Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) is a private, francophone university in North Eastern Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1847, WLU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in arts, humanities, sciences, business, law, and social work. With an enrollment of more than 12,000 students and a staff of over 350 personnel, WLU makes the largest undergraduate institution in eastern Ontario.
Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) is a leading university in Canada, ranked first in Canada for undergraduate teaching and second for graduate studies. With a rich history of innovation, WLU offers students an opportunity to study at one of the world’s most renowned universities.
The admissions process is designed to assess your potential for success at WLU. We take a holistic approach to reviewing applications and are committed to providing a fair and objective process that is tailored to meet the unique needs of each applicant.
We believe that it is our responsibility as an admissions office to ensure that all applicants are given an opportunity to apply and be considered for admission. We value the relationship we have with our students and their families, and work hard to foster a supportive environment where they can develop their academic and career opportunities.
About Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) is a top Canadian university that offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. With a population of over 1 million students, WLU is one of the largest universities in Canada. WLU has more than 150 faculties and schools, which offer more than 100 programs in seventeen disciplines. These programs include business, law, science, engineering, medicine, arts, humanities, social work, and education. In addition to its undergraduate and graduate programs, WLU also offers an online learning program and a number of research opportunities.
Wilfrid Laurier University is a public university in Canada. Wilfrid Laurier University is one of the oldest academic institutions in Canada. It is located in Waterloo, in the state of Ontario. Wilfrid Laurier University also has another campus at Brantford, which was set up in 1999.
The name of the university stems from the 7th prime minister of Canada. The institution was established in 1911 as a seminary. By 1914, the seminary changed into the “Waterloo College School.”
The institute underwent further name changes, including the Waterloo Lutheran University, until finally being named Wilfrid Laurier in 1973.
Wilfrid university over its 108 years of existence has still retained its concise and serene environment that is student and community-friendly. Although it has 2 campuses, one at Waterloo and Brantford, the school still feels small. One wouldn’t be surprised because it started as a seminary school.
The university is considered mid-sized due to its enrolment of 17,000 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students. The university has also employed over 500 faculty and staff members.
There are currently 4 campuses of Wilfrid Laurier University: the Waterloo campus, the Brantford campus, Kitchener campus, and an upcoming Milton campus.
The Waterloo campus is known for its business school; Brantford is known for its game design education; Kitchener is known for its social work; Milton campus is on hold due to a provincial deficit of resources.
The library at the university, known as Laurier Library, has been reported to have 1 million printed resources, 68,000 electronic resources. The library also has access to 280 databases.
Moreover, due to a collaboration with the University of Waterloo, and the University of Guelph, the library has extended access to 7 million printed items.
If you wish to study here, it’s very easy because the acceptance rate at Wilfrid Laurier University is not competitive.
Wilfrid Laurier University Courses
Wilfrid Laurier University is transitioning from an institution that focuses primarily on undergraduate education to one where serious research is conducted.
The university is known across Canada for its undergraduate and graduate programs in business, biology, economics, criminology, psychology and communication studies. The music school at Wilfrid Laurier is considered to be one of the best universities in Canada.
The program offers multiple tracks within their music program, which allows students to specialize in specific aspects of music education. In fact, Wilfrid Laurier is the only university to offer a program in ‘Music Therapy.’
The university has ranked the undergraduate degrees of business administration, game design and law as the best programs at the university. The university also has co-op programs for students looking for more practical, hands-on education.
Together with the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University also established a Balsillie School of International Affairs in 2008. This school offers programs in global governance and public policy.
Why study at Wilfrid University?
Although it started out in a secluded scenario as a seminary, Wilfrid has become a force to reckon with. Its international influence has spread all over the globe.
One of the best reasons to choose Wilfrid university is because it combines both innovation and actual hands-on experience. That is to say, you don’t just get the classroom feel but an experience of what you are studying.
It ranks as the number 1 in the national course instructors’ merit scheme. Laurier is among the top 5 universities in Canada for student awards, scholarships and bursaries, and faculty awards.
If you love to read, the library can contain up to 1000 students. The stats of their printed volumes is over 3million.
