The University of Waterloo's Cheriton School of Computer Science, housed inside the Faculty of Mathematics, is consistently ranked among the world's top 30 programs for Computer Science and Information Systems (QS subject ranking, 27th globally in 2026), and it is arguably the single hardest undergraduate program to get into at Waterloo. The pitch is unusual by North American standards: no Common App or UCAS, admission based on final secondary-school grades rather than a US-style GPA or SAT score, mandatory co-operative education that alternates four-month study terms with four-month paid industry placements, and a direct pipeline into the Kitchener-Waterloo tech corridor that alumni have used to found BlackBerry, Instacart, and OpenText. For applicants from India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and other international markets choosing between Waterloo, University of Toronto, and UBC for Computer Science, Waterloo's co-op structure is usually the deciding factor.
This guide walks through what Waterloo's Computer Science program actually requires, what it costs, and what happens after graduation.
Acceptance Rate
Waterloo does not publish an official, university-wide undergraduate acceptance rate, and it does not publish a program-specific acceptance rate for Computer Science either. What's known:
- Third-party admissions-data aggregators (not an official Waterloo source) cite an overall Waterloo acceptance rate near 53%, but separately cite per-program estimates as low as roughly 14% for Computer Science specifically. Neither figure is Waterloo-published, and the two circulate in direct tension with each other, so treat both as directional rather than precise.
- What Waterloo does confirm is competitiveness through admission averages rather than a rate: third-party trackers commonly cite Computer Science admits clustering in the mid-90s to high-90s percent range on whatever senior secondary curriculum the applicant completed, alongside Waterloo's own required Admission Information Form (AIF), a set of short written responses used alongside grades in the admission decision.
Bottom line: treat Computer Science at Waterloo as one of the most selective programs at a Canadian university that is not itself hyper-selective overall. It should be approached as a reach program even for students with genuinely strong grades, given how few of the University's roughly 41,000 students study Computer Science relative to how many apply for it.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Waterloo does not publish one flat undergraduate tuition rate; Computer Science, run jointly through the Cheriton School of Computer Science and the Faculty of Mathematics, is priced above Waterloo's general Arts/Science rate. Approximate figures for the 2026/27 cycle:
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition (Computer Science) | $51,538 |
| Living expenses | $16,164 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | $67,702 |
Over a typical four-year (or, with co-op, roughly five-year) degree, this puts total program cost in the $260,000-$330,000 range before scholarships or co-op earnings. Waterloo's international application fee runs approximately $183 (this reflects the OUAC 105 base fee, evaluation fee, and Waterloo's international service fee combined). Co-op students also pay an additional per-term co-op fee (roughly CAD $836), not included above.
International and domestic students are charged very different rates: the domestic Ontario tuition rate is a small fraction of the international rate, which is standard practice for Canadian public universities and different from the US or UK, where sticker tuition gaps between domestic and international students are often smaller in percentage terms.
Admission Requirements
Waterloo's Computer Science admission runs through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC), not a US-style Common App or UK-style UCAS system. Based on Waterloo's published undergraduate requirements:
- OUAC application (the 105 form for applicants who have not attended an Ontario high school, which covers the vast majority of international applicants)
- Official transcripts covering the final two years (or equivalent) of the applicant's senior secondary curriculum
- Admission Information Form (AIF), a set of short written supplementary responses required specifically for Mathematics/Computer Science and several other competitive programs, used alongside grades in the admission decision
- Program-specific prerequisite courses, such as Advanced Functions and Calculus & Vectors or their curriculum equivalents
- English language proficiency test scores (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/Duolingo/Cambridge) unless exempt
- Waterloo Math and Computing Contest results (optional but encouraged; used in scholarship decisions and, in some cases, admission decisions for Faculty of Mathematics applicants)
Waterloo does not publish a minimum GPA or a fixed percentage cutoff for Computer Science, since it does not use a US-style GPA scale, but competitive applicants from most secondary systems present final averages in the mid-90s percent or higher. The regular application deadline for Fall entry is typically February 1 (2026-27 cycle), with rolling decisions beginning in February and continuing through late spring as updated "early May" admission averages are assessed.
How to Get Into Waterloo's Computer Science Program
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Push your senior-year math and computing grades as high as possible, not just your overall average. Waterloo evaluates final grades in the specific courses relevant to Computer Science (advanced functions, calculus, and equivalent computing courses), so a strong overall average with a mediocre math grade is a weaker file than a slightly lower overall average with excellent math scores.
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Take the Admission Information Form (AIF) seriously. It is not a formality; Waterloo uses the AIF's short written responses alongside grades in the actual admission decision for Computer Science, and generic, rushed answers are a common reason otherwise-strong applicants are declined.
