Concordia University is a public university in Montreal, formed in 1974 from the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University.
Concordia University is located in the multicultural City of Montreal. The university was officially founded on August 24, 1974, following the merger of Loyola College and Sir George Williams University. It adopted its name from Montreal's motto, Concordia salus, which means "well-being through harmony." By the 2023-24 academic year, student enrolment stood at 49,714, more than double the number at its founding.
Loyola College grew out of the English-language program of Collège Sainte-Marie, a Jesuit college founded in 1848. Sir George Williams University earned its university charter, under which Concordia currently grants degrees, in 1948. In 2019, Concordia welcomed Ursula Eicker as the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities.
The university has five faculties and schools listed, including the Faculty of Fine Arts, the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, and the John Molson School of Business. Concordia is ranked #1 in Canada for its Best On-Campus MBA by The Princeton Review's Best Business Schools for 2027. Its strategic plan is anchored by nine distinctive strategic directions, launched as part of the Strategic Directions initiative in January 2015.
Concordia has received more than $35 million in Canada Foundation for Innovation funding since the Government of Canada created the program in 1997. In 2022, the university launched the Applied AI Institute to advance interdisciplinary AI research and partnerships in fields such as health care, cybersecurity and smart cities.
The university has two campuses, the Loyola Campus and the Sir George Williams Campus. Listed facilities include a library, a Grey Nuns silent reading room, labs, studios, galleries, theatres, a startup incubator, residences, food and dining areas, and health and wellness services. Support spaces include the Otsenhákta Student Centre for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students, the Student Parents Centre, the PERFORM Centre at Loyola, and Le Gym.
Concordia publishes separate undergraduate admission routes for students in Quebec, students outside Quebec in Canada, Indigenous students in Canada, and U.S. and international students. Graduate admission information is also available on the university website.