Not only is the school study-sensitive, but they also engage in extracurricular activities. Over 270 clubs exist and over 70% of upper-year students have volunteered in one community service or the other.
This truly confirms the saying that Wilfrid’s university is a community-feel for students. You will feel very much at home. The international students will love this.
Lastly, the recreational facilities available include football, dancing, fitness centers, swimming pools, and so many others.
Wilfrid Laurier University Acceptance Rate
Academically, Wilfrid Laurier University ranks among the top 3.5% universities in the world.
The institution is placed at number 24 in Maclean’s reputation rankings. Moreover, the US News ranking list has placed it at 1202 internationally. Locally, US News has ranked it as the 33rd top university in Canada.
Admissions to Wilfrid Laurier University is minimally selective, with an acceptance rate of 89%. This implies that most people who apply to the university are able to secure admission.
The university is easily accessible to many due to its low tuition and urban setting and provides good programs in a number of fields.
How much is Wilfrid Laurier University’s undergraduate tuition?
The fees charged at Wilfred is not just the tuition. Basically, the university also charges for goods and services supplied to students. Mostly, these services will include student associations, sports, and health.
Also, the tuition fees are usually charged based on your year of entry and the number of courses you registered for. The estimate of the fees and costs for a first-year student at Laurier who is a full-time student is seen in the table below.
Tuition: $6,059 – $8,648
Student Fees: $1,383 – $1,909
Books: $950
Academic Subtotal: $8,392 – $11,507
Residence: $5,243 – $8,852 (Waterloo: dorm or apartment), $6,807 – $7,296 (Brantford: apartment only)
Meal Plans: $2,260, $5,450 or $5,860 (Waterloo), $840 – $1,200 (Brantford)
Total Estimate: $15895 – $26219
We mentioned that the school has two campuses. Actually, both campuses offer accommodation packages and the cost has been specified above. In addition, you must add more funds for your personal expenses.
For Canadian students who wish to study for a double BBA / BCS degree with the University of Waterloo, their tuition fee is $12,872 for freshmen.
Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Tuition
We know that graduate tuition can be high and thinking about finances can be so stressful. We have made available for all the necessary information you will need before you proceed for application.
In this section, the table below shows the tuition charges for domestic and international students pursuing Postgraduate, diploma, MBA, and combined programs.
Wilfrid University runs a part-time program for MBA students; hence the analysis below will show the yearly tuition for both part-time, full-time and combined programs.
| Program | Full-time (per year for 3 terms unless noted) | Part-time (per year for 3 terms unless noted) |
| MAC | $13,395.57 | N/A |
| MA/MSc/MES/MAP/PhD programs | $7,868.76 | $5,061.24 |
| MEd | N/A | $5,061.4 |
| MBA (Waterloo campus) | $29,807.37 | $1,490.72 per course |
| MBA (Toronto campus), general | N/A | $2,762.78 per course per term |
| MBA (Toronto campus), CPA option | N/A | $3,012.78 per course per term |
| MBA (Toronto campus), accelerated | N/A | $2,962.78 per course per term |
| MBA MIPP (Waterloo campus) | $18,838.05 | N/A |
| MIPP | $7,868.76 | N/A |
| Master of Social Work | $10,680 | $6,001.68 |
| Master of Music Therapy | $11,542.71 | N/A |
| Master of Finance | $24,845.37 | N/A |
| Executive Master’s in Technology Management | N/A | See EMTM webpage. |
| Martin Luther University College, master’s and diploma programs | $8,142 | $666 per course |
| Martin Luther University College, doctoral programs (pre-candidacy) | $8,235 | N/A |
| Martin Luther University College, doctoral programs (candidacy) | $4,536 | N/A |
| Executive MFin (Toronto) | $3,308.63 per course | |
| Accounting Graduate Diploma | $1,700 per course | |
| Master in Public Safety | $3,375 per course | |
| Graduate Diploma in Public Safety | $3,375 per course | |
| General graduate student | $1,478.51 per course |
Most international students wonder how much they must pay for tuition. Now you have your answer. Basically, this section will discuss in details, the tuition fees for international postgraduate students.
