If you participated in this survey, thank you, and count yourself among the more than 16,000 respondents and growing! By participating, you have contributed to Waterloo’s vision of a more equitable work and learning environment for all.
We are pleased to share highlights from the student equity survey, including responses from both undergraduate and graduate students. To learn more about the survey's development, implementation and data management, go to Equity Survey.
Survey overview
The Waterloo Equity 2021 survey collected self-reported demographic data from June to October 2021 to help us better understand the diversity of our community. The survey included confidential self-identification across 8 survey demographic dimensions:
- Indigenous identity
- disability
- gender identity
- sexual identity
- racial identity
- religion or spiritual affiliation
- first generation in family to attend university
- Canadian residency status
Student equity survey results
Jump to: Indigenous identity | Racial identity | Disability | Gender identity | Pronoun use | Sexual identity | Religion or spiritual affiliation | Family education background | Canadian residency status
Indigenous identity
Waterloo student survey respondents were asked if they identified as an Indigenous person. Only students of the Waterloo community who responded to the survey and identified as an Indigenous person (n=174) are included.
- Overall, 1% of respondents identified as Indigenous
- This rate is consistent across undergraduate (1%) and graduate (2%) survey respondents.
- Of the students who self-identified as Indigenous, just over six in ten (61%) indicated they were from Canada
- Just over one-third (36%) indicated they were an Indigenous person from outside Canada
- Of the students who self-identified as Indigenous persons from Canada, 54% identify as First Nations and 41% identify as Métis. There were not enough respondents who identified as Inuit / Inuk to present a percentage (i.e., less than 5%) and almost half (45%) of respondents selected multiple response options between First Nations, Métis and Inuit / Inuk
Reporting on Indigenous Data
We live and work together on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Data collected on Indigenous peoples belongs to the peoples of those communities. Equity survey data related to Indigenous peoples falls under the custody of the university and the stewardship of the Office of Indigenous Relations, and is reported in consultation with them. Data is treated according to Indigenous principles, including those described by Fair and Care and the First Nations Principles of OCAP, and data management and confidentiality practices will align with the principle that identity must be protected both individually and collectively. Indigenous research-related data will be handled in accordance with Tri-Agency policy on Indigenous research and data management, that focuses on Indigenous peoples engagement on any and all research involving Indigenous participants.
We acknowledge that any reports we prepare are affected by the influence of the colonial systems in which we are enmeshed. Efforts to mitigate that impact include ongoing training in Indigenous data management, facilitated by the University of Winnipeg and Kishaadigeh: The Manitoba Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research, as well as consultations about reports including Indigenous data with Indigenous Initiatives. Equity Survey data related to Indigenous peoples falls under the custody of the university and the stewardship of the Office of Indigenous Relations, and is developed, analyzed and reported in consultation with them.
Racial identity
Respondents were asked to select the racial identity with which they primarily identified. Respondents were able to select more than one option, and specify another racial identity not listed. The categories “mixed” and “biracial” were added to the results because they were frequently listed by respondents in the “another race category” option.
The racial identity categories in the survey are as follows:
| Racial category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Black | African, Afro-Caribbean, Black-Canadian, Afro-Latine, African-American, or other African descent |
| East Asian | Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or other East Asian descent |
| Latine | Latin American, Hispanic descent |
| Middle Eastern | Afghan, Egyptian, Iranian, Lebanese, Turkish, Kurdish, or other Arab or Persian descent |
| South Asian | East Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Indo-Caribbean, or other South Asian descent |
| Southeast Asian | Filipino, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, or other Southeast Asian descent |
| White | British, German, Ukrainian, or other European descent |
- More than one-third (38%) of all Waterloo student survey respondents identified primarily as white.
- Almost three in 10 (29%) identified as East Asian and two in 10 (19%) as South Asian.
- Undergraduate students: white 37%, East Asian 32%, and South Asian 20%
- Graduate students: over four in 10 identified as white (41%) and fewer than two in 10 identified as South Asian (19%) and East Asian (18%). More than one in 10 (12%) identified as Middle Eastern
Disability
In the Equity survey, disability was defined as: physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, developmental, cognitive, learning, communication, or sensory impairment or a functional limitation or difference that could be permanent, temporary, or episodic in nature. It could be readily evident or invisible.
When a respondent identified that they experienced a disability, they were also asked to identify the form of those disabilities. Options provided were not meant to be comprehensive as disability experience is very diverse and always changing. Respondents were able to select all forms of disabilities that applied and offered an opportunity to add any additional disabilities not included in the list provided.
Among the student respondents who reported that they had a disability:
- More than one in 10 (12%) reported they had a disability, this was slightly higher for undergraduate students (13%) than for graduate students (11%)
- Mental health (69%) and neurodivergence (42%) were selected most frequently, followed by cognitive or learning disability (10%) and an ongoing medical condition (9%)
- Most frequently reported disabilities among undergraduate students: 71% mental health, 42% neurodivergent, cognitive or learning disability (10%), Ongoing medical condition (8%)
- Most frequently reported disabilities among graduate students: 60% mental health, 43% neurodivergent, Cognitive or learning disability (12%), Ongoing medical condition (12%)
- 43% of respondents selected more than one response option, indicating more than one disability. This was a multiple response question. Respondents could select more than one response option.
- woman includes cis women, trans women, and everyone else who identifies as a woman; and man includes cis men, trans men, and anyone else who identifies as a man
- More Waterloo student survey respondents reported that they identified as women (52%) than men (45%)
- 6% reported an other gender identity (non-binary, trans, questioning, gender non-conforming, agender or two-spirit).
- Distributions were similar among undergraduate students and graduate students
- More than half of University of Waterloo students who responded to the survey (53%) reported that they use the she pronoun series
- 45% reported using the he pronoun series
- Fewer than one in 10 (6%) use the they pronoun series
- Undergraduate students: she pronoun series 54%, he pronoun series 45%, they pronoun series 6%;
- Graduate students: she pronoun series 53%, he pronoun series 46%, they pronoun series 5%
- Nearly three-quarters (73%) of all Waterloo student survey respondents identified as heterosexual / straight
- One in 10 (11%) identified as bisexual
- Fewer respondents identified as asexual (6%), questioning (4%), queer (4%), gay (3%), pansexual (2%), or lesbian (2%)
- Almost half (49%) of all Waterloo student survey respondents reported that they had no religious affiliation; 50% of undergraduate and 47% of graduate students.
- Nearly one-quarter (24%) of students (24% undergraduate and 22% graduate students) reported that they identified as Christian.
- Fewer than one-quarter (22%) of all student survey respondents were among the first generation to attend university.
- Among undergraduates, the proportion decreased to two in 10 (20%), and among graduate students, it increased to almost three in 10 (29%).
- Almost three-quarters (74%) of undergraduate students reported Canadian residency while more than half (55%) of graduate students reported the same.
- Two out of 10 (20%) undergraduate students and more than one-third of graduate students (36%) reported that they held a work / study permit.
- Five per cent of all students reported that they were a permanent resident, while slightly fewer (4%) of undergraduate students and slightly more (7%) of graduate students reported the same.
- More than half (52%) of all student respondents reported that they were born in Canada (51% of undergraduate students and 40% of graduate students.
- Similar proportions of all students (23%), undergraduate students (23%) and graduate students (21%) reported that they have lived in Canada for five years or longer.