Students from across Canada and around the world choose Waterloo each year because of our reputation as one of North America's top universities.
Many of our undergraduate programs (for high school and transfer students) and our graduate programs rank among the best in the world.
PitchBook, which tracks investments in venture capital and private equity markets, found that Waterloo produced 562 founders with undergraduate degrees and 478 companies which raised $20 billion USD in capital over the last decade. Source: 2024 PitchBook university rankings.
QS World University Rankings 2024
Subjects where Waterloo ranks in the top five in Canada
- Architecture / built environment
- Chemical engineering
- Civil and structural engineering
- Computer science
- Electrical and electronic engineering
- Environmental sciences
- Geography
- Material Science
- Mathematics
- Mechanical engineering
- Physics and astronomy
- Statistics
U.S. News and World Report Best Global Universities 2024-25
Waterloo ranks #1 in Canada
- Chemical engineering
- Electrical and electronic engineering (34th in the world)
- Engineering (46th in the world)
- Mechanical engineering (52nd in the world)
- Nanoscience and nanotechnology (70th in the world)
Top 3 in Canada
- Computer science (2nd in Canada, 56th in the world)
- Civil engineering (2nd in Canada, 71st in the world)
- Materials science
- Artificial intelligence
- Chemistry
Nobel Prize in Physics
Physics and Astronomy professor Donna Strickland earned a Nobel Prize in Physics for her breakthrough work on chirped pulse amplification in lasers which helped develop technology such as eye surgery, laser printers, and scanners used in retail stores.
Dr. Strickland became only the third woman in history to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Academic Ranking of World Universities 2024
#1 in Canada
- Hospitality and tourism management (13th in the world)
- Remote sensing (16th)
- Water resources (24th)
- Physics (38th)
- Energy science and engineering (44th)
Top 50 in the world
- Telecommunications engineering (15th)
- Electrical and electronic engineering (28th)
- Environmental science and engineering (36th)
- Computer science and engineering (43rd)
Ignition Schools celebrates the top 50 universities worldwide that play a pivotal role in shaping the future economy by generating groundbreaking research, producing top-tier graduates, and fostering entrepreneurship.
The ranking includes factors such as the research impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and research centres with a focus on sustainability.
Social impact rank includes issues such as employability, health and wellbeing, equality, and knowledge exchange.
A community focused on education
With more than 50,000 university and college students, one of the youngest populations in Canada, and internationally-recognized think tanks, Waterloo Region is a great place to study and live.