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Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada

May 25, 2023

Wilfrid Laurier University: Rankings, Courses, Admissions, Fees, and Scholarships

Wilfrid Laurier University is a public university, which is popularly known for its diversity within students. It was founded in 1960 and has built 6 campuses to date. Students are welcomed from more than 85 countries across the globe. More than 20,000 students are a part of the Laurier family and approximately 977 students are from other countries. On the campus itself, flags of numerous countries are displayed to comfort international students and to celebrate diversity. 

A low Student-faculty ratio and keen focus on extracurricular activities in Laurier university is what stands out WLU from other Canadian universities and ranks it as one of the best universities in Canada. 

Wilfrid Laurier University Rankings

  • World report and US news ranked Wilfrid Laurier University as the 32nd best university in Canada. 
  • Subsequently, it has been ranked as one of the best universities in Canada for extracurricular practices and accommodation as well.
  • QS world university ranked Laurier University for Business and Management Studies at #401-500 in 2021.
  •  Rating System (STARS) and Sustainability Tracking granted a gold rating to Laurier University in 2019. 

Why study at the university?

  1. Already known for the versatility that the university provides, all backgrounds and communities have equal space and opportunities and give ways to bring “new perspectives, goals by international students” into implementation.
  2. Adding to this, WLU is also maintaining a small student-faculty ratio of 25:1 i.e. approximately only 25 students are being monitored by a single teacher.  
  3. Also, University is popularly approached by various applicants for its mass indulgence in extracurricular activities. 
  4. Students are being proctored by Canada’s award-winning faculty.
  5. Most importantly, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada, provides numerous programs and courses for graduates and under-graduates which apparently celebrates students’ diversity as 900 plus students are from different countries. 

Why study at Wilfrid Laurier University as an international student?

Programs & Courses offered in WLU

Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada, offers various courses and programs for students and has claimed academic excellence in all its programs. 

Undergraduate programs

More than eighty undergraduate programs are offered in WLU. Some popular ones include- Bachelor of Business Administration,  Bachelor of Computer Science,  Bachelor of Design,  Bachelor of Arts,  Bachelor of Laws,  Bachelor of Science, etc.  

Graduate programs

Some mostly approached graduate programs are- Master of applied computing, Master of computer science, Master of business administration, Master of applied politics, etc. 

In addition to undergraduate and graduate programs offered full-time on campus, WLU also provides:

  1. Virtual programs such as policing (BA in combination), public safety (BA), and religion and culture (BA).
  2. Diploma (such as business administration) and certificate programs (such as global crime and justice) programs are also being offered to students.
  3. For the enhancement of degree, students also opt for minors and options such as community engagement, film production, creative writing, and many more. 

Campus and accommodation at Wilfrid Laurier University

Two campuses of Laurier University are located in Waterloo and Brantford. 

Traveling-

  1. Campuses are located in a range of less than 200 km from many international airports (such as Pearson international airport in Toronto i.e. 96 km from the campus).
  2. Traveling in the town is easier via carpool, bike share, or public transport which includes buses and light rail transit. 
  3. As a student at Laurier University, access to discounts in transportation is given.

Residencial information- 

International students are provided accommodation within the campus of Laurier University. To facilitate less waste of time, residence buildings are built near the campus.

  1. Dormitory-style (Waterloo campus) and apartment-style (Waterloo and Brantford campus) are two types of residences available. 
  2. A single dorm can accommodate two students and a single apartment can accommodate a maximum of seven students. Both residences are furnished and have common facilities.
  3. Though, apartment-style offers a personalized kitchen whereas limited cooking facilities are provided in dormitory-style. 
  4. 17 buildings are present in Waterloo on-campus. Nearly 3000 students can be accommodated within the same. 
  5.  On the Brantford campus, five residence halls are available to shelter students in large numbers.
  6. Laurier is also known for its safe community on both campuses.
  7. Professional health care is also provided within the campus.

Admission requirements for international students

Laurier university provides admission to international students with a decent acceptance rate of 89%. Below are given the requirements to meet the eligibility criteria-

REQUIREMENTS UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE
Application portal  Register on LORIS Register on LORIS
Application fee (non-refundable) 55.71 USD 59.69 USD
Bank statements    of financial support Required  Required 
Statement of purpose Required  Required 
Letters of recommendation 1-2 letters 3 letters
Academic transcripts Required  Required 
Copy of passport Required  Required 
Resume  Required  Required 
Test scores  SAT/ACT scores are not mandatory GRE/GMAT scores are mandatory
English language test

(IELTS/ TOEFL/ PTE/ CAE)

Required to submit at least one of the test scores Required to submit at least one of the test scores

Highlights-

  • An approximate rating of 550 and above is required by candidates in GMAT/GRE to enter into the university. 
  • Minimum English Language Proficency test scores required: TOEFL- 83 to 89, PTE- 59 to 60, CAE- 70, IELTS- 6.5 to 7.

