The University of Waterloo continues to be recognized among the top universities in Canada and globally for a variety of disciplines from engineering and math to hospitality and tourism management according to the 2025 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) subject rankings by Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.
Waterloo programs ranking first in Canada include remote sensing, energy science and engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, hospitality and tourism management, and materials science and engineering.
Each year, the ARWU rankings evaluate nearly 2,000 universities in 100 countries across 57 subject areas. The results are based on five indicators: research output, research influence, international collaboration, research quality and academic awards.
Thirteen programs rank in the top 50 globally. They include telecommunication, environmental science, water resources, transportation science, computer science, artificial intelligence, physics, geography, chemistry and statistics.
Robotics, chemistry, statistics, psychology and public health rank in the top 100 in the world.
| Subject |
Global ranking |
| Remote Sensing* |
20 |
| Energy Science & Engineering* |
21 |
| Telecommunication Engineering |
21 |
| Electrical & Electronic Engineering* |
27 |
| Hospitality & Tourism Management* |
30 |
| Environmental Science & Engineering |
34 |
| Water Resources |
35 |
| Transportation Science & Technology |
36 |
| Computer Science & Engineering |
38 |
| Artificial Intelligence |
38 |
| Physics |
45 |
| Material Science & Engineering* |
49 |
| Geography |
49 |
*Ranked number 1 in Canada.
The rankings reinforce Waterloo as a leading global research-intensive university renowned for entrepreneurship and innovation, providing co-op and work-integrated learning at scale with impact. One of its key differentiators is the work-integrated learning that takes place across all six of its faculties ensuring students learn first-hand how technology, sustainability and disruption are reshaping work.
Waterloo was established in 1957 with a vision of developing a post-secondary institution unlike any other. An institution built in collaboration with its community and local industry that would address the world's biggest challenges. Since then, that vision has not wavered. Today, through collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches in its educational programs, research and innovation activities, Waterloo continues to make an impact in the world.
Those efforts continue to be reflected positively in the Academic Ranking of World Universities report.
Full results and the ranking's methodology can be found at the Shanghai Ranking website.
