University of Waterloo Careers & Work Experience

2026–2027 co-operative education update

How University of Waterloo co-op works

Waterloo runs the largest co-op program in Canada — by its own published comparison, larger than the next two Canadian co-op programs combined, with access to more than 8,000 employers in over 70 countries. Co-op is a program-specific degree stream that combines academic terms with four to six work terms, depending on the degree. Students apply directly to an eligible co-op program from high school, most work terms last four months, and many students start working halfway through second year.

Admission to co-op confirms access to the co-op stream and its supports; it does not guarantee a job. Students apply, interview, and compete for roles through WaterlooWorks or find an eligible role independently. Employers make hiring decisions, and Waterloo reviews work terms for co-op credit.

Waterloo co-op structure at a glance

There is no single sequence for every Waterloo student. Use the program page—not a faculty-wide summary—to confirm whether co-op is offered, how many work terms are required, when the first recruiting term begins, and whether an eight-month placement is possible.

What Waterloo co-op students earn

Beyond the university-wide $9,600–$23,400 per-term range, Waterloo publishes hourly earnings for Canadian work terms by faculty and work-term level. The 2025 figures below are averages in Canadian dollars; employers consult these rates when setting pay but are not required to follow them. Health publishes work terms one to five, starting from an $18.75 first-term average.

How much does Waterloo co-op cost?

The University of Waterloo co-op fee is $836 for 2026–2027, an increase of $19 or 2.4% from 2025–2026. It is an annually reviewed program fee charged over a prescribed number of academic terms. The number of charges varies by degree, so the total is not simply $836 multiplied by the number of jobs: the current fee page lists programs that pay the fee 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8 times, for degree totals of $1,672 to $6,688. Engineering pays 8 charges starting in 1A; Arts co-op pays 6 starting in 2A.

Students pay regular tuition during school terms, not during co-op work terms. The co-op fee funds the infrastructure and services used across the degree and is not a placement fee or an employment guarantee. Add it to a term-by-term budget alongside housing moves, travel, and the possibility that early earnings differ from later work terms. The Waterloo scholarships, costs, and OSAP guide explains financial planning across academic and co-op terms.

What does the Waterloo co-op employment rate mean?

Waterloo defines the employment rate as students with approved employment divided by students participating in recruitment. Employed students can include WaterlooWorks hires, independently arranged jobs, and returns to prior employers. The statistics are updated every two weeks, differ by program and work-term level, and can continue rising until about four weeks after a work term begins.

As of May 1, 2026, Waterloo's current reports live in a Co-op Data Hub that requires a Waterloo account. Prospective students should avoid relying on an undated percentage copied elsewhere. Ask for the current program-level and first-work-term view, then compare it with the kinds of roles, locations, and support that fit the intended degree.