- Seven of Waterloo's Recreation and Leisure Studies faculty members are among the approximately 100 individuals who have been elected to the US-based Academy of Leisure Sciences for their career contributions to leisure research.
- The Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences is the largest source of professional ergonomists for Canadian business and industry, and many of its graduates have held leadership positions with the Association of Canadian Ergonomists.
- The School of Public Health Sciences is an international leader in population intervention research. The School leads the way in the creation of research infrastructure, methods, resources, and partnerships for population-level intervention.
- The internationally renowned Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies has been ranked first among the leisure studies departments of 213 North American institutions in terms of research publications in peer-reviewed scholarly leisure journals, and was considered the top-ranking institution in terms of research productivity.
- The Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences is home to the largest group of internationally renowned movement scientists, has the most extensively equipped labs of any kinesiology department, and is the most prolific source of new kinesiology faculty members at other Canadian universities.