Ontario universities with an 85% average for 2027
With an 85% average, compare York Commerce, Guelph Zoology and Waterloo Honours Science for Fall 2027. York's guidance says low 80s or higher; Guelph lists 80-85%; Waterloo says low 80s. Waterloo AFM's mid-80s label and McMaster Commerce's mid to high 80s also deserve a program-specific review.
Reviewed October 18, 2026 · Checked against the primary sources below · How we review guides
Key facts
- A range has limits
- An 85% average doesn't guarantee admission to a program labelled mid-80s.
- Maths can decide
- Waterloo AFM requires English, Advanced Functions and Calculus at 75% each.
- Co-op routes differ
- Waterloo AFM is co-op only; Waterloo Honours Science is regular only.
- Keep the cycle
- Current, no year given: grade labels remain separate from confirmed Fall 2027 application dates.
Published ranges to compare with an 85% average
Read the named program, required subjects and study route together.
| Field and program | Institution-published grade label | Ontario subject requirements | Regular and co-op scope | Year and status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and finance: Waterloo AFM | Admission average: Mid-80s. | Grade 12 U English, Advanced Functions and Calculus and Vectors, each at 75%, within six 4U/M courses. | Co-op only; no regular route. | No year given: label; detailed Ontario page says range is based on previous years. Fall 2027 cutoff not confirmed.Waterloo Accounting and Financial ManagementWaterloo AFM Ontario high school requirements |
| Business: McMaster Commerce / Business I | Anticipated admission average: mid to high 80s. | Grade 12 U English, Functions and Calculus and Vectors count with the next three best 4U/M marks. Subject percentage minima not printed in this FAQ. | Entry through Business I; this FAQ publishes no separate co-op admission range. | No year given: range on an FAQ that showed 2026 dates in October 2026. Separate application page names Fall 2027 deadlines.McMaster DeGroote Commerce admission FAQMcMaster DeGroote Fall 2027 applications |
| Business: York Commerce BCom | Low 80s or higher may be considered. | English ENG4U and Advanced Functions MHF4U, plus four additional 4U/M courses; OSSD required. | Optional paid co-op; no separate first-entry co-op range printed here. | No year given: entry guidance. Final 80% average is an offer maintenance condition, not the entry range.York Commerce BCom requirements |
| Business: Carleton Commerce BCom | Cut off Range: 80%. | English, Advanced Functions, and Calculus or Data Management. No individual prerequisite below 60%; chart range applies to overall and prerequisite averages. | No distinct co-op range in this selected Ontario chart. | No year given: minimum chart on a page with Fall 2027 dates; no guaranteed admission.Carleton current Ontario high school requirements |
| Animal and biological science: Guelph Zoology | Estimated Cut-off Range: 80-85%. | English and Advanced Functions, plus two of Biology, Chemistry or Physics and two other 4U/M courses. Subject percentage minima not printed here. | This requirement page does not supply a separate co-op range. | No year given: estimate from previous years; within-range marks do not guarantee entry.Guelph Zoology Ontario requirements |
| Broad science: Waterloo Honours Science | Admission averages: Low 80s. | English ENG4U, Advanced Functions and Calculus each at 70%, plus two of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Data Management or Physics. | Regular only; no co-op route. | Current, no year given: program label; final Fall 2027 cutoff not confirmed.Waterloo Honours Science |
| Environment: Guelph Environmental Sciences | Estimated Cut-off Range: 75-80%. | English, Advanced Functions, two of Biology, Chemistry or Physics and two other 4U/M courses. Subject percentage minima not printed here. | With and without co-op. Co-op averages often exceed the estimate; regular consideration if not admissible to co-op. | No year given: estimate from previous years; final Fall 2027 cutoff not confirmed.Guelph Environmental Sciences Ontario requirements |
| Biology: TMU BSc | Grade range: 75-80%; consideration minimum 70% overall. | English, Advanced Functions and two of Biology, Chemistry or Physics, each at 70%. | Four-year or five-year co-op format; no distinct co-op admission range printed. | No year given: range based on previous years; final Fall 2027 cutoff not confirmed.TMU Biology requirements |
| Computing: Laurier Computer Science, Waterloo campus | Average admission range: high 70s for BA and BSc. | English and Advanced Functions at 60%. BSc also needs one of Calculus and Vectors, Chemistry or Physics at 60%. | Apply to co-op at the end of first year; later selection is separate from degree admission. | Current, no year given: label; final Fall 2027 cutoff not confirmed.Laurier Computer Science at Waterloo |
Reviewed against each row's official source. Recheck the source before you act, because dates and fees change.
Decide which subject you want before judging the range
At 85%, your main task is to compare degrees that fit your interests. A lower published range doesn't make a degree less useful to you. A higher one doesn't make the course right for your goals. Read the first-year subjects and think about the work you'd enjoy doing each week. Then compare the entry requirements for those specific choices.
Business is a good example. Waterloo Accounting and Financial Management has an accounting and finance focus, with a co-op study route. York's Commerce degree is a different choice with its own requirements. McMaster enters you through Business I. Don't treat their ranges as scores in a ranking. Use the Ontario admission averages hub for the wider bands. Keep detailed decisions with each existing program guide, so you aren't applying to a name while overlooking the course you'll study. If you're unsure about the field, compare compulsory first-year courses before adding another university to your application.
Sources: Waterloo Accounting and Financial Management · York Commerce BCom requirements · McMaster DeGroote Fall 2027 applications
Waterloo AFM's mid-80s label needs a maths check
Waterloo lists a mid-80s admission average for Accounting and Financial Management. Its detailed Ontario requirements say the range is based on previous years and depends on applications and spaces. An 85% result sits near the kind of mark described, but the source doesn't promise an offer at that exact number. Keep the label intact rather than replacing it with a new cutoff.
You need at least 75% in Grade 12 U English, Advanced Functions and Calculus and Vectors. All are part of the six-course qualification. Data Management is recommended background, so it doesn't replace the required Calculus course. The degree is co-op only. Waterloo also says you can apply to AFM or Sustainability and Financial Management, but not both. Check your intended choices before submitting. The Waterloo AFM requirements guide has the full program detail and application steps. Read the co-op calendar as part of that choice, since it's part of the degree you're applying to.
Sources: Waterloo Accounting and Financial Management · Waterloo AFM Ontario high school requirements
Keep McMaster Commerce grades and dates in the right cycle
DeGroote's FAQ calls the anticipated Commerce average mid to high 80s. It says English, Functions and Calculus count with your next three best Grade 12 U or M results. The page doesn't attach a new admission year to that grade wording. In October 2026 it showed 2026 supplementary deadlines. You can use the range as labelled guidance without treating those older dates as your calendar.
The separate application page explicitly covers Fall 2027. It lists April 1, 2027 for Commerce applications and April 30, 2027 for the supplement. The FAQ says the Commerce supplement is optional. Keep that separate from Integrated Business and Humanities, which has different instructions. At 85%, assess the published grade wording and finish the steps relevant to your own program. Read the McMaster Commerce guide and McMaster application deadlines. Write any application responses yourself and follow the current instructions. Don't copy an older student's saved deadline into your application notes without checking its admission year.
Sources: McMaster DeGroote Commerce admission FAQ · McMaster DeGroote Fall 2027 applications
York's 80% offer condition isn't its admission range
York Commerce says people with averages in the low 80s or higher may be considered. It separately says a final academic average of 80% is required to maintain an offer. At 85%, those statements can look like spare room for your marks to fall. Don't make that assumption before you have an offer and have read all its conditions.
For Ontario entry, the page lists the secondary school diploma, ENG4U and MHF4U, with four additional Grade 12 U or M courses. Check those required subjects on your own timetable. The BCom also offers optional paid co-op, but the page doesn't give a separate school-entry range for that choice. This Commerce degree isn't the Schulich BBA. Use the Schulich BBA requirements guide if that's your intended degree. Keep the two programs' course rules and application tasks in separate notes. Use the full degree name when you email York, so the reply addresses the program you actually mean.
Sources: York Commerce BCom requirements
Compare the actual course sets for science
Guelph Zoology publishes an 80-85% estimated cut-off range. It requires English and Advanced Functions, plus two of Biology, Chemistry or Physics. The estimate comes from previous years, and Guelph says an average within it doesn't guarantee admission. It recommends taking all three sciences. If you lack the third, its page says you'll take a replacement course in your first semester.
Waterloo Honours Science lists low 80s. Its Ontario course set requires Calculus as well as English and Advanced Functions, each at 70%. For its two other required subjects, Waterloo includes Data Management and Earth and Space Science alongside Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Guelph's listed science choices differ. Compare the actual course names instead of calling both degrees general science options. Use the Guelph program section and Waterloo program section to check the course content you'll take after entry. If your timetable has only one accepted science, resolve that gap before treating your average as the main issue.
Sources: Guelph Zoology Ontario requirements · Waterloo Honours Science
Choose how much co-op matters before offers arrive
Two science degrees can have different work routes even when their grade descriptions look close. Waterloo Honours Science is regular only. Waterloo AFM is co-op only. At Guelph, Environmental Sciences is offered with and without co-op. Its estimated cut-off range is 75-80%, and the university says co-op averages often exceed that range. An 85% average doesn't establish a separate guaranteed co-op threshold.
Guelph gives automatic regular-program consideration when you aren't admissible to co-op. Decide whether you'd accept that outcome. Laurier Computer Science has another structure: you apply to co-op after first year. At TMU, Biology lists four-year and five-year co-op formats without printing a separate first-entry co-op range. Put the study route beside the degree on your list. Ask when selection happens, and read the terms before assuming a university offer also settles your work route. Keep the answer in writing if co-op is a condition of your choice to attend.
Sources: Waterloo Honours Science · Waterloo Accounting and Financial Management · Guelph Environmental Sciences Ontario requirements · Laurier Computer Science at Waterloo · TMU Biology requirements
Keep alternatives you would accept at your present marks
A list built around 85% can include degrees with lower published ranges. Carleton Commerce's current Ontario selector gives an 80% cutoff label. That figure applies to the overall and prerequisite averages. The page also sets an individual prerequisite floor of 60%. Check both measures rather than deciding that five percentage points above the label settles your whole file.
Laurier Computer Science at Waterloo lists high 70s. TMU Biology lists a previous-years range of 75-80%, with a 70% minimum in each required subject. Those can be worthwhile choices if you want their courses and location. They aren't guaranteed offers or automatic routes into another degree. Keep the Carleton Commerce guide with your shortlist. For each alternative, write one reason you'd attend and one issue you still need to resolve. Remove choices you wouldn't actually accept. An option earns its place on your list because it fits your plan, even if its published range is lower.
Sources: Carleton current Ontario high school requirements · Laurier Computer Science at Waterloo · TMU Biology requirements
Compare the full cost before paying a deposit
When you have programs you like, put them through the same budget. Include the study periods and living arrangement you expect to use. AFM's published calendar extends into a fifth year, with work terms in the sequence. That doesn't mean every year carries the same study bill. Read the Waterloo tuition guide for its fee basis before comparing the total with another degree.
Check York tuition and fees and the Guelph cost guide if they're on your list. Keep confirmed funding separate from awards or employment you're hoping to secure. Explore York financial aid and York residence options. Ask your family what support is available and when. Your best affordable option needs to fit the degree you want, not just the first program that sends an offer. Use the same cost year where possible, and label any price that hasn't been published for your entry.
Sources: Waterloo Accounting and Financial Management · York Commerce BCom requirements · Guelph Zoology Ontario requirements
Update the plan when your marks or instructions change
Your 85% plan should stay attached to the marks a program will assess. Keep required subjects visible when a new report arrives. A higher elective can't remove a subject minimum. If you're missing Calculus, for example, raising a different course won't complete Waterloo AFM's course set. Speak to your guidance counsellor about what you can still schedule and complete.
Check each university's current application instructions before the relevant deadline. The Waterloo deadline guide keeps its calendar together. Save any conditions that arrive with an offer. Carleton says final grades can lead it to change or withdraw a conditional offer. Keep your work steady through the end of school. If a rule is unclear, contact admissions with the program and course code. Ask about the exact problem instead of asking for an admission prediction from your overall average. After an offer, put its academic conditions beside the remaining assignments so your study plan protects them.
Sources: Waterloo Accounting and Financial Management · Carleton current Ontario high school requirements
Official sources
Confirm current dates, rules, fees, and program details in these primary sources.
Written by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed by Official-source review desk · Last reviewed October 18, 2026
- Waterloo Accounting and Financial ManagementLatest available, no year given: admission average Mid-80s; Ontario English, Advanced Functions and Calculus each at 75%. Co-op only, with no regular route. AFM and SFM cannot both be selected.
- Waterloo AFM Ontario high school requirementsLatest available, no year given: Mid-80s admission average, explicitly based on previous years. Required Grade 12 U English, Advanced Functions and Calculus each have a 75% minimum.
- Waterloo Honours ScienceLatest available, no year given: admission averages Low 80s. Ontario English, Advanced Functions and Calculus each at 70%, plus two listed subjects. Regular only; no co-op route.
- McMaster DeGroote Commerce admission FAQLatest available, no year given: anticipated Commerce average mid to high 80s; required English, Functions and Calculus count with three other courses. In October 2026 this FAQ gave 2026 supplement dates; use the separately dated Fall 2027 application page for dates.
- McMaster DeGroote Fall 2027 applicationsConfirmed Fall 2027 high school application page: Commerce application April 1, 2027; supplement April 30, 2027. The older FAQ shows 2026 dates, so use the application page for Fall 2027 deadlines.
- York Commerce BCom requirementsLatest available, no year given: Ontario guidance: low 80s or higher may be considered; English and Advanced Functions required. The separate 80% final average maintains an offer. The page lists Fall 2027 application dates.
- Guelph Zoology Ontario requirementsLatest available, no year given: estimated cut-off range 80-85%, based on previous years, with required English, Advanced Functions and two sciences. A mark within the range does not guarantee entry. No subject percentage minima printed.
- Guelph Environmental Sciences Ontario requirementsLatest available, no year given: estimated cut-off range 75-80%, based on previous years. Co-op averages often exceed the range; automatic regular consideration if not admissible to co-op. No subject percentage minima printed.
- Carleton current Ontario high school requirementsCurrent Ontario selector: Commerce Cut off Range 80%; Arts 75%. No year given: chart on a page with Fall 2027 dates. Ranges apply to overall and prerequisite averages; no prerequisite below 60%.
- TMU Biology requirementsLatest available, no year given: grade range 75-80%, explicitly based on previous years. Ontario floor 70% overall and in each required course. Four-year and five-year co-op formats listed.
- Laurier Computer Science at WaterlooLatest available, no year given: Ontario requirements: high 70s average admission range for BA and BSc; English and Advanced Functions at 60%, with an extra subject for BSc. Co-op application follows first year.
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