York University vs University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo ranks among top 10 Canadian Universities while York University ranks among the top 20 Canadian Universities. Detailed below are the qualitative and quantitative aspects of comparison for both the universities.

Overview Comparison
York UniversityUniversity of Waterloo
Collegedunia Score4.3 Out of 105.3 Out of 10
ranking (overall)# 351 Times Higher Education 2024
# 353 QS World University 2024
# 401 Times Higher Education 2023
# 112 QS World University 2024
# 158 Times Higher Education 2024
# 154 QS World University 2023
Subject Strength# 401 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2024
# 401 for Medicine by Academy Ranking of World Universities 2022
# 96 for Law by Times Higher Education 2024
# 69 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2024
# 359 for Medicine by QS World University 2023
# 151 for Law by Academy Ranking of World Universities 2021
ProgramsUG Programs -58
PG Programs -41
Doctorate Programs -6
UG Programs -47
PG Programs -33
Doctorate Programs -5
Acceptance Rate80.0 %53.0 %
Exam ScoreGMAT - 550
GRE updated - 320
IELTS - 6.5
TOEFL - 83
IELTS - 6.5
PTE - 63
TOEFL - 90
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   24861
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  10033
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 38900 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   66000
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  11790
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 20583 Per Year
placement (average package)

Graduate Employability Rankings (QS 2023)- #301-500

Degree               Average Salary

MBA                         $107,000 

Doctorate                   $89,000 

PhD                            $85,000 

LLM                           $76,000 

Executive Masters      $70,000 

Bachelor (Other)         $69,000 


Graduate Employability Rankings- # 24(QS 2023); 98.9% international student employment rate; Top recruiters are Manulife, TD Canada, Sun Life Financial Inc. etc. 

Average Salaries by Degree:

Doctorate: $156,000 

Masters in Finance: $91,000 

Bachelor (Other): $75,000 

Bachelor of Science: $69,000 

Masters in Science: $61,000 

Masters in Management: $54,000 


Campuses and B-SchoolsSchulich School of Business
Osgoode Hall Law School
NA
CollegeDunia Reviews7.4/10 Read 22 reviews7.2/10 Read 41 reviews
General Facts Comparison
General FactsYork UniversityUniversity of Waterloo
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1959
1957
Student:Faculty Ratio47:1
27:1
Male:Female43% Male, 57% Female54% Male, 46% Female
Location Facts

Completely bilingual Gledon campus- home to Southern Ontario’s Center for Excellence for French Langauge & Bilingual Postsecondary education. Third largest university in Canada. 


1,000 acres campus located in the Quantum Valley (Canada’s emerging technological hub); surrounded at the borders by Waterloo Park, Wilfrid Laurier University & Laurel Creek Conservation Area; easily accessible via public transport; dozens of food outlets & restaurants within 20 minutes of distance. 


Library

Four main and one archive libraries with more than 2,500,000 volumes


4 libraries: 3 on-campus, 1 in Cambridge; Library system is a part of TriUniversity Group; Houses more than 1.4 million books including e-books, serial titles, databases. 


Campus Life

25 organized research centers
300 student clubs and organizations,
13 newspapers,
36 governing groups
33 national titles to its Athletic teams,
More than 1000 student-run events
20+community support centers


Student Life Centre (SLC) responsible for organizing cultural, social and recreational activities; Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) and Student Housing Office; 24/7 information desk known as Turnkey Desk; 200+ student clubs; 100+ volunteer services; Earth Sciences Museum; Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Center (largest center for Quantum Research)


Hostel#Shared Bathroom and Board - $7040
#Ensuite Room and board - $8960
#Double Room - $3677
#Interconnecting Room - $3912
#Single Room - $4099
Famous Alumni

Lily Singh (Youtuber), Steve Maclean (astronaut), John Tory (Mayor of Toronto), Dr. Miguna Miguna (Canadian-Kenyan Author), Jack Layton (Former MP), Shawn Doyle (Actor), Navdeep Bains (Minister of innovation, science and industry), Eric Walter (Author).


Over 203,000 graduates; Robert Mundell (Nobel Laureate), Donna Strickland (Nobel Laureate), Mike Lazaridis (Founder of BlackBerry Ltd.), Prem Watsa (Founder of Fairfax Financial); Rupi Kaur (Canadian Poet); Karl Ting (Actor); Apoorva Mehta (Founder of Instacart); David Cheriton (Canadian Computer Scientist).


City Life

Toronto is the second-largest financial city in North America with a rate of success is higher for its brilliant management of talent, good quality of life, and excessive competitive business ambiance. Since 2009, the GDP growth of Toronto is higher in comparison to other major cities. 
Variety of options for food trips, cultural & sports events, cafes, and nightlife worth experiencing


Waterloo- Tech-hub of Canada; over 1,000 tech-related businesses set up in the city; over 400 restaurants and shops to explore; More than 40 cultural events; Famous attractions include Waterloo Park, West Montrose Covered Bridge, Laurel Creek Conservation Area, Waterloo Central Railway, Conestoga Mall, Innocente Brewing Company; Unemployment rate: 5%


Weather
Comparison Notes

When planning higher education from Canada, international applicants must compare the universities they apply for on the basis of their overall reputation (globally and nationally), reputation and recognition of the program they wish to study, the cost of pursuing education, etc. Apart from the above-mentioned data, you can also compare University of Waterloo and York University on the following basis. 

Why Study at University of Waterloo?

  • Located at the heart of the Tech-hub of Canada, the University of Waterloo offers a variety of internships, co-op training, and similar opportunities to its engineering and technology students.
  •   Over 1000 tech-related business prevails, in and around Waterloo region.
  • The university is ranked #16 for its Impact rankings as per Times Higher Education for 2020.
  • International students can apply for a maximum of three programs at the University of Waterloo at one time.
  • Though the overall student population at UWaterloo is lower than York University, the international student strength is higher at University of Waterloo.
  • Score requirements for UWaterloo of exams to study in Canada is lower than York University. Additionally, the acceptance rate for UWaterloo is higher than York making it easier to get admissions to the University of Waterloo.
  • The employment rate of the university is 98.9%.
  • Recognized #1 as a comprehensive research university consecutively for 11 years as per the survey of research infosource.

Why Study at York University? 

  • MBA program at York University is recognized among the top MBA programs in Canada and ranks among top 100 MBA programs in the world.
  • The cost of studying at York University is lower than University of Waterloo. 
  • Renowned for its bilingual center, more than 2700 students at York study 2 languages. 30% of the student population learns 3 or more languages. 
  • Law programs at York are highly recognized nationally and globally.

It can hence be concluded that opting between these two universities, the decision can incline towards University of Waterloo. However, this decision will be highly influenced by the choice of program of study.