Wilfrid Laurier University is a Waterloo, Ontario institution with nine faculties and locations across several Ontario cities.
Wilfrid Laurier University's roots trace to the opening of the Evangelical Lutheran Seminary in Waterloo in 1911. The university is located at 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario. Laurier is devoted to excellence in learning, research, scholarship and creativity, and fosters a culture that inspires lives of leadership and purpose. It is strongly committed to upholding free speech and free expression on its campuses.
Laurier has nine faculties and offers more than 100 academic programs, taught by award-winning faculty. The university advances knowledge and supports high-quality undergraduate, graduate and professional education, with an emphasis on co-curricular development of the whole student. The Faculty of Music hosts more than 100 public concerts, recitals, workshops and other community events every year.
Laurier offers hands-on research opportunities, including for undergraduate students. Most graduate programs and postdoctoral fellowships concentrate heavily on research. Students and postdoctoral fellows have won prestigious provincial and national awards for research on topics such as food security in African cities, forests in the Arctic, spinal cord injury, and Indigenous female identity. In the 2026 Sustainability Impact Rankings, Times Higher Education ranked Laurier among the top 12% of global universities and the top 10 universities in Canada.
Laurier has locations in Waterloo, Brantford, Milton, Kitchener and Toronto. Facilities listed include the Laurier Library, Robert Langen Art Gallery, Library Makerspace, podcasting studios, and Laurier Archives. Laurier Milton is a growing campus community where students can earn a degree close to home, with co-op among its hands-on opportunities. The university has 22 varsity teams, including baseball, basketball, curling, football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, soccer and swimming.
Laurier accepts undergraduate applications from Ontario high school applicants through OUAC. Separate routes are available for students outside Ontario, mature students, other applicant types, and international undergraduate applicants. Graduate admissions are handled through their own process.