University in Canada
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
University profile
Wilfrid Laurier University is a public university in Ontario with campuses in Waterloo, Brantford and Milton and a Faculty of Social Work in Kitchener. All campuses and locations are an hour's drive or less from Toronto. Programs span arts and social sciences, business and economics, music, science, social work and education, and the university's research connects interdisciplinary scholarship and creative activity with communities.
Laurier offers undergraduate and graduate degrees through 10 faculties and schools and one federated institution: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Faculty of Music, Faculty of Science, Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work, Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, and the School of International Policy and Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (CIGI Campus). Martin Luther University College is the federated institution, and Wilfrid Laurier International College provides international students with pathways into undergraduate study. Undergraduate students choose from over 100 programs and can add minors, concentrations and specializations; co-op is an option in over 40 programs.
The Waterloo campus occupies one large city block and has more than 18,800 undergraduate and graduate students in Arts, Music, Science, Education, Graduate Studies and the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics. Laurier Brantford, with around 2,700 students, sits in the downtown core in revamped historical buildings and houses the faculties of Liberal Arts and Human and Social Sciences, with programs such as Business Technology Management, Applied Health Science, Education, User Experience Design and Social Work. The Milton campus serves commuter students from Halton Region and the Greater Toronto Area from the Laurier Milton Academic Centre.
Student life includes more than 270 student-led clubs, academic advising, career services and student support services. First-year residence is guaranteed, and Laurier-managed residences are available in Waterloo (dorm and apartment style) and Brantford (apartment style only); Waterloo residence students must have a meal plan, while it is optional in Brantford. Residence learning communities, learning clusters in Brantford, first-year leadership programs and themed environments in Waterloo are open to residence students. Laurier Off-Campus Housing (LOCUS) supports students living off campus.
International students from over 100 countries study at Laurier. International tuition is guaranteed to rise by no more than 5% a year for continuing students in the same program. The institution code for test score submission is 0893.
Applicants entering postsecondary for the first time, with fewer than 4.0 previously attempted university credits or less than one year of full-time college, are automatically considered based on admission average; no application is required. For students entering September 2027 and after: domestic $2,500 (85.0-89.9%), $3,000 (90.0-94.9%), $4,000 (95.0-100%); international $5,000 (up to 94.9%) and $6,000 (95.0-100%). Domestic BBA applicants need 90% or higher. Recipients must register full-time (minimum 2.0 credits per term) in two terms of the first academic year; the amount is split between the first two terms.
Awarded for a final admission average of 95% or higher: $4,000 domestic, $6,000 international. It is renewable in upper years with an annual GPA of 10.5 or higher over at least 5.0 credits. International entrance scholarships are renewable as in-course scholarships ($5,000 with a GPA of 7.0, $6,000 with 10.5).
$500 to $5,000 CAD for incoming international undergraduates showing leadership and purpose in their communities; not based on admission average and requires a separate application.
The Brantford and Milton Entrance Admissions Bursaries are $2,000 one-time awards for domestic Ontario residents starting in-person undergraduate studies in fall 2027 at the respective campus who demonstrate need through OSAP (documents by August 2027). No minimum average applies; international students are ineligible.
More than 700 competitive scholarships and awards ($250 to $5,000 for international students) are available through an online student profile, and in-course scholarships are based on prior-year GPA. The Laurier Work-Study Program offers about 75 on-campus jobs paying up to $3,000 a year (applications early to mid-September), and international students may apply for the International Student Work Experience Program. See Scholarships and Bursaries, Financial Aid and international tuition and scholarships.
Entrance Scholarships (including the President's Gold Scholarship) →
Hallman Foundation Scholars Award →
Joyce Family Foundation Bursary at Laurier Milton Campus →
Browse the scholarships listed for Wilfrid Laurier University and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for Wilfrid Laurier University →Admission is based on the top six 4U and 4M courses. A 4U English course at a minimum of 60% is required (higher for some programs), and every course required by the program must be at a minimum of 60% (higher for some programs). Applicants must complete the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and meet the conditions on their offer. Meeting the average does not guarantee admission; applicants may submit an Applicant Background Summary form to strengthen an application.
Applicants from other provinces are assessed using a Canadian course equivalents chart. IB and AP applicants may receive transfer credit of up to the equivalent of six courses: IB Higher Level courses at a minimum score of 5 with Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay both at final grade B; AP exams completed in grade 11 or 12 at a minimum grade of 4, with official College Board results. Laurier accepts all international curricula for consideration, with requirements listed by region.
Applicants whose three most recent years of full-time education were in English without ESL courses meet the requirement; others provide evidence, and applicants academically qualified for their program may receive a conditional offer. Test results must be from within the past two years. Minimum scores: IELTS Academic or Online 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each band; TOEFL iBT 83 with at least 20 in each component for tests written before January 2026, or 4.5 with at least 4.0 in each section band for tests written from January 2026; PTE Academic 59; Duolingo English Test 120; CAEL Online 70 overall with 60 in each band; LanguageCert Academic 70 with 65 in each skill; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 176. Accepted preparation programs include the Academic Transition Pathway at Wilfrid Laurier International College (completion of ATP I, II or III), Conestoga College English for Academic Studies Level 4 (70% average), Renison University College EFAS Level 400 (75%) and University of Guelph English Language Certificate Program levels 9 and 10 (75%).
Anyone who has attended a postsecondary institution is a transfer student; courses completed at accredited institutions may earn transfer credit if minimum grades are met. Self-identified Indigenous applicants within 5% of the grade cut-off (to a minimum of 70%) may be considered under the Indigenous Admissions Policy after the Indigenous Identity Verification Process. Mature-student admission applies to applicants who have never attended university and either lack the six 4U/M courses with a two-year absence from full-time education, left high school or college without meeting requirements with a two-year absence, or finished high school or a college diploma with an average under 70% and a two-year absence.
Requirements and deadlines are set by each graduate program. Application fees by program type range from $105 to $230 (for example $130 for most Master and PhD programs, $155 for Social Work and Business Administration, $230 for the Master of Finance for international applicants). Contact: [email protected], +1 548 889 5574.
Undergraduate applicants apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) for up to three programs, confirming the campus selected; winter-term international applicants use the Laurier Winter Term Application and part-time applicants the Laurier Part-Time Application. Fall 2027: January 15, 2027 for Ontario high school students and April 1, 2027 for all other applicants. Winter 2027: November 22, 2026. Spring 2027: March 15, 2027. Fall 2027 offers must be accepted by June 1, 2027, which is also the last day to apply for residence. Required documents are submitted through the applicant portal.
Tuition is $36,624 CAD for Arts, Human and Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, Music, Social Work and most Science programs; $44,332 CAD for Business Administration and Business Technology Management; $39,112 CAD for Economics; $39,470 CAD for Computer Science and Data Science.
The Laurier Library includes the Robert Langen Art Gallery, WLU Press, the Laurier Archives, a Library Makerspace and podcasting studios in Waterloo and Brantford.
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