Ottawa is Canada's capital city and one of its most underrated student destinations. Home to the University of Ottawa and Carleton University — two of the country's largest and most respected institutions — the city supports a student population of over 70,000 and offers a quality of life that's hard to match in any other major Canadian centre.
Student housing near the University of Ottawa is concentrated in the Sandy Hill and Lowertown neighbourhoods, both of which are walkable to campus. Carleton University students tend to cluster along Bank Street and in the Glebe. Purpose-built student housing in these areas fills early — often by January for the following September. Canadian Student Living operates communities in Ottawa designed for exactly this market.
Ottawa is a bilingual city, and that bilingualism is woven into daily life, especially at the University of Ottawa. Students with strong French skills or an interest in developing bilingual competency are in the right place: the federal public service, which dominates the local economy, actively prioritizes bilingual candidates.
The federal government and its extended network of agencies, Crown corporations, and NGOs make Ottawa the co-op capital of Canada for students in public policy, political science, economics, law, international development, and science. The Hill internship and co-op pipeline is exceptional, and living near campus in purpose-built student housing keeps you plugged into the social and academic networks that feed those opportunities.
Transit in Ottawa has improved significantly with the Confederation LRT line, which connects downtown, the University of Ottawa, and the broader east-west corridor. For students at Carleton, the O-Train runs directly to campus. Bus service fills in the rest of the network reasonably well, though many students in Sandy Hill find that a bicycle covers most of their daily needs from May to October.
Winters in Ottawa are among the coldest of any major Canadian city. Temperatures regularly drop below -20°C in January, and windchill can make it feel significantly colder. That said, Ottawa embraces winter rather than retreating from it — Winterlude, the Rideau Canal Skateway (the world's largest naturally frozen skating rink), and vibrant indoor social scenes make the season enjoyable for students who come prepared.
The cost of living in Ottawa is moderate by Canadian standards — notably lower than Toronto or Vancouver, with good grocery options, affordable transit, and a reasonable restaurant scene centred around the ByWard Market, Elgin Street, and Westboro. All-inclusive student housing removes the variability of heating bills, which in Ottawa winters can be substantial.
If you're considering student housing in Ottawa near the University of Ottawa or Carleton University, prioritise proximity to your campus or the nearest LRT/O-Train station. Look for all-inclusive leases and professional management — the student rental market in Ottawa can be competitive, and purpose-built housing offers the reliability and community that private rentals rarely match.