Wilfrid Laurier’s university graduate tuition for international students is summarized below.
For all programs (except business), a 0.50 or its equivalent number of credits is $2,532 for all incoming years.
In commercial programs, a credit of 0.5 or its equivalent, the fee is $2,886.00 for all incoming years.
For graduate programs;
| Program | Full-time (per year for 3 terms unless noted) |
| MAC | $31,269 |
| MA/MEd/MES/MSc/PhD programs | $20,655 |
| MIPP | $26,250 |
| MBA (Waterloo campus) | $46,215 |
| MBA MIPP (Waterloo campus) | $36,240 |
| Master of Social Work | $22,980 |
| Master of Music Therapy | $22,980 |
| Master of Finance | $46,215 |
| Martin Luther University College, master’s and diploma programs | $22,314 |
| Martin Luther University College, doctoral programs (pre-candidacy) | $22,146 |
| Martin Luther University College, doctoral programs (candidacy) | $10,962 |
Wilfrid Laurier University Admissions
Wilfrid Laurier University Undergraduate Admissions
To apply, undergraduate applicants are required to submit the 105F form, which can be obtained through the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC).
Admission requirements for Undergraduate Admissions
- The applicants should have 60% above in 6 courses, including English. The top six 4U or 4M courses will be used to evaluate.
- 4U-12 grades at the university level
- 4M-12 grades at the university and/or college level
- Submission of school transcripts either through e-mail or fax directly from your high school.
- International students whose first language is not English should submit acceptable evidence of English Language Proficiency.
- SAT and ACT scores are not required. But if students want to be evaluated through SAT and ACT, then they can send the scores.
Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Admissions
For graduate programs, applicants can apply using the OUAC (the Ontario University Application Centre). The application fee of 120 CAD is uniform for all.
Admission Requirements for Graduate Programs
To be eligible for a Laurier graduate program, applicants must possess:
- Four-year UG (honors) degree in a relevant subject.
- An overall grade B in UG coursework
Submission of Documents
Within a week after the submission of the application, each applicant will receive an official email for the university. The email will include information regarding the submission of supplementary documents. Guidelines for the same are given below:
- Applicants are required to upload the supplementary documents (transcripts, test scores) to LORIS (Laurier Online Registration and Information System).
- Official documents should be uploaded in PDF format.
- Scanned document files should smaller than 1.2MB.
- Applicants must submit their reference letters through the link provided in the email.
To be eligible for Laurier, you must meet the basic admission requirements and the specific admission requirements of your program.
Possession of the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. After submitting the application, find out how you can strengthen your application.
For some programs, mandatory courses are included as part of your admission average. If your program includes mandatory courses as part of your admission average, it is indicated in the admission requirements section on the program page.
If you are applying for a program at the Faculty of Science or at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, we consider repeated courses when calculating your average admission.
We use a weighted average of your first and the last course attempts only for mandatory courses. If you repeat a course that is not necessary for admission, we use your highest grade.
The admission requirements for undergraduate and graduate programs can be found at the following links
Wilfrid Laurier University Transfer Student Requirements
If you attended a post-secondary institution before applying for Laurier, you are considered a transfer student.
His previous educational experience is evaluated in:
- The applicability of your previous program to the chosen Laurier program.
- The relevance of the courses you have taken.
- Your academic achievement.
The university grants transfer credits in recognition of the work it has completed in another post-secondary institution.
For language proficiency, You can:
- Complete the Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) program.
- If you have studied in a full-time English language school system for a minimum of three years, you may request an exemption.
- If you do not meet Laurier’s English proficiency requirement but you are academically qualified for your program, you may be eligible for a conditional admission offer.
Conclusion
After taking a good look at the piece, you can confidently come to a logical conclusion that the admission process of Wilfrid Laurier University is a bit tight, competitive and restricted. However, it is still possible to surmount its present challenges and secure an admission in her.
One of the ways to guarantee this is to be fully aware of the Wilfrid Laurier University acceptance rate which will allow you to properly prepare for the great task that awaits you.