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.

	York Design (BDes) OUAC YD Remove	Queen's Smith Engineering - Direct Entry Computer Engineering OUAC QEC Remove	Waterloo Systems Design Engineering (Co-op Only) OUAC WD Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	83–87%“Mid-80s”	90–93%“Low 90s”	87–93%“High 80s to low 90s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) ENG4U 5 additional 4U/M courses	ENG4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U MHF4U	English (ENG4U – min. 70%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Chemistry (min. 70%) Physics (min. 70%)
More than marks?supplementary application	Yes Submit your application for admission to the OUAC by January 15, 2026, for guaranteed consideration to this program.Applications received after this date will be reviewed if space is available. In addition to applying for admission to York via the OUAC, applicants must complete an audition, interview and/or portfolio review. Find out more at ampd.yorku.ca/apply. Usually closes before January 15	Marks only	Yes NEW: All Engineering program applications require an online video interview. You will receive more information after you apply. An Admission Information Form is also required. We will send you instructions when we acknowledge your application. Also considered: Involvement in extracurricular activities in school or community, evidence of interest in engineering and strong performance in mathematics, science or engineering-related competitions. Usually closes before January 15
Co-op	No	Available	Available
Degree	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	50	40	94
What you study	Design	Computer Science Electronic & Electrical Engineering General or Integrated Engineering Software Engineering	Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Design General or Integrated Engineering
What it is	A Bachelor of Design teaches you to create visual and physical solutions to real problems, combining art, technology, and user needs. You'll learn design thinking, digital tools, and how to present ideas clearly rather than focusing narrowly on fine art or engineering alone. This program suits people who want to solve practical problems through creativity and aren't sure whether they're more interested in making things or making them look good.	Smith Engineering's direct-entry computer engineering program lets you study the design and programming of computing systems from the ground up, combining software development with the electronics and electrical principles that make hardware work. Unlike applying to general engineering first, you enter this stream directly and follow a focused path in computer engineering throughout your degree. It suits students who are confident they want to build or optimize computer systems and hardware, not just write software in isolation.	This program teaches you to design and build complex systems — often combining software, hardware, human behaviour, and business — that solve real-world problems. Unlike a traditional engineering program focused on one discipline, it blends computer science, design thinking, and management so you learn how systems work across multiple fields. It suits students who want engineering skills but prefer understanding how all the pieces fit together and spending time working in industry during their degree.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	Applied to directly	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	29 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	None published by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	York University on OUInfo	Queen's University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

Also compare with

Same subject area and a similar published range, at a campus you have not got in the table yet.

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.