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.
Based on the number of alumni entrepreneurs who have raised venture capital in the last decade. The rankings are powered by PitchBook data and analyzed more than 150,000 VC-backed founders.
Academic Ranking of World Universities 2023
Waterloo ranks #1 in Canada for each of these areas.
- Computer science and engineering
- Electrical and electronic engineering (18th in the world)
- Environmental science and engineering (12th in the world)
- Hospitality and tourism management
- Material science and engineering
- Mechanical engineering
- Physics
- Remote sensing
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.
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
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.
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.