St. Jerome's University
Waterloo, Ontario
Compare St. Jerome's University programs, admissions, costs, residence, student support, and career pathways in one source-reviewed guide. Jump to the decision section you need below.
Reviewed August 16, 2026 · Information checked against official university sources · How we review guides
Overview
Quick Facts
| Location | Waterloo, Ontario |
|---|---|
| School Type | Smaller undergraduate-focused environment |
| Directory Size | Small university |
| Campus Setting | Smaller campus or close-knit community setting |
| Ranking Signal | No QS World 2026 position listed in this guide |
| Program Strengths | Arts, Social Work, Humanities, Religious Studies |
Start with campus and program fit, then verify official admissions, residence, and cost details before building the final application list.
Detailed application guides
Ontario University Application Deadlines
The 2027 OUAC timeline, offers, acceptance, and separate program deadlines.
OSAP 2026–2027 Application Guide
Open status, eligibility, residency, course load, grants, deadlines, and documents.
Ontario Universities With Co-op
Direct-entry and later-entry co-op models, work terms, fees, and questions to ask.
Admissions Planning
Fall 2027 admission planning
Apply through Waterloo, then make St. Jerome’s your Arts home
WJA and WJB are direct SJU choices inside Waterloo’s OUAC listing. Another route is to apply to Waterloo Honours Arts or Arts and Business and submit SJU’s co-registration form. Waterloo assesses the application and awards the degree in both cases.
OUAC 2027 start-up
September 17, 2026
Scheduled subject to OUAC production testing.
Application deadline
February 1, 2027
Waterloo’s non-Engineering deadline covers Arts routes.
Document deadline
February 15, 2027
Waterloo publishes the same date for international applicants.
Ownership boundary
SJU does not run a separate undergraduate assessment
SJU uses Waterloo’s admission requirements, deadlines, English rules and transfer review. Co-registration changes the academic community; it does not replace Waterloo admission.
Admission route audit
| Route | Published requirement | Who owns the decision? |
|---|---|---|
| Direct SJU choice on OUAC | Select WJA for Honours Arts or WJB for Honours Arts and Business within Waterloo’s OUAC choices. | OUAC forwards the file to the University of Waterloo for assessment; the resulting degree is Waterloo’s BA. |
| Waterloo Arts application + SJU co-registration | Apply to Waterloo Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business, then complete SJU’s co-registration form after applying or receiving an offer. | Co-registration adds SJU as the academic home without replacing Waterloo admission, tuition or degree ownership. |
| Ontario high school | Complete an OSSD or equivalent with six Grade 12 U/M courses, including Grade 12 U English at a minimum final 70%. | Waterloo publishes a low-80s admission range for regular and co-op Arts; it is a competitive range, not an SJU-only guarantee. |
| Ontario college transfer | Present Grade 12 U English at 70% and a minimum 75% cumulative college average. | Waterloo reviews admission and assesses possible transfer credit after an offer using submitted course outlines. |
| International / English evidence | Meet the country-specific Waterloo Arts requirements and provide an approved English test when the exemption rules are not met. | SJU does not publish a separate international admission or English-test standard. |
Deadline audit
OUAC undergraduate system start-up
September 17, 2026
OUAC’s 2027-cycle schedule marks the date subject to production testing.
WJA/WJB Fall 2027 application
February 1, 2027
Waterloo applies its non-Engineering deadline to Honours Arts and Honours Arts and Business.
WJA/WJB documents
February 15, 2027
Waterloo publishes this deadline for programs other than Engineering.
International application and documents
Same February 1 / February 15
Waterloo says international applicants use the same deadlines.
SJU Fall 2027 entrance-award deadline
Pending
The SJU scholarship page currently publishes Fall 2026 dates.
Fall 2027 residence guarantee deadline
Pending
The current Waterloo guarantee instructions remain labelled for June 2026.
Fall 2027
WJA is the direct SJU Honours Arts OUAC choice
Applicants can select WJA within Waterloo’s OUAC program choices for Honours Arts at St. Jerome’s.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU admission, OUAC codes and co-registration · Verified August 16, 2026
Fall 2027
WJB is the direct SJU Honours Arts and Business OUAC choice
Applicants can select WJB within Waterloo’s OUAC program choices for Honours Arts and Business at St. Jerome’s.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU admission, OUAC codes and co-registration · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Ontario Honours Arts course minimum
Waterloo requires six Grade 12 U or M courses, including Grade 12 U English with a minimum final grade of 70%.
