Laurier traces its roots to the opening of the Evangelical Lutheran Seminary in Waterloo more than 100 years ago in 1911. We’ve gone through several changes since then, and in 1973 our name changed from Waterloo Lutheran University to Wilfrid Laurier University. In 1999, we opened our campus in Brantford and we welcomed our first Laurier Milton students in September 2024.
Laurier offers an exceptional range and depth of study. Our students can choose from more than 100 academic programs, taught by award-winning faculty.
Our faculty are not just people who stand in front of a lecture hall. They explore student-centred learning and collaborative teaching in active learning classrooms, taking learning beyond the classroom walls into the community. They are leaders, innovators and trendsetters who work to actively engage their students – helping you to find your passion, connect with your learning material, and focus on your personal growth.
Laurier offers plenty of opportunities to do hands-on research, whether you want to work with nanomaterials or disadvantaged children. Our faculty members pride themselves on their mentoring skills and it’s not unusual to see world-class professors working closely with motivated students, both undergraduate and graduate.
Career and Employment Support
The Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (CSEDI) works to cultivate a culture on campus that respects and promotes equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and social justice in all aspects of Laurier – from classrooms to residence communities.
On our Waterloo and Brantford campuses, residence is a key way first-year Golden Hawks connect, grow and settle into university life. Immerse yourself in a community of support from your first day at Laurier, where staff and upper-year students are committed to your personal growth, development and safety. Our residence buildings are more than just a place to sleep and study. Living in residence gives you lots of opportunities to get involved, both across campus and within your building, which can support a quicker, easier transition to university.
The Laurier Library of the 21st century is the intellectual and cultural heart of Laurier, bringing together resources, research and scholarly publishing and an experiential place for community, creative expression and making. We continue to provide the digital resources, books, instruction sessions and study spaces that inspire our users to achieve excellence in their research, work and lives.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) collaborates with departments from across the Laurier community to offer online services that help make student life at Laurier easier.
We use a circle of care model that incorporates specialties from a diverse, multidisciplinary team. Students who use the Student Wellness Centre have access to a number of wellness professionals to enhance their health and wellbeing while they are here at Laurier:
Wilfrid Laurier University’s two biggest campuses are in Waterloo and Brantford, but we also have a Faculty of Social Work in Kitchener, and a new campus in Milton. All of our campuses and locations are about 90 minutes drive (or less!) away from Toronto, Canada’s biggest city.
Laurier's Waterloo, Brantford and Milton campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples.
The Athletic Complex in Waterloo includes an Olympic-size pool, a triple gymnasium, dance studios, and a large fitness centre. Outside, Alumni Field offers a full-sized, FIFA-certified, artificial surface for both intramurals and club teams. University Stadium is home to Golden Hawk football, soccer, rugby and lacrosse.The Laurier Brantford YMCA has an aquatics centre with a two-tank pool, a double and a single gym, a fitness centre with state-of-the-art equipment and Wi-Fi capabilities for fitness programs, three studios, multi-purpose spaces, and a lounge for Laurier students.
There are several student-run organizations at Laurier, including the Laurier Students' Union, the Graduate Students' Association (GSA) and Student Publications, the latter of which is home to the students papers The Cord (Waterloo) and The Sputnik (Brantford), Radio Laurier and more.
AACSB, CPA
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 52 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 1310 | 1507 | 1559 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 801 | 1201 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Based on 47 reviews
The spirit of Wilfrid Laurier is unmatched to any other school. In terms of inclusion, Laurier has a huge number of Clubs and Associations that are constantly recruiting anybody and everybody. As a communications major, I find my programme particularly amazing. As a student that did not have one specific aspiration post high-school graduation, enrolling in communications was one of the best decisions I've made. With a degree as diverse as communications, I've opened an eye toward positions in Public Relations, Marketing, Media, and Human Resources. The faculty of the school is always excited to support your success, and it equipped with incredible resources for all students.
Overall, I had a really positive experience in the Biology program at Wilfrid Laurier University. The first few years especially were very engaging, and I found the lab components to be one of the strongest parts of the program. The invertebrate and animal science courses stood out the most to me, both because of the course content and the quality of the instructors in both lecture and lab settings. The lab instructors were consistently supportive, approachable, and genuinely passionate about teaching, which made a huge difference in my learning experience. I also really enjoyed the science building and the atmosphere within the biology department. The building is beautiful and always busy with students, which creates a strong sense of community within the sciences. One thing I did notice toward the end of my degree was that upper-year course options started to feel somewhat limited depending on your interests. As someone more interested in health and life sciences, I would have liked to see more anatomy- or physiology-focused biology courses, as well as more upper-year courses with lab components since that�s the environment I learn best in. I also found some of the plant biology courses to overlap quite a bit in structure and content, which made parts of the program feel repetitive. Overall, I would definitely recommend the program, especially for students interested in ecology, environmental biology, animal sciences, and plant sciences. There are a lot of strong options in those areas, excellent instructors, and a very welcoming science community.
Very inclusive environment in the sense that there it feels like a community. However, there could be an improvement in terms of the administrative staff as there isn't a consistency in the information that is being provided to students.
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