About Waterloo

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Waterloo was born with innovation and entrepreneurship in its DNA: we were the first university in Canada to give students practical work experience as part of their education.

Since that first class of 74 students in 1957, we've grown into one of Canada's top-ranked universities and offer North America's largest co-op program. Many of our programs and departments, such as engineering, computer science, geography, tourism, physics, statistics, sociology, and psychology, rank among the best in the world.

Quick stats

  • Home to 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate Dr. Donna Strickland, only the third woman in history to receive the prestigious honour
  • Home to four University Colleges, smaller communities that offer residence and academic programs
  • Stay fit and active through one of Canada's largest campus recreation programs
 
graduation rate vs. 76.9% for all Ontario universities
of Waterloo co-op grads work in positions related to their degree six months after graduation vs. 79% of all Ontario graduates
of our 33,000 undergraduate students are women
of our undergraduate students are international

Among the world's top 25 universities for graduate employability

No school can guarantee your success after graduation, but we come close. We're ranked among the top 25 universities in the world for producing the most employable graduates, based on our

  • reputation with employers,
  • alumni outcomes,
  • partnerships with employers.
  • employer/student connections,
  • graduate employment rate, and
 

Through co-op and many of the professional development opportunities available to all Waterloo students (not just those in co-op), we'll connect you with global employers and give you the tools to develop the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed.

2 students studying at table in QNC with rock garden behind

100majorsMany allow you to combine areas of interest to develop a degree that's unique to you

View a list of majors.

211student clubsHave fun and meet people with similar interests!

Discover Waterloo's clubs.

7100co-op employersExplore careers and gain experience before you graduate

Learn about co-op programs.

12.9billion dollarsin funding raised by 474 student and alumni entrepreneurs (Pitchbook 2020)

Own your ideas

Unlike most universities, Waterloo’s intellectual property policy gives ownership rights to the inventor, not the university. So whether you’re a first-year student or professor, you can take your ideas and make them your own.

An environmental leader

From Canada's largest faculty dedicated to the environment, our Sustainability Office, research centres, student groups, and academic programs that focus on the environment, there are many ways at Waterloo to work towards a more sustainable future.

 

If this sounds like the place for you, discover our 100+ programs or download program brochures to learn more.