The Maple Listby AdmissionPrep
EngineeringDegree programRecognized strength✓ Listed officially

Software Engineering

at University of Waterloo · Waterloo, Ontario · On the official programs page ↗

A
Program score
Data transparencyStrong

How well this program's existence and the school's data are sourced. 79/100

Value scoreB-

Quality adjusted for the school's cost. 64/100 · see how University of Waterloo compares

Admission

Estimate
90-95%Competitive range (varies by stream/year)

The school publishes a band, not one number. See the source for the official ranges.

Prerequisites
Six Grade 12 U/M courses including Advanced Functions (min 70%), Calculus and Vectors (min 70%), Chemistry (min 70%), Physics (min 70%), English ENG4U (min 70%); plus programming experience / demonstrated interest in coding.
Supplementary requirements
AIF and supplementary information forms required. 'Online interviews are required for Software Engineering admission.'

Admission to Software Engineering depends on more than grades. Confirm current requirements on the official program page.

How this program ranks

All Engineering programs →

Among Canadian universities offering Engineering, Software Engineering at University of Waterloo ranks #39 of 199 on our program score: verified school-wide outcomes (40%), recognized strength in Engineering (25%), data transparency (20%) and value (15%). Here's exactly how its 91/100 was reached:

How we calculated this 91/100: the real numbers91/100

Verified school-wide outcomes 40% · recognized strength in Engineering 25% · data transparency 20% · value 15%.

  1. Verified school-wide outcomes
    89/100: University of Waterloo's verified outcome score, inherited (no fabricated per-program number)
    × 40% → 35 pts
    35 pts
  2. Recognised strength in Engineering
    100/100: University of Waterloo is recognized for Engineering
    × 25% → 25 pts
    25 pts
  3. Program data transparency
    79/100: this program's transparency score (below)
    × 20% → 16 pts
    16 pts
  4. Value
    64/100: quality adjusted for University of Waterloo's cost
    × 15% → 10 pts
    10 pts

+5 pts: paid co-op, which genuinely differentiates Engineering programs.

Program score91/100

We don't yet publish verified program-LEVEL outcomes, so this program inherits its school's verified figures, labelled as such: never a per-program number we can't source.

Compared with other Engineering programs

Transparency

Compare schools on transparency

The one program-level signal we can verify today is whether this program is listed on University of Waterloo's official programs page. The rest is University of Waterloo's own data transparency, inherited and labelled; we don't yet have verified per-program stats.

Program listed on the school's official programs pageThis program
Existence confirmed on uwaterloo.ca
source ↗1/1
Publishes student outcomesSchool-level
3 of 3 outcome metrics sourced · 2 via official government dataset
source ↗2/2
Keeps published data currentSchool-level
latest figure as of 2023
source ↗1/2
Sources its competitive entry averageSchool-level
publishes no admitted average. Our entering grade is an editorial estimate, not sourced
0/1
Backs facts with verified official linksSchool-level
2 verified source links
source ↗2/2
How we calculated this 79/100: the real numbers79/100

30% (listed on the school's official programs page) + 70% (the school's own data-transparency score).

  1. Program listed on an official pageThis program
    Yes: existence confirmed on the school's official programs page (1/1)
    × 30% → 30 pts
    30 pts

    Existence confirmed on uwaterloo.ca

    Sourceofficial source ↗
  2. University of Waterloo's data-transparency scoreSchool-level
    70/100: the school's own rubric (shown on its profile)
    × 70% → 49 pts
    49 pts
Program transparency79/100

The one genuinely program-level signal we can verify today is whether the program is listed officially. The rest is the school's transparency, inherited and labelled.

Outcomes (school-wide)

Compare on graduate employment

We don't yet publish program-level outcomes, so Software Engineering inherits University of Waterloo's verified school-wide figures. These are what feed its program score, never a per-program number we can't source.

Graduation rate
83.5%
Graduate employment
96.3%
First-year retention
94.1%
How we calculated this 89/100: the real numbers89/100

Each verified outcome is scored 0-100 against the range its peers actually publish, then blended by weight.

  1. First-year retention
    94.1%: first-year retention
    scaled within the 80-95% range across the 16 peers that publish it → 94/100, weighted 30%
    28 pts
    “Percentage of full-time, first year students … who continued their studies the next fall. 2023: Waterloo 94.1%”
    Extracted fromUniversity of Waterloo, Institutional Analysis & Planning (Performance Indicators) ↗· as of 2023
  2. Graduation rate
    83.5%: graduation rate
    scaled within the 62.3-90% range across the 20 peers that publish it → 77/100, weighted 35%
    27 pts
    “OUGS all-institutions table — Waterloo 0.80% 83.50% 87.10% 96.30% — Graduation Rate 83.5%”
    Extracted fromGovernment of Ontario · dataset ↗· as of 2022-23
  3. Graduate employment
    96.3%: graduate employment
    scaled within the 86-96.7% range across the 14 peers that publish it → 96/100, weighted 35%
    34 pts
    “OUGS all-institutions table — Waterloo 0.80% 83.50% 87.10% 96.30% — Graduate Employment Rate (2 Years) 96.3%”
    Extracted fromGovernment of Ontario · dataset ↗· as of 2022-23
Outcome score89/100

All 3 outcome metrics are verified to an official source.

Program facts

Field
Engineering
Credential
Degree program
School
University of Waterloo
Domestic tuition
$7,400/yr
Avg. entering grade
~90% est.
Existence
uwaterloo.ca ↗

Per-program stats are honestly Unverified until a program-level figure is sourced. Data as of June 2026.

Full school profile

Software Engineering is one program at University of Waterloo. See the school's grades, verified outcomes, transparency and every other program.

View University of Waterloo →All University of Waterloo programs →