University of Waterloo: Ontario Honours Arts admission requirements · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Published Ontario admission range is low 80s
Waterloo publishes a low-80s range for regular and co-op Honours Arts; the range is based on prior admission cycles and is not a guaranteed cutoff.
University of Waterloo: Ontario Honours Arts admission requirements · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Ontario college transfer minimum
Waterloo publishes Grade 12 U English at 70% and a minimum 75% cumulative college average for Honours Arts college transfers.
University of Waterloo: Ontario college transfer requirements for Honours Arts · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
English-language evidence follows Waterloo rules
Applicants who do not meet Waterloo’s exemption conditions must provide an approved English-language result; SJU has no separate test table.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo English-language requirements · Verified August 16, 2026
Programs and Pathways
Degree and program fit
Two Waterloo Arts routes, enriched by SJU teaching
The undergraduate routes are Honours Arts and Honours Arts and Business. SJU faculty teach distinctive Arts courses and plans, but Waterloo owns the BA and its major requirements. Cross-campus access does not turn the wider Waterloo catalogue into SJU programming.
Honours Arts
A Waterloo Bachelor of Arts with 28 listed majors and regular or co-op study, with major selection after first year.
Boundary: Students can apply through WJA or co-register from Waterloo Honours Arts; SJU does not award a separate BA.
Honours Arts and Business
A Waterloo BA combining an Arts major with 14 required Arts and Business courses, available regular or co-op.
Boundary: Students can apply through WJB or co-register from the main-campus program.
SJU-taught disciplines
SJU faculty teach English, Health Humanities, History, Human Sciences, Italian and French Studies, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies, SRF, Sociology and Legal Studies.
Boundary: These courses contribute to Waterloo Faculty of Arts degrees and plans; they are not thirteen standalone SJU degrees.
Human Sciences
An SJU-taught Waterloo minor combining Human Sciences with Philosophy, Sociology, and Italian and French Studies.
Boundary: The current page lists the minor and SJU courses, not a direct-entry Human Sciences bachelor.
Cross-campus study
Co-registered students can take courses at Waterloo’s main campus and all four University Colleges.
Boundary: Course access does not transfer ownership of every Waterloo program to SJU.
Master of Catholic Thought
SJU lists a Theology graduate field with degree and non-degree categories.
Boundary: The live page says the program is not currently accepting applications, so no Fall 2027 intake should be inferred.
Official-source conflict
Current Waterloo and SJU pages generally list 28 Arts majors, while SJU’s admission page says 30. Use the live Waterloo academic catalogue when choosing a major. Human Sciences is currently described as a minor, and the Master of Catholic Thought is not accepting applications.
Current published information
Honours Arts is a Waterloo BA route
WJA and co-registration connect students to Waterloo Honours Arts, with regular and co-op study and major choice after first year.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo Honours Arts program · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Honours Arts and Business combines a major with business courses
The Waterloo BA requires an Arts major plus fourteen Arts and Business courses and is offered in regular and co-op formats.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo Honours Arts and Business program · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Official SJU pages conflict on the number of Arts majors
SJU’s admission page says 30 majors, while current SJU and Waterloo program pages generally state 28.
Use the live Waterloo academic catalogue for the exact current major inventory.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU admission, OUAC codes and co-registration · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
SJU teaches within named Arts disciplines
SJU lists teaching in English, Health Humanities, History, Human Sciences, Italian and French Studies, Medieval Studies, Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies, SRF, Sociology and Legal Studies.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU undergraduate disciplines and Waterloo degree boundary · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Human Sciences is a Waterloo minor taught at SJU
The current SJU page describes a minor drawing from Human Sciences, Philosophy, Sociology, and Italian and French Studies.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU Human Sciences minor and courses · Verified August 16, 2026
Fall 2027
Master of Catholic Thought is not currently accepting applications
The live program page states that applications are not currently being accepted.
No Fall 2027 intake should be inferred until SJU publishes a reopened application cycle.
St. Jerome’s University: Master of Catholic Thought status · Verified August 16, 2026
Official program sources
Official community and student-support sources
Residence and Campus Fit
SJU residence audit
Priority for SJU is not a room guarantee at SJU
St. Jerome’s operates a Waterloo residence community with an included meal plan. It participates in Waterloo’s first-year and transfer residence guarantee, but that process guarantees one participating residence—not assignment specifically to SJU.
SJU residence capacity
398 students
Waterloo’s University College comparison reports total SJU residence space; its separate comparison lists 297 first-year beds.
Single room, 2026–27
$18,974.47
Exact SJU total: $11,194.68 in fall plus $7,779.79 in winter or spring.
