University of British Columbia vs. University of Waterloo

Ranked among the top three in Canada, UBC holds an upper hand over University of Waterloo. UWaterloo, on the other hand, aces over UBC in the global graduate employability rankings. These facts are suggestive that both the institutions hold recognition among the world’s best. Let us dive into the detailed comparative view of the Candian Universities to find out which to choose.  

Overview Comparison
The University of British ColumbiaUniversity of Waterloo
Collegedunia Score6.7 Out of 105.3 Out of 10
ranking (overall)# 34 QS World University 2024
# 41 Times Higher Education 2024
# 35 US News 2023
# 112 QS World University 2024
# 158 Times Higher Education 2024
# 154 QS World University 2023
Subject Strength# 49 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2024
# 22 for Medicine by QS World University 2023
# 37 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 -75
PG Programs -104
Doctorate Programs -3
UG Programs -47
PG Programs -33
Doctorate Programs -5
Acceptance Rate69.0 %53.0 %
Exam ScoreGMAT - 550
IELTS - 6.5
PTE - 65
TOEFL - 90
IELTS - 6.5
PTE - 63
TOEFL - 90
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   46295
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  9500
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 29650 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   66000
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  11790
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 20583 Per Year
placement (average package)

Top recruiters at UBC were Deloitte, P&G, Labatt, Netsle, Telus, GE Healthcare, etc. Base salaries offered were around $160,000 for Executive MBA,$91,000 for Master in Finance, $80,000 for MBA,$68,000 for Other Degrees,$67,000 for Master Of Science,$68,000 for Master Of Arts


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-SchoolsSauder School of Business
The University of British Columbia, Okanagan
NA
CollegeDunia Reviews7.2/10 Read 94 reviews7.2/10 Read 41 reviews
General Facts Comparison
General FactsThe University of British ColumbiaUniversity of Waterloo
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1908
1957
Student:Faculty Ratio15:1
27:1
Male:Female46% Male, 54% Female54% Male, 46% Female
Location Facts

Two campuses: Vancouver and Okanagan; Vancouver is the main campus located at the western tip of Point Grey Peninsula.


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

More than 7 million printed books, over 2.1 million ebooks, 5.3 million microforms, and 923000 other multimedia materials.


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

The campus has Astronomy Club, Beads and Craft Club, Chinese Students and Scholars Association (Great Wall Club), Food Society, Photographic Society, Red Cross International, Ski and Board Club and Vancouver Student Entrepreneurship Association.


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 Room - $4855
#Connected Single Room - $5712
#Single Room - $6133
#One Bedroom Apartment - $6452
#Double Room - $3677
#Interconnecting Room - $3912
#Single Room - $4099
Famous Alumni

Justin Trudeau (PM of Canada), Rick Hansen (Paralympic athlete), Kim Campbell (Former PM of Canada), Evangeline Lilly (Actress), William Gibson (Fiction writer), and Albert Bandura (Psychologist).


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).


Weather
Comparison Notes

UWaterloo ranks much lower than the UBC in terms of the overall ranking of 2020 by both QS and THE. UBC is placed among top 50 universities of the world by both the agencies. On the other hand, University of Waterloo is not even in the top 100. 

  • The international student population of UBC is higher than UWaterloo by a margin of 4%.
  • If we consider ease of admission, both universities stand at a similar position having an approximately equal acceptance rate of 53%. The graduate and undergraduate acceptance rate of UBC and UWaterloo also do not vary much. 
  • The University of Waterloo accepts students without a GRE/GMAT score in its graduate programs. However, in University of British Columbia, students are accepted at a very competitive score. Hence, though the acceptance rate may be similar, getting admissions with UBC can be difficult than the University of Waterloo.  
  • Both, University of British Columbia and University of Waterloo give preference to first-year undergraduate students while allotting on-campus residence. However, UWaterloo guarantees a place but accommodations at UBC are prioritized on the basis of academic marks and present coursework.
  • The cost of on-campus housing and meal plan is approximately 1000 USD higher in UWaterloo than UBC. Considering that for an international student cost is a major determinant while choosing a university to study, UBC is the more viable option.
  • According to QS News Graduate Employability Ranking of 2020, University of Waterloo ranked at 25th across all universities of the world. On the contrary, the University of British Columbia was not even included in this list of approximately 500 universities. This indicates that students pursuing graduate programs from UWaterloo have a better chance at placements than those graduating from UBC.
  • UBC offers better and more funding options to international students in comparison with UWaterloo.  

Looking at all the above factors, the University of British Columbia emerges as a far better choice than the University of Waterloo for international students. It not only ranks better but also has cheaper living options. If you are a meritorious student with an outstanding academic record, then UBC should be your first choice.