Laurentian University vs University of Waterloo vs University of Ottawa vs Trent University vs Cambrian College

Side-by-side comparison from 272 verified student reviews. Scan one row at a time — winners are highlighted

Quick verdict
Higher overall rating: Cambrian College (4.50)
Laurentian University: wins 0/7 categories
University of Waterloo: wins 0/7 categories
University of Ottawa: wins 1/7 categories
Trent University: wins 0/7 categories
Cambrian College: wins 4/7 categories
Université de Hearst: wins 0/7 categories
St Lawrence College: wins 2/7 categories
Comparing
Best programme: Business Administration and Operations Management
Best programme: Arts and Business
Ontario, Canada
4.20
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97 reviews
×
Best programme: Psychology
Ontario, Canada
4.30
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53 reviews
×
Best programme: Business Administration
Ontario, Canada
4.50
Top
Read more reviews
8 reviews
×
Best programme: Chemical Engineering and Technology
Ontario, Canada
Not rated
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0 reviews
×
Category ratings
Facilities
3.92
4.22
4.03
4.10
4.25
Win
Not rated
4.00
Location
3.64
3.87
4.46
Win
4.16
4.25
Not rated
2.00
Professors
3.92
4.15
4.06
4.25
4.75
Not rated
5.00
Win
Internationality
3.54
4.26
4.37
4.23
4.75
Not rated
5.00
Win
Student life
3.58
3.81
3.96
3.89
4.13
Win
Not rated
4.00
Value
3.38
4.17
4.07
4.23
4.50
Win
Not rated
3.00
Accommodation
3.58
3.86
3.82
3.77
4.13
Win
Not rated
3.00
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • +Personal connections and support from professors
  • +Welcoming campus atmosphere and sense of community
  • +Strong academic programs and valuable practical knowledge
  • +Excellent professors and intellectually stimulating environment
  • +Strong academic programs and emphasis on career readiness
  • +Diverse extracurricular activities and co-op opportunities
  • +Excellent professors and organized classes/labs
  • +Strong career preparation and COOP program
  • +Supportive campus environment and sense of belonging
  • +Engaging professors and approachable faculty
  • +Strong sense of community and inclusive environment
  • +Beautiful campus and supportive learning atmosphere
  • +Practical skills and marketable knowledge acquisition
  • +Supportive and experienced faculty members
  • +Excellent facilities and campus environment

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Cons
  • -Administrative and management issues cause constant frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and equipment hinder learning.
  • -A lack of clear communication and support leaves students feeling lost.
  • -Overwhelmingly negative atmosphere with competitive co-ops and hostile classmates.
  • -Mediocre teaching quality and poor professor interactions.
  • -Ineffective mental health support systems.
  • -Disconnect between tuition cost and educational value.
  • -Poor campus upkeep and maintenance.
  • -Unreliable and outdated online resources.
  • -Administrative and management issues are a significant problem.
  • -Outdated facilities and poor living conditions are frequently mentioned.
  • -Inadequate curriculum and lack of faculty support are common complaints.
  • -Inefficient administrative processes and management issues cause frustration.
  • -Outdated facilities and a lack of modern resources hinder learning.
  • -Poor communication and a lack of support create an unsupportive environment.

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Rating summary
What students say

Presenting a well-rounded view, the university excels particularly in its **Professors** (3.92) and **Facilities** (3.92). Areas that received lower scores include **Value** (3.38), **Internationality** (3.54), and **Student Life/Accomodation** (both 3.58), indicating potential for improvement in these specific aspects. The **Location** also scored moderately at 3.64.

This university demonstrates a solid overall performance, with **Internationality (4.26)** and **Facilities (4.22)** being its strongest points. **Value (4.17)** and **Professors (4.15)** also receive commendably high marks. The university's **Student Life (3.81)**, while still respectable, represents its relatively weakest area among the surveyed metrics.

This university garners its highest scores in **Location** (4.46) and **Internationality** (4.37). Areas performing slightly lower include **Accommodations** (3.82) and **Student Life** (3.96). Other metrics such as Facilities, Professors, and Value received solid ratings, generally in the 4.0 range, indicating a well-rounded educational experience.

Performance varies across key university metrics. The strongest areas are Professors, Internationality, and Value, all scoring above 4.2. Location and Facilities also received solid marks. Conversely, Student Life and Accomodation represent the weakest points, with scores below 4. This suggests a university that excels in academic and global aspects, while areas of student experience and on-campus living could be enhanced.

Overall, this institution garners high marks across various aspects. Its strongest areas are exceptionally rated Professors and Internationality, both at 4.75. Location and Facilities also perform well with a 4.25 rating. Student Life and Accommodations are rated similarly at 4.125. The university offers strong Value at 4.5.

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Reviews summary
Highlights

With ~100% positive feedback and an average rating of 3.92/5, students praise smaller class sizes, strong academic support, and a welcoming community. The faculty and facilities are also highlighted as beneficial.

Over 89% of reviews are positive, praising academic rigor, excellent professors, and strong co-op programs. Approximately 1% express significant dissatisfaction, citing a negative atmosphere and competitive co-ops.

With ~99% positive feedback, students highlight excellent professors, organized classes, strong preparation for careers, and good campus resources. A single negative review mentioned tuition costs and outdated website information.

~94% of reviews are positive, highlighting great professors, engaging learning, and a strong community. A small amount of feedback (around 6%) mentions issues with textbook costs and dorms.

With an average rating of 4.5/5, ~88% of ~8 reviews are positive. Students praise practical learning, marketable skills, and supportive faculty. No negative feedback was provided.

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Rating distribution
5★
23%
35%
36%
47%
63%
0%
0%
4★
46%
54%
53%
42%
25%
0%
0%
3★
31%
10%
10%
6%
13%
0%
100%
2★
0%
0%
1%
2%
0%
0%
0%
1★
0%
1%
0%
4%
0%
0%
0%
Most useful review
Most liked

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GBDA at University of Waterloo

Waterloo is a solid university with great professors and informative classes. It’s location in Waterloo also offers students access to a nice city full of young people also attending UW, or the surrounding schools. The GBDA program also offered a wide variety of classes to teach everything from international business and project management, to digital media capture and user centric design. There are countless careers that can use GBDA as a starting point, which is a real advantage.

Well organized courses. Option of thesis project

I really liked the program as it prepared me well for applying to various master programs or professional schools. Secondly, it allows numerous opportunities to work with faculty members on research projects e.g UROP, and Honours projects. Additionally, we are provided with the option of adding a minor from another faculty or specialize in something from our faculty e.g. public health, health technologies, or bioscience. However, I took off one star as the university did not run a Co-Op program for this degree.

Do Not Waste Your Money At The Durham Campus

This place is a degree mill. There are no proper amenities, and the faculty and management are horrid. Avoid this university. Take your money elsewhere. Disclaimer- I study at the Durham campus so I am not sure about how things are in the Peterborough Campus.

Incredible educators

I had a fantastic experience at Cambrian as a Chemical Engineering Technology student. My professors excelled in imparting troubleshooting and critical thinking skills through their classes and labs. The campus structure was excellent, and I frequently utilized the library for printing study materials. While the gym may not rival a GoodLife Fitness facility, it had most of the equipment I needed. Playing with the Cambrian Golden Shield for soccer was an incredible experience.

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