Double room, 2026–27
$17,374.47
Exact SJU total: $10,394.68 in fall plus $6,979.79 in winter or spring.
Included
Meal plan, utilities and laundry
SJU also lists furnishings, housekeeping, community programming and recreation spaces.
Waterloo residence guarantee
One participating residence
SJU participates in Waterloo’s first-year and transfer guarantee; that does not guarantee assignment specifically to SJU.
SJU priority
Co-register + rank SJU first
SJU says co-registration increases priority but explicitly does not guarantee an SJU room.
Fall 2027 terms
Pending
The current $500 deposit, June 8 deadline and rates are for the 2026–27 cycle.
Fall 2027 housing pending
The exact SJU totals—$18,974.47 for a single and $17,374.47 for a double—are 2026–27 values. Waterloo’s comparison rounds them slightly differently. Confirm the Fall 2027 rates, deposit, deadline and contract before paying.
Current published information
SJU residence has space for 398 students
Waterloo’s University College comparison publishes 398 total residence spaces at SJU.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo university-college comparison · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Waterloo lists 297 SJU first-year beds
The separate residence comparison identifies 297 first-year beds at St. Jerome’s.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo residence inventory and rate comparison · Verified August 16, 2026
2026–27
Exact 2026–27 SJU single-room total
$18,974.47, calculated from the published $11,194.68 fall charge plus $7,779.79 for winter or spring.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU residence rooms, rates and contracts · Verified August 16, 2026
2026–27
Exact 2026–27 SJU double-room total
$17,374.47, calculated from the published $10,394.68 fall charge plus $6,979.79 for winter or spring.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU residence rooms, rates and contracts · Verified August 16, 2026
2026–27
Official sources differ through rounding
SJU’s exact totals are $18,974.47 single and $17,374.47 double, while Waterloo’s comparison rounds them to $18,970 and $17,380.
Use SJU’s exact term arithmetic for budgeting and confirm the residence contract before payment.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo residence inventory and rate comparison · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Waterloo’s guarantee does not guarantee SJU assignment
SJU participates in Waterloo’s first-year and transfer residence guarantee, but successful applicants are guaranteed a place in one participating residence, not specifically SJU.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo first-year and transfer residence guarantee · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Co-registration and first ranking create priority, not certainty
SJU says co-registering and ranking SJU first increases priority but explicitly does not guarantee a room there.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU residence priority and co-registration boundary · Verified August 16, 2026
Fall 2027
Fall 2027 SJU residence rates and guarantee terms are pending
The current Waterloo guarantee process and SJU rate table remain labelled for 2026–27.
Recheck the 2027 deposit, deadline, contract, rates and SJU priority instructions when Waterloo publishes that cycle.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo first-year and transfer residence guarantee · Verified August 16, 2026
Housing and Location Questions
| Campus Setting | Smaller campus or close-knit community setting |
|---|---|
| Residence | Check residence guarantee rules, first-year room styles, meal plans, deposit deadlines, and off-campus housing pressure. |
| City Fit | Students should compare transit, weather, cost of living, safety, and community feel in Waterloo. |
| Commuting | If living off campus, map commute time to classes, labs, placements, and evening activities before committing. |
Tuition, Scholarships, and Aid
Waterloo tuition and SJU awards
Budget with Waterloo fees and SJU-specific award rules
Co-registered students pay Waterloo Arts tuition. The current tuition estimates cover September 2026 entry, while SJU’s application-based award table covers Fall 2026. Neither is a published 2027–28 schedule.
| Category | Published value | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario Arts, two terms | $9,000 | Waterloo estimate including incidental fees for September 2026 entrants. |
| Canadian outside Ontario, two terms | $10,000 | Waterloo Arts estimate for September 2026 entrants. |
| International Arts, two terms | $58,000 | Waterloo Arts estimate for September 2026 entrants. |
| Books and supplies | $1,500 | Separate Waterloo first-year estimate for Arts. |
| Waterloo co-op fee | $836 per school term | Only for students enrolled in a Waterloo co-op program; the number of assessed terms varies. |
| Fall 2027 / 2027–28 tuition | Pending | The current estimator is based on September 2026 entry. |
Entrance-award evidence
Board of Governors’ Scholarship
Up to $5,000
Highest-achieving incoming SJU Faculty of Arts student.
President’s Scholarship of Distinction
$2,000 + possible $1,500 awards
Waterloo lists a 95%+ early-May average plus possible International Experience and Research awards.