Indian applicants need to submit one of the following for their admission to an undergraduate program.-

  1. Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC)
  2. Indian School Certificate Examination
  3. Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC)
  4. Senior Secondary Certificate
  5. All India and Delhi Senior School Certificate

Note- application deadlines vary from program to program. One needs to be updated with the WLU’s official website announcement.

Tuition, fees, and annual cost of attendance

An average total expense/year is expected as follows- 

Tuition fees 23,283 USD- 27,954 USD
Student fees 1,995 USD – 3,018 USD
Books and other stationary 796 USD
Residence  Waterloo campus- 4,384 USD- 7,402 USD

Brantford campus- 5,691 USD- 6,100 USD

Food  Waterloo campus- 1,889 USD – 4,899 USD

Brantford campus- 703 USD– 955 USD

Groceries  1,910 USD
Laundry and other 2,228 USD
Total expenses 36,127 USD- 48,208 USD

Scholarships for international students 

Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada facilitates international applicants with special scholarships- 

  1. Inspiring Lives ScholarshipsIt is offered for all international applicants, irrespective of their field of subject, provided that they have applied for undergraduate programs.
  2. Entrance scholarship- An applicant is accessed by Laurier university itself when one applies for admission but provided that the applicant is going to be admitted in postsecondary for the first time.
      Note: No separate application is needed for the Entrance scholarship. As of July 2022, a scholarship is offered based on the admission average.
  3. In-course scholarship: After the first year of admission, every student is eligible for a scholarship based on their GPA which ranges around 397.95 USD and 1193.85 USD. A student is good to go for a scholarship if GPA is equal to or above 10.0.
  4.  President’s Gold Scholarship : If your average is above 95% (as per WLU guidelines), then the university grants you the president’s gold scholarship award which is renewable if met the following requirements-
    • A minimum GPA of 10.5 must be attained in the last academic year to renew the scholarship. 
    • At Least 5.0 credits are required to be completed in the last academic year. 
    • At least 2.0 credits must be completed by the candidates for a scholarship in a minimum of two out of three terms. 
    • To renew the scholarship every year of study, recipients must meet all renewal requirements in each year of study.
  5. Laurier Scholarship Award: University offers this prestigious award which is worth up to $40,000 per year,, for high-achieving students. This scholarship demands an admission average of 90% or more.

Note- The deadline has been out i.e. 25, January 2022.

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Frequently Asked Questions

More than eighty undergraduate programs are offered at WLU. Some popular ones include- Bachelor of Business Administration,  Bachelor of Computer Science,  Bachelor of Design,  Bachelor of Arts,  Bachelor of Laws,  Bachelor of Science, etc.

 Indian applicants need to submit one of the following for their admission to an undergraduate program. Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC), Indian School Certificate Examination, Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), Senior Secondary Certificate, All India and Delhi Senior School Certificate.

  • SAT OR ACT scores are not mandatory for applying to undergraduate programs.
  • English proficiency: the cut-off may vary with different programs. But the minimum score required is 6.5 in IELTS (At least 6 in each band) or 83 in TOEFL iBT.

Dormitory-style and apartment-style are two types of residences available for students studying in WLU.

A single dorm can accommodate two students and a single apartment can accommodate a maximum of seven students. Both residences are furnished and have common facilities.

The following scholarships are available for international students studying in WLU:

  1. Farouk and Dawn Ahamed International Student Scholarship: Farouk and Dawn Ahamed International Student Scholarships are offered by Wilfrid Laurier University. This scholarship is granted to the student entering the university directly from high school. This is a merit-based scholarship applicable to all international students.
  2. Laurier Scholarship Award : University offers this prestigious award to highly meritorious students. 7 students will be selected to receive a USD 40,000 entrance scholarship. The Laurier Scholars Award includes USD 7,500 per year for up to four years and an experiential learning award of USD 10,000.the student may use the experiential award to fund a summer research assistantship, international exchange, or another hands-on learning opportunity that connects in-class knowledge to learning experiences outside the classroom.
  3. Entrance scholarship: An applicant is accessed by Laurier university itself when one applies for admission but provided that the applicant will be admitted in postsecondary for the first time.
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