3 programs, side by side

Rows marked with a dot are where these differ. Everything is each university’s own published wording; the “your average” row is yours, calculated the way each program does it.

	Lakehead Engineering (co-op available) (Thunder Bay and Barrie) OUAC AM Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove	Queen's Smith Engineering – Common First Year programs OUAC QE Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	70%	80–83%“Low 80s”	87–90%“High 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MHF4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Mechatronics: ENG4U, MHF4U with a minimum grade of 60%, SCH4U, SPH4U MCV4U is strongly recommended An additional Math, Science or Technological Education course is also recommended Software: +7 more on the program page	English (ENG4U – min. 70%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Any two of the following: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Mathematics of Data Management, or Physics	ENG4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U MHF4U
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	Bachelor of Engineering, BEng, Bachelor of Engineering/Master of Business Administration, BEng/MBA	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	—	250	800
What you study	Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Electronic & Electrical EngineeringFacilities Management	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science	Aerospace EngineeringChemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science
What it is	You study a specialized branch of engineering — chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, software, or another field — applying math and science to design and build real structures, systems, or software. The co-op option lets you alternate between classroom semesters and paid work terms at engineering companies, giving you industry experience before you graduate. This program suits students strong in math and physics who want hands-on learning and concrete career preparation.	Physical Sciences is a broad first-year program where you study foundational chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology before choosing a specialization in second year. The co-op option means you alternate between study and paid work terms at companies or research labs, giving you real experience in your field. This program suits students who are strong in math and science but not yet certain which specific physical science direction — from astronomy to polymer chemistry — they want to pursue.	Smith Engineering's common first year means you take the same core courses as all engineering students — math, physics, chemistry, and engineering fundamentals — before choosing a specialization like mechanical, civil, chemical, or aerospace engineering in second year. This delays your choice, letting you explore different engineering fields before committing. It suits students who know they want engineering but are unsure which branch fits them best.
The door tomajors you reach through it	engineering software engineering	chemistry earth science physics	engineering
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	6 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	None published by average
Source	Lakehead University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	Queen's University on OUInfo

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Ranges are what each university publishes, not guaranteed cutoffs, and limited-enrolment programs often admit above them. Confirm anything you are about to act on with the university; each column links to its source.