Economic Impact Report

University of Waterloo Economic Impact Report

The University of Waterloo has a significant economic impact across Ontario and Canada, and around the world. In 2017/18, Waterloo's operating expenditures alone contributed $1.52 billion to Canada's GDP. The 2019 assessment by Deloitte found that the University “is successfully contributing to innovation and entrepreneurship ... a critical issue for Canadian economic competitiveness.”

Quick facts (2018/19)

Research for impact

  • $458 million to Ontario's GDP from the University's research 
  • Waterloo is advancing research and scholarship on some of society’s most complex challenges and opportunities

Entrepreneurial culture

  • $170 million to Canada's GDP from Velocity and Accelerator Centre programs 
  • More than 7,500 jobs were created from Waterloo's entrepreneurship programs over the last decade

Workforce for the future

  • $567 million to Canada's GDP from Waterloo's co-op program
  • $525 million in employer gains from the co-op program across 60 countries

To view the methodology used to calculate these figures, please download the full 2019 Economic Impact Assessment.