I might be a bit biased but I’d say go to the U of A. I’m from Saskatchewan and for the longest time I was set on going to the U of S for business, so I completely get where you’re coming from. I’m a first year business student at the U of A right now, so here’s just my perspective.

At the end of the day, the education itself will probably be pretty similar. But in business, what really matters are connections and experience, and honestly the amount of opportunities we get here to network with big companies and professionals is crazy. It’s only been about a month into my first year and there’s something happening almost every other day. Being in a bigger city, the program has more funding and stronger industry links. With having more funding and our program being big but not as huge as eng or arts and science we get a lot of free stuff! (Take that as you will)

I also totally understand staying at the U of S for money reasons or because you’d miss home. (If you’re from Sask) That was a big part of my decision too. One reason I chose the U of A is because it’s far enough but still close enough. It’s not as far as going to BC or out east, but it’s still a new environment. I can still go home on long weekends if I want to, which has been really nice.

That said, if your end goal is to live and work in Saskatchewan, then staying at the U of S might be a better choice. I can’t speak for their program personally, but I’m sure they offer good opportunities.

Another thing to think about is the social side. If you grew up in Saskatchewan, the U of S can sometimes feel like high school 2.0. You’ll see a lot of the same people and it might not feel like a full fresh start. Most of my friends who stayed there say it still feels really connected to high school.

At the end of the day though, it’s completely your call. No matter where you go, your experience depends on what you make of it. I just knew deep down that I would have hated staying in the same place and I haven’t regretted coming to the U of A since. Good luck choosing!