Based on its program and research reputation, the Cheriton School of Computer Science has again been ranked number one in Canada, according to the 2025 Maclean’s university rankings. This marks the fifth consecutive year that CS at Waterloo has received this prestigious distinction.
“We’re pleased to see that Waterloo’s computer science program has been recognized as the best in Canada, now for the fifth year in a row,” said Raouf Boutaba, University Professor and Director of the Cheriton School of Computer Science. “Our programmatic and research reputation attracts the best students and faculty to the School, creating a virtuous cycle of talent that fosters excellence. I’d like to extend my congratulations to our undergrads, grads and faculty whose hard work and achievements sustain this reputation.”
The Cheriton School of Computer Science brings together more than 100 professorial, emeritus and teaching stream faculty members, 60 administrative, instructional and technical staff, and more than 4,000 undergraduate students and 400 graduate students.
The Cheriton School of Computer Science is home to eleven Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, ten Fellows of the Association for Computing Machinery, and seven Fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. We also have many winners of awards and honours from other prestigious national and international research societies and associations. Many of our faculty have been recognized for the excellence of their teaching by various awards within the Faculty of Mathematics and by the University of Waterloo.
This year marks Maclean’s 34th annual university rankings, continuing a tradition established in 1991 to provide essential information in a comprehensive package to help students choose the university that best meets their needs.
Maclean’s ranks institutions in five broad areas based on 12 performance indicators, allocating a weight to each indicator. Figures for the ranked universities include data from their federated and affiliated institutions, using the most recent and publicly available data. Find out more about Maclean’s university program ranking methodology for 2025.