University of Waterloo
Founded 1957 | Waterloo, ON
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.
Standout Programs
• Climate and Environmental Change: Learn skills to help build a low-carbon future through classes, labs and field research. The program emphasizes tools such as computer modelling and includes co-op.
• Physics and Astronomy: Students use physics and math to understand space, including the formation, structure and evolution of the universe. There are opportunities for co-op and research.
• Science and Business: This program combines a strong foundation in the sciences with a range of business courses. Get paid work experience through co-op.
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$6,843
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 80% · Science: 80% · Commerce: 80-92% · Engineering: 88%
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 34,370 · Part-time: 1,650
Graduates: Full-time: 4,850 · Part-time: 1,418
International Students: First-year: 22.6% · Graduate: 39.5%
Male-female Ratio: 53 to 47
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 6,721 (5,675 reserved for first-year students)
Residence Costs: Double room: $6,008 · Single room: $6,697 · Double room with meals: $11,208 to $12,008 · Single room with meals: $11,897 to $12,697 · Apartment-style: $6,384 to $7,224