Wilfrid Laurier University

Founded 1911 | Waterloo, ON

Wilfrid Laurier University is an integral part of the Kitchener–Waterloo and Brantford communities. The Waterloo campus is squeezed mostly onto a single city block. The impressive Lazaridis Hall, which has won design awards, houses the school of business and economics, the math department and the StartUp Lab. Brantford campus students enjoy an athletic and recreation facility jointly run with the YMCA in downtown Brantford. Students at the Waterloo campus benefit from the city’s status as one of the world’s fastest-growing tech sectors in a region with the world’s second-highest start-up density after Silicon Valley.

But it’s not all about profits—Laurier students give back. International Students Overcoming War helps refugees and international students from war-torn countries study in Canada. Last year, nearly 18,000 students participated in experiential learning opportunities, including co-op, field placements, lab experiences, workplace projects and community service learning. The university has 23 research centres and institutes, including ones dedicated to cold regions research, women in science, international migration and sustainable food systems.

“When students enrol at Laurier, they are joining a university that fosters academic excellence and a sense of community,” says president Deborah MacLatchy. “Our emphasis on experiential and entrepreneurial learning ensures students are equipped for a future in an increasingly complex world.”

Standout Programs

• Business Administration: The program offers a solid foundation, 10 business concentrations, and practical experience through case competitions and co-op.

• Data Science: Through studies in math, stats and computer science, students learn to analyze big data. Co-op and opportunities for summer research projects with professors are available.

• Social Work: Students get experience through two field placements in community settings. The program includes an option to focus on Indigenous topics.

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)

$7,401

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 70-80% | Science: 72-91.5% | Commerce: 89-93.5%

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 16,178 | Part-time: 3,915

Graduates: Full-time: 1,164 | Part-time: 1,215

International Students: First-year: 4.6% | Graduate: 14.5%

Male-Female Ratio: 46 to 54

Housing Facts

Residence Spaces: 3,597 (3,434 reserved for first-year students)

Residence Costs: Double room with meals: $12,763 to $14,956

Single room with meals: $12,763 to $14,956

Apartment-style: $5,728 to $9,671

Cool Courses

• Myths, Monsters and Machines: The Fantastic in Popular Culture: Explore what it means to be human while considering representations of nonhuman beings.

• How to Change the World: Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship: An analysis of different models of social entrepreneurship and how these, as well as other modes, can generate social change.

Student Life on Campus

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