For more than a century, Laurier has been known for academic excellence. But we’ve also been dedicated to the philosophy that our students’ success is measured through more than grades – it’s based on the quality of the lives they lead, and those they inspire. Laurier’s two campuses are in Waterloo and Brantford, but we also have a Faculty of Social Work in nearby Kitchener and a weekend MBA program in Toronto. In all, we have 19,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Kitchener-Waterloo, with a population of about 350,000, is small enough to be safe and easy to navigate but large enough to offer great art, music, restaurants and other big-city amenities.

With the university's size, Laurier is large enough to provide various clubs, programs, and career opportunities; yet small enough to maintain the tight-knit community feel, outstanding student experience and to ensure access to faculty and resources available on campus. Our small class sizes allow more opportunities for extra help, increased discussion and student involvement. But no matter where you study at Laurier, you’re a Golden Hawk, which means you’re part of a tight-knit, supportive community that knows how to aim high, work hard and take advantage of some truly amazing opportunities to make a difference.

Why Wilfrid Laurier University

Wilfrid Laurier University is devoted to excellence in learning, research, scholarship and creativity. It challenges people to become engaged and aware citizens of an increasingly complex world. It fulfills its mission by advancing knowledge, supporting and enhancing high-quality undergraduate, graduate and professional education, and emphasizing co-curricular development of the whole student.

Our commitment is to justice and sustainability now and in the future, so we strive to ignite the minds, spirits and hearts of our communities through excellence in teaching and learning, in the discovery, scholarly exploration, and application of new ideas, and in instilling the courage to engage and challenge the world in all its complexity.

In-class learning is only part of the educational equation. Putting knowledge to work in the world is a hallmark of the Laurier experience. Integrated and engaged learning opportunities such as co-op work terms and community service are designed to help students relate what they learn in the classroom to what they experience outside of it, then coming full circle by bringing their real-world experiences back to the classroom. It’s about forming a foundation of service that our students continue long after graduation.

Our innovative programs in arts and social sciences, business and economics, music, science, social work and education cover a broad spectrum. At their heart, though, they reflect a common purpose: Laurier’s determination to address global social, health and environmental problems and advance creative pursuits.