University of Waterloo

Founded 1957 | Waterloo, ON

The University of Waterloo is a research mecca. Engineering 7 is home to 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 recently 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.

• Recreation and Leisure Studies: Students learn how to create engaging recreation programs for individuals and communities. Co-op and practicums deliver industry-related experience.

• Mathematics/Financial Analysis and Risk Management: Draw on math, accounting and economics to calculate odds and risk. Students can specialize in chartered financial analysis or risk management.

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)

$6,869

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 85% | Science: 85% | Commerce: 85-92% | Engineering: 85%

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 34,069 | Part-time: 1,492

Graduates: Full-time: 5,077 | Part-time: 1,374

International Students: First-year: 16.4% | Graduate: 44.1%

Male-Female Ratio: 53 to 47

Housing Facts

Residence Spaces: 6,721 (5,507 reserved for first-year students)

Residence Costs: Double room: $6,128 | Single room: $6,831

Double room with meals: $11,658 to $12,458

Single room with meals: $12,361 to $13,161

Apartment-style: $6,436 to $7,367

Cool Courses

• How Pandemics Change the World: From antiquity to the present day, explore the causes and social impacts of pandemics.

• Introduction to Nanomaterials Health Risks: Examine the risks and benefits of these new materials.

Student Life on Campus

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