":null,"stale":false,"staleDays":0,"checkedNote":"Facts read from the source pages on 2026-09-30; spaces read from their site on 2026-09-30; re-checked every 180 days.","status":"listed","spaces":[],"missing":["organization email (not published on their pages)","office phone (not published on the pages we read)","follower or subscriber counts (platform pages do not expose them to readers; ask the organization or check the platform)","what they welcome from outside parties (their pages do not say)","audience number for the organization as a whole (not public)"]}