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Write the Waterloo Math and Computing Contest if you can. It's optional, but a strong result is a genuine positive signal for both admission and scholarship decisions in a program where nearly every applicant presents similarly high grades.
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Show demonstrated interest in computing beyond coursework. Personal projects, competitive programming, open-source contributions, or independent builds referenced in the AIF help distinguish a file in a program where transcripts alone can look nearly identical across thousands of applicants.
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Apply as early as possible relative to the February 1 deadline, and confirm your program-specific prerequisite courses are locked in well before senior year ends, since missing a required course can disqualify an otherwise-competitive application regardless of overall average.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Waterloo's undergraduate English-proficiency policy applies university-wide, including to Computer Science applicants:
- IELTS: minimum overall band of 6.5, with Writing and Speaking bands of at least 6.5 and Reading and Listening bands of at least 6.0 (an overall band of 7.0 with no individual band below 6.0 is also accepted); recommended score 7.0
- TOEFL: minimum overall score of 90 (0-120 scale, tests taken before January 21, 2026), with Writing and Speaking subscores of at least 25; recommended score 100. For tests taken on or after January 21, 2026, under ETS's new 1-6 CEFR-aligned scale, Waterloo's published converted minimum is an overall score of 4.5 with Writing and Speaking subscores of at least 5
- Waiver: four or more consecutive recent years of full-time education in an English-language school system can satisfy the requirement without a separate test
- Conditional admission: Waterloo's Bridge to Academic Success in English (BASE) program lets academically qualified applicants who fall short of the standard requirement work toward their Waterloo degree while completing structured English instruction, rather than requiring a passed standalone test before any offer
Because Computer Science is Waterloo's single most competitive undergraduate program, applicants should treat the recommended 7.0 IELTS / 100 TOEFL as a safer real target than the bare minimum, particularly since strong Writing matters for the required AIF responses and strong Speaking becomes immediately relevant once co-op job interviews begin in second year. For general context on applying to Waterloo, see the University of Waterloo guide.
Career Outcomes
Waterloo does not publish employment-rate or starting-salary figures broken out specifically for Computer Science graduates, but the program's co-op structure and Waterloo's broader outcomes data give a strong picture:
- Co-op employment rate: co-op work-term employment rates for Waterloo students regularly land in the mid-to-high 90s percent, across a network of more than 8,000 employers in 70+ countries
- Undergraduate graduation rate: approximately 80% (university-wide; Waterloo reports a seven-year rate given co-op commonly extends a four-year program to roughly five years)
- Top recruiters: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Shopify, RBC, and Deloitte are among Waterloo's most consistently cited employers, with Computer Science and Software Engineering graduates disproportionately represented at the technology employers on this list
Waterloo's Cheriton School of Computer Science is also one of the largest single sources of Canadian startup founders, and graduates typically complete between four and six co-op work terms before graduating, meaning most students enter the job market with close to two years of real, paid industry experience already on their resume.
FAQ
What GPA or grade average do I need for Waterloo Computer Science? Waterloo does not publish a fixed cutoff or use a US-style GPA scale. Third-party admissions-data trackers commonly cite Computer Science admits clustering in the mid-90s to high-90s percent range on the applicant's senior secondary curriculum, but this is a directional benchmark rather than an official published threshold.
Is the GRE required for Waterloo's undergraduate Computer Science program? No. The GRE is a graduate-admissions test and is not part of undergraduate admission at all. Waterloo's graduate Computer Science program (the Cheriton School's MMath) requires the GRE only from applicants who have not completed a four-year undergraduate degree at a North American, English-instruction university.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Waterloo Computer Science? The general undergraduate minimum is IELTS 6.5 (with Writing and Speaking at least 6.5) or TOEFL 90 (with Writing and Speaking subscores of at least 25), though a recommended IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 100 is a safer target given how competitive the program is.
How much does Waterloo's Computer Science program cost? Tuition is approximately $51,538/year for international students, with total estimated cost of attendance including living expenses around $67,702/year, putting a typical program at roughly $260,000-$330,000 over four to five years before scholarships or co-op earnings.
Does Waterloo's co-op program apply to Computer Science, and can international students take part? Yes. Most Computer Science students alternate four-month academic terms with four-month paid work terms starting in second year, completing four to six work terms over their degree. International students on a valid study permit are eligible to apply for co-op on the same terms as domestic students.
Is Waterloo Computer Science harder to get into than the rest of Waterloo? Yes, by most available evidence. While Waterloo's overall acceptance rate is estimated around 53% by third-party sources, Computer Science specifically is estimated as low as roughly 14%, making it the most selective undergraduate program at a university that is not itself considered highly selective overall.