President’s Scholarship
$2,000
Waterloo lists a 90%+ early-May admission average.
Entrance scholarship
$1,000
Waterloo lists an 85%–89.9% admission-average band.
Dietrich Memorial Scholarship
$10,000
Application-based SJU award requiring reflection on Catholic Social Thought and financial impact.
Suzanne Forth Bursary
$5,000
Four nominated awards for eligible Ontario Catholic-board students who are OSAP eligible.
Other application-based SJU awards
$1,500–$2,500
Current SJU webform range; the published deadline is March 31, 2026, not Fall 2027.
Award boundary
Waterloo says eligible co-registered students receive the SJU President or Merit award instead of the main-campus equivalent, not both. SJU’s page also mixes a stale 2025 notice with a March 31, 2026 Fall 2026 deadline, so Fall 2027 dates remain pending.
Current published information
Co-registered SJU students pay Waterloo tuition
Waterloo states that co-registered students pay the same tuition as students in the equivalent main-campus Waterloo Arts program.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo explanation of SJU co-registration · Verified August 16, 2026
September 2026 entry
Latest Ontario Arts tuition estimate
$9,000 including incidental fees for two terms and a full course load for September 2026 entrants.
University of Waterloo: September 2026 first-year tuition estimates · Verified August 16, 2026
September 2026 entry
Latest international Arts tuition estimate
$58,000 including incidental fees for two terms and a full course load for September 2026 entrants.
University of Waterloo: September 2026 first-year tuition estimates · Verified August 16, 2026
Fall 2027
2027–28 Arts tuition is pending
Waterloo’s current estimator is based on September 2026 entry and does not publish a 2027–28 SJU/Arts schedule.
Replace the current estimates only after Waterloo publishes fees explicitly covering September 2027 entry.
University of Waterloo: September 2026 first-year tuition estimates · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Waterloo lists an automatic SJU entrance-award ladder
$2,000 at 90%+, $1,000 at 85%–89.9%, and at 95%+ a $2,000 distinction award plus possible $1,500 international-experience and/or research awards.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo and SJU entrance scholarship comparison · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
SJU entrance awards replace Waterloo equivalents
Waterloo says eligible co-registered students receive the SJU President or Merit award instead of the corresponding main-campus Waterloo award, not both.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo and SJU entrance scholarship comparison · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
The SJU scholarship page contains conflicting cycle signals
A stale notice says 2025 applications passed and 2026 information is coming, while the same page later publishes a March 31, 2026 Fall 2026 deadline.
Do not use either signal as a Fall 2027 deadline; confirm the next cycle on the live form.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU entrance scholarships and bursaries · Verified August 16, 2026
Fall 2027
Fall 2027 SJU entrance-award deadline is pending
The current SJU application-based award table is labelled for Fall 2026.
Recheck award values, eligibility and the application deadline after SJU publishes a Fall 2027 table.
St. Jerome’s University: SJU entrance scholarships and bursaries · Verified August 16, 2026
Official tuition and award sources
Cost Planning
| Tuition | Tuition depends on program, student status, and year. Verify domestic and international tuition on the official fee schedule. |
|---|---|
| Scholarships | Check automatic entrance awards, competitive major awards, faculty scholarships, and international-student awards. |
| Living Costs | Budget for residence or rent, food, books, transit, health insurance, winter clothing, and emergency funds. |
| Proof of Funds | International students should confirm current study-permit financial requirements and school-specific cost estimates. |
Student Life and Support
Fit Signals
| Community | Small university profile: compare class feel, access to professors, student clubs, and how easy it is to build community. |
|---|---|
| Student Supports | Review academic advising, accessibility services, mental health supports, international student services, and writing centres. |
| Clubs and Leadership | Look for discipline clubs, cultural groups, entrepreneurship programs, varsity/intramural sports, and volunteering. |
| First-Year Transition | Ask how orientation, peer mentorship, residence programming, and advising help students settle in. |
Co-op, Research, and Career Outcomes
Co-op, service learning and career planning
Separate Waterloo co-op from SJU experiential programs
Waterloo makes the 28 listed Arts majors eligible for co-op and runs WaterlooWorks. SJU adds advising and service-learning experiences, but neither co-op access nor an SJU program description guarantees an employer, current opening or work-term credit.
Waterloo Arts co-op
All 28 Honours Arts and Honours Arts and Business majors are eligible, but students must choose co-op and follow Waterloo’s employment process.
WaterlooWorks
Co-op students search, apply, interview and rank or match through Waterloo’s job boards; access is a Waterloo service, not an SJU employer guarantee.
