The University of Waterloo is a research mecca. Engineering 7 is home to growing biomedical and mechatronics engineering programs, as well as one of the largest robotics and automation research groups in the country. Research leads to entrepreneurship: Velocity is one of the world’s most productive start-up incubators.

A study by Deloitte Canada found that the school’s entrepreneurship programs have generated more than $2 billion in revenue and about 7,500 jobs over roughly a decade. The new Science Innovation Hub links science and business, providing research facilities, including a prototyping lab. Waterloo has been promoting sustainability for decades through one of Canada’s first faculties specifically dedicated to the environment. The school is also home to North America’s largest co-op program.

“The University of Waterloo’s unique mix of academic excellence, career-building opportunities through our world-leading co-op program and culture of bold innovation and entrepreneurship equip our students with the experience, skills and knowledge they need to make a global impact,” says president Vivek Goel. The main campus, with a newly expanded student centre and athletics complex, is enclosed by a ring road, while the southwest campus is home to Laurel Creek and Laurel Lake. Two campuses in nearby Cambridge and Kitchener are dedicated to architecture and pharmacy programs, respectively. A campus in Stratford, dedicated to digital media and interaction design, features an ultra-modern building near the downtown.