Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is an integral part of the Kitchener-Waterloo and Brantford communities. The Waterloo campus is squeezed mostly onto a single city block. Lazaridis Hall houses the school of business and economics, the math department and the StartUp Lab. Brantford campus students enjoy an athletic and recreation facility jointly run with the YMCA in downtown Brantford. Students at the Waterloo campus benefit from the city’s status as one of the world’s fastest-growing tech sectors in a region with the world’s second-highest startup density after Silicon Valley. A new campus in Milton will welcome its first cohort in September of 2025, with programs including business technology management, computer science and psychology, and software engineering in 2026, pending provincial approval. Each year, approximately 19,500 students participate in over 59,000 experiential learning opportunities, including co-op, field placements, lab experiences, workplace projects and community service learning. The university has 23 research centres and institutes, including ones dedicated to cold regions research, women in science, international migration and sustainable food systems. “When students enrol at Laurier, they are joining a university renowned for its sense of community and supports that ensure academic and personal success,” says president and vice-chancellor Deborah MacLatchy. “With campuses in Waterloo, Brantford, and Milton, Laurier offers exceptional engaged and experiential learning that ensures students are prepared for a future in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.”
Campus buzz: The Seagram Drive Athletics and Recreation facility is undergoing a phased redevelopment, including new turf, lighting, a scoreboard, a winter-use dome and new grandstands.
Quick facts
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$7,801
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 70-82% | Science: 72-89.5% | Commerce: 87.5-96.5%
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 16,385 | Part-time: 3,528
Graduates: Full-time: 1,237 | Part-time: 1,033
International Students: First-year: 3.99% | Graduate: 23.61%
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 3,736 (3,588 reserved for first-year students)
Cost of double room with meals: $14,405 to $16,502
Cost of single room with meals: $15,405 to $16,902
Cost of apartment-style: $8,382 to $10,926
Standout programs
Business Administration: The program offers 10 business concentrations, as well as practical experience through case competitions and co-op placements. Graduates enjoy a 98 per cent employment rate.
Health Sciences: This program prepares students for advanced fields like medicine and pharmacy. It offers hands-on research opportunities, small class sizes and a strong faculty-to-student ratio.
Education: This program offers diverse courses, substantial practice and alternative placements, locally and globally. A teaching option pathway is available in select undergraduate programs.