SJU in Peru
A 2026 international service-learning course and ten-day experience open to interviewed Waterloo students from any faculty.
SJU in Peru current cost
The 2026 page publishes $3,000 for flights, local transport, accommodation, most meals and program costs, with additional personal and health costs.
Beyond U
A 12-week local service-learning internship that may qualify for co-op or EDGE, but its live page says applications are not currently accepted.
Advising and service
SJU advisors cover co-op, service learning, volunteering, careers and graduate study alongside Waterloo’s career infrastructure.
Current-cycle warning
SJU in Peru is a 2026 service-learning course, not a documented co-op term. Beyond U describes a twelve-week internship and $4,500 stipend, but the live page says applications are closed and retains a stale January 2025 prompt. Do not present either as open for Fall 2027.
Current published information
All listed Arts majors are eligible for Waterloo co-op
Waterloo’s current Honours Arts page says all 28 majors can be studied in co-op as well as regular format.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo Honours Arts program · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
WaterlooWorks supports search, application and matching
Waterloo describes students searching postings, applying, interviewing and using rankings or direct offers through its co-op system.
University of Waterloo: WaterlooWorks co-op job boards · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Co-op access is not an employer guarantee
Waterloo describes an active job search and says students average more than 25 hours securing work each term.
University of Waterloo: Waterloo co-op job-search process · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Co-op infrastructure is Waterloo-owned
SJU co-registered students can use Waterloo co-op where their program permits, but WaterlooWorks and employer matching are not SJU-owned guarantees.
University of Waterloo: WaterlooWorks co-op job boards · Verified August 16, 2026
2026
SJU in Peru publishes a 2026 service-learning cycle
Applications ran January 9 to February 22, 2026 for an interviewed ten-day experience scheduled October 9–18, 2026.
St. Jerome’s University: 2026 SJU in Peru service-learning program · Verified August 16, 2026
2026
SJU in Peru publishes a $3,000 program cost
The 2026 handbook says $3,000 covers flights, local transportation, accommodation, most meals and program costs, with personal and health costs additional.
St. Jerome’s University: 2026 SJU in Peru student handbook · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
SJU in Peru is not presented as a co-op work term
SJU describes it as a service-learning course and international experience, so Waterloo co-op credit should not be inferred.
St. Jerome’s University: 2026 SJU in Peru service-learning program · Verified August 16, 2026
Current published information
Beyond U’s live page has stale and closed-cycle signals
The page says applications are not currently accepted but also tells readers to check back in January 2025.
Treat the structure and stipend as latest available only; do not represent the internship as currently open.
St. Jerome’s University: Beyond U local service-learning internship · Verified August 16, 2026
Fall 2027
Fall 2027 SJU-specific experiential dates are pending
The current SJU in Peru evidence covers 2026 and Beyond U is not accepting applications.
Check SJU for a cycle explicitly labelled 2027 before planning either experience.
St. Jerome’s University: 2026 SJU in Peru service-learning program · Verified August 16, 2026
Official co-op and experiential sources
Career Planning
| Experiential Learning | Check whether your target program offers co-op, internships, clinical placements, practicums, studios, field schools, or research terms. |
|---|---|
| Career Services | Compare job boards, employer partnerships, resume support, interview preparation, and alumni mentoring. |
| Research Access | For graduate-school or professional-school pathways, look for undergraduate research assistant roles and lab access. |
| Outcome Questions | Ask where graduates work or study next, and whether outcomes differ by program, co-op stream, or campus. |
St. Jerome’s applicants should treat SJU and Waterloo as connected but distinct. Apply through Waterloo using WJA, WJB, or a Waterloo Arts application followed by SJU co-registration. Waterloo assesses admission, governs the BA, charges tuition, and operates co-op; SJU provides the affiliated Arts community, its residence, entrance awards, advising, campus ministry, and service-learning opportunities. Fall 2027 application and document deadlines are confirmed, while 2027–28 tuition, SJU residence terms, award dates, and SJU-specific experiential cycles remain pending.
St. Jerome’s admission, Waterloo affiliation, tuition, residence, awards, and co-op FAQs
Current answers for Fall 2027 applicants comparing WJA, WJB and Waterloo Arts co-registration, with Waterloo-owned admission, degree, tuition and co-op kept separate from SJU residence, awards, supports and service learning.
Official Sources and Next Steps
Stellar keeps this guide structured for comparison, but official university pages remain the source of truth for program requirements, tuition, residence, scholarships, deadlines, and policy changes.
Prepared by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed August 